Wanna bet the gun wasn't in a holster?

[Yoda]

There are SO many things that seems to have been just wrong here, but I'll bet that the deceased's last mistake in his life was to stuff a gun in his low-hanging pants without a holster:



Dionta RaShad Cochran was killed by his own gun after it accidentally discharged in the 19-year-old's pocket, authorities said Friday. The bullet struck him in the chest while he was getting into an SUV to buy cigarettes.

Tests confirmed that the fatal round was fired from the .32-caliber pistol Cochran kept in the back pocket of his low-hanging pants, and not from an unknown shooter, as originally thought, Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten said.

"It's clear examining the clothing and trajectories and soot and bullets and guns, etc., that the gun in his back pocket actually discharged, passed through his clothing — missing both legs — and as he was bending forward in an effort to probably close the door, the bullet struck him in the chest," she said...

...Investigators arrested Cochran's cousin and a friend a day later after they determined that the pair tried to hide Cochran's gun and another gun in the backyard before police arrived.

Police charged Eric Ra'shad Antonio Smith, who was staying at the house with his grandmother, with obstruction of justice after he allegedly instructed Justin Maurice Townsend to hide the guns. Smith's mother said at a bond hearing that police told her that her son, who has a conviction for third-degree burglary, was the intended target of the shooting.

Police also charged Townsend, Cochran's cousin, with possession of a stolen pistol with a removed or obliterated serial number, unlawful carrying of a pistol and possession of a pistol...

--- Yoda

Here's the link:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/jul/18/coroner_man_shot_self_by_accident89655/

 

[Kindrox]

I always chuckle at these stories because the perp is always lauded as a saint by someone and this article does not dissopoint:

Lollita Brown, Holmes' pastor at The Power of The Word Worship Center, said Cochran was a good person who had plans to join the military after overcoming problems in his life.

"He was a very outgoing young man; he was very sweet," Brown said. "He was a part of our youth ministry. Always wanted to do the right thing. Yes, he had some trouble in the past, but when he came out, he had his head on right."

Cochran spent 10 months in prison after a conviction for strong-arm robbery. He was released in April.

On June 5, he was arrested and accused of shooting a firearm in West Ashley.

The only thing missing is how the perp is the victim of lax gun control laws that put the gun in his back pocket.

 

[TexasRifleman]

he only thing missing is how the perp is the victim of lax gun control laws that put the gun in his back pocket.

The Brady bunch will take care of that. This one goes in the "children killed by guns" category. I think they go all they way up to 20 with their definition of "children", just to make sure they get to include most gang shootings in their statistics.

 

[SCKimberFan]

after overcoming problems in his life.

However, that would not be for quite a while...

 

[peyton]

Now it is a shame he died, however, how did a 32 go off in his back pocket?? There seems to me a piece of the puzzle is missing.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

A gun in the back pocket not only goes off, but hits him in the chest, at a steep enough angle to penetrate a vital organ? I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around this.

 

[Impureclient]

I hope it's possible to keep this from being locked.

I'm really curious on everybody's take on how you can have a gun in your back pocket shoot you in
the chest. Also how is it possible for it to fire without a finger or something to grab inside the back
pocket pulling the trigger. Any time somebody has an AD everybody says it's due to that person grabbing
at the trigger. So what pulled his trigger?

 

[Blakenzy]

Well, his pants were baggy enough that the back pocket somehow passed between his legs and ended up infront of him as he was seating himself in the SUV. His back pockets would probably hang at mid thigh height in the standing position. As to what pulled the trigger... well, maybe some junk he had flopping around the same pocket.

Lesson: Baggy clothes don't make for good carry garment.

Does he get a Darwin Award for self-elimination?

 

[noskilz]

You guys having trouble envisioning this need to remember how low these pants can be worn. The guy is sitting down, so his pants are now really low, with the gun well below his buttocks, probably under a thigh. He leans forward, exposing his chest through his legs. Somehow, the trigger on the unholstered gun is depressed. Bang. Game over.

The real mystery is the dead guy's cousin's mom's (dead guys' Aunt?) statement at the bail hearing that "the cops told her that her son was the intended target." Hmmm. Now THAT doesn't add up.

 

[Grey_Mana]

Impossible, everybody knows a .32 can't penetrate the chest or skull.

 

[Girodin]

I'm really curious on everybody's take on how you can have a gun in your back pocket shoot you in
the chest. Also how is it possible for it to fire without a finger or something to grab inside the back
pocket pulling the trigger. Any time somebody has an AD everybody says it's due to that person grabbing
at the trigger. So what pulled his trigger?
Impureclient is online now Report Post Quick reply to this message

Blakenzy's expliantion is what I gathered from reading it.

As to what pulled the trigger, who knows, likely something in his pocket intersected the trigger.

Even if this guy wasn't a saint it is pretty low class to laugh at someones death. What is more appropriate IMO is to look at what lessons can be drawn. Although the details are lacking to confirm it I also would imagine that this guy didn't have his little .32 in a pocket holster. Pocket carry really does call for a pocket holster. Something likely intersected the trigger causing the discharge. Not only should one carry in holster but the pistol should be the only thing in that pocket.

I just had an idea of another possible cause of discharge. Perhaps he reached down to pull up his very low pants in order to get into the car. Grabbing at the pants he might have gotten the trigger.

 

[Girodin]

The real mystery is the dead guy's cousin's mom's (dead guys' Aunt?) statement at the bail hearing that "the cops told her that her son was the intended target." Hmmm. Now THAT doesn't add up.

Initially his cousin hid the gun. With no gun on the kid the police probably thought someone shot him until further investigation showed what happened.

 

[Leanwolf]

"Lollita Brown, Holmes' pastor at The Power of The Word Worship Center, said Cochran was a good person who had plans to join the military after overcoming problems in his life.

"He was a very outgoing young man; he was very sweet," Brown said. "He was a part of our youth ministry. Always wanted to do the right thing."

No doubt Dionta RaShad was a nice boy, but....


He just fell in with bad company.

(Where have we heard that before??)

L.W.

 

[Impureclient]

Even if this guy wasn't a saint it is pretty low class to laugh at someones death. What is more appropriate IMO is to look at what lessons can be drawn.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Perhaps he reached down to pull up his very low pants in order to get into the car.

That makes the most sense here.

 

[c919]

Well at least we know he was a well dressed man with a good belt. Back pocket to chest.... huh? How about that?

And I dont get this....

Dionta RaShad Cochran was killed by his own gun after it accidentally discharged in the 19-year-old's pocket, authorities said Friday. The bullet struck him in the chest while he was getting into an SUV to buy cigarettes.

It seems like you would be getting out of the SUV to buy cigs, and back in after getting the cigs.

So was he buying the cigs in the SUV?

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Maybe the cigs were the "left handed" variety.

 

[PT1911]

last I checked they go up to 24 or 25 with their definition of children...

 

[loadedround]

Don't you have to be over 21 to buy cigarettes in NYC?

 

[Oyeboten]

Pretty strange...



Maybe he'd had it cocked and no safety on...and caught the Trigger somehow.


I'm assuming this was an Automatic...


Yeahhh...probably buying 'Black Market' Cigarettes.

 

[danprkr]

Even if this guy wasn't a saint it is pretty low class to laugh at someones death.

Granted, laughing at the death is probably low class. But it's just logic to write it off as Darwinism at it's finest.

As to the logistics of how the angle got there - who knows? Wouldn't be the first time someone sat on something that protruded into a pocket. I'm famous for destroying cell phones and sunglasses just this way. Granted I've never had a gun go off, but I have had several pairs of pants with 'extra' holes, and I can assume that anything that would penetrate denim might also push a trigger if it was in the wrong place. Just my guess.

 

[LRaccuracy]

peyton,

I believe it happened just like it is described. I knew an idiot that shot himself carrying a S&W mod. 36 in his front pocket. He was getting into his car and the firearm discharged. The round severed the femeral artery and he just about bled out at the scean. This was in 1975.

 

[jnyork]

Lollita Brown, Holmes' pastor at The Power of The Word Worship Center, said Cochran was a good person who had plans to join the military after overcoming problems in his life.

Another crock. After doing 10 months for strongarm robbery, he was definitely NOT getting into the military.

 

[Titan6]

I guess there is hope for all you guys toting .32s for SD. I would not count on getting lucky twice.

 

[Oyeboten]

I believe it happened just like it is described. I knew an idiot that shot himself carrying a S&W mod. 36 in his front pocket. He was getting into his car and the firearmdischarged. The round severed the femeral artery and he just about bled out at the scean. This was in 1975.

I don't suppose you have any real details, do you?


He somehow actuated a double-action Revolver, with no hands...while it was in his pocket...

Hmmmmm...


Was he carrying it 'Cocked'?


Or...?


How?

 

[ants]

I'm still skeptical about the whole thing. Oh, well. I guess it doesn't matter.

Somehow I don't believe the story or any of its details.

The cousin lied to police about the shooting. When that was revealed as a false report, police assumed that the victim shot himself accidentally. At least that explains the hole in the pants.

Later we hear his aunt testify at the bail hearing, stating that the cousin was the real target. Oh, really?

We won't ever know the real story. In a few days they lay another ex-felon to rest and we'll all forget the whole incident.