Fort Lewis soldier accidentally killed by wife

[stevedeshazer]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/405076_shot12.html

OLYMPIA -- A Fort Lewis soldier died instantly early Sunday when his wife accidentally shot him in the head as he was teaching her how to handle a handgun.

Deputies were called to the scene, in the 4300 block of Quail Run Loop Northeast in Olympia, at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, said Lt. Chris Mealy of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.

Mealy said the soldier and his wife, both 25, had been out with friends having a good time, possibly celebrating an upcoming deployment for the soldier. They were drinking, but it is not known if they were drunk.

After the couple got home, the soldier decided to teach his wife how to handle a semi-automatic handgun, Mealy said.

While the wife was holding the gun, she accidentally discharged the firearm. A single shot struck the husband in the head, and he died instantly.

----

:(

[MadMaddie]

1. Sigh....

[BlooInBloo]

2. Sigh. Drinking and loaded guns.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Heh.

[NeedleCast]

4. Darwin strikes again

Tragic, but anyone showing someone how to handle a firearm should know better than to do it while the firearm is loaded.

[madaboutharry]

5. Terrible, but I had to stop and ask myself how

the gun could have been loaded. So stupid and sad.

[EFerrari]

19. Or when their frontal lobes are disengaged. So sad. n/t

[chollybocker]

6. "...his wife accidentally shot him in the head."

"...she accidentally discharged the firearm."

Accidents will happen!

[doctor jazz]

7. So...a soldier, not a brand new recruit, suddenly decides to teach his drunken wife how to handle a

gun.

Gotta love the training these guys are getting.


Is that what's called 'friendly fire'?

[NeedleCast]

9. Most soldiers never touch a pistol

I thought the training I got on handling rifles was excellent, and even the best training can't cure stupid.

[doctor jazz]

15. True 'nuff. I got some training in the military but by then I'd had guns for 12 years

and could shoot a gnat off the neck of my DI. I sure was tempted to do it now and then. :D

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. That what I was issued for most of the time.

[Arctic Dave]

8. Liquor and guns. Always a winning combination for laughs.

[doctor jazz]

11. Exactly! Now we just have to decide whether to blame the alcohol...or the gun.

:silly:

[Arctic Dave]

13. You forgot "the stupid", its a trifecta.

[doctor jazz]

14. You mean some human had to drink the booze or fire the gun???

What a radical idea!

[lazer47]

10. Stupid is,, As Stupid does

[depakid]

12. Hmmm

Anyone heard of Claudine Longet & Spider Savage?

[petronius]

20. Not before now, but my first reaction here was skepticism

I'd like to see a thorough investigation before the accident story goes down as the permanent record...

[stevedeshazer]

21. Yes, Spider Sabich...good one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Sabich#Death

<snip>

Late in the afternoon of March 21, 1976, Sabich had returned from a day of skiing in Aspen and was preparing to shower. He was fatally shot in the bathroom of his Starwood home by his live-in girlfriend, singer-actress Claudine Longet, then age 34. The two had met at a pro-celebrity event four years earlier in 1972 in Bear Valley, California, and were quickly an item. She claimed the gun discharged accidentally, as he was showing her how it worked. He was hit in the abdomen and lost a significant amount of blood before the ambulance arrived. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, with Longet at his side. Spider Sabich was 31 years old.

Longet, the former wife of entertainer Andy Williams, was charged with reckless manslaughter. She was convicted in early 1977 of a lesser charge, criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor. Longet was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but allowed to serve the time at her convenience. She served her sentence three months later, following a vacation with her married defense attorney, Ron Austin. (1976 photo) The two would later marry and continue to live in the Aspen area.

----

But still, the death of this guy is really sad. And so easily avoidable.

[mitchum]

24. "Accidents will happen Claudine"...

from an unreleased Rolling Stones song at the time

[depakid]

25. Yep- the evidence in the case was pretty convincing, and it was a cause célèbre

Now, this case could well be a dumb accident- they happen often enough just as described- though from time to time, things don't sound quite right.

As with the case in Omaha in February:

Gun blast shatters Lincoln newlyweds' 'perfect' life

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10553228

The story later changed, which resulted in:

Joshua Beasley Charged With Manslaughter In Wife's Death

http://www.klkntv.com/Global/story.asp?s=9801846

Sadly, she blogged about their "gun adventures"

http://www.ketv.com/news/18639727/detail.html

[Sebastian Doyle]

27. "Only Spider knows for sure. But he ain't talkin' anymore........"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8IOKKG_PAQ

[Duckhunter935]

16. Rule #1

All weapons are considered loaded. NEVER point a weapon at something you do not intend to shoot.

Very sad indeed,

They were drinking, but it is not known if they were drunk.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. We should wait until they determine if this was truly an accident.

[jobycom]

22. Where's the fun in that?

We can all use this to further our own favorite personal gun arguments. If we waited for the full story and all the facts, we might not be able to do so. Jump on the story while we still know nothing, that's my credo.

[stevedeshazer]

23. I agree that it's premature to assign a motive or assign blame.

It's too soon, and the exact circumstances are not yet public knowledge.

[Sebastian Doyle]

26. Goddamn it, if the guy was only armed, he could have shot his wife before she shot him !!!1!1!!1!!!

(Figured somebody needed to post the standard NRA-scripted Gungeon response here)