Right now my uncle is barricaded in his house and will probably not come out alive

[Robyn66]

http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x233960232/Pelham-man-barricaded-in-home


This is going on as we speak. I just got off the phone with my father who is at the scene. My uncle, who has been arrested several times, and has done this very thing once before, about a year ago is SEVERELY mentaly ill. He owns several guns which after all is said and done have been give back to him by the state of New Hampshire. The reason being YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO OWN A GUN IN THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

He has said that he will not come out this time alive, is walking around the house with a gun and aiming it out the window every once in a while. They have called in snipers.

He is trying to commit suicide by cop-- I am sitting here speechless. He is not someone I have ever been close to because his illness has made him a dangerous person to be around.

Those who know me, know I have my problems with my father, but right know my heart breaks right with him because this is his brother whose life is going to end most likely today, and my heart is with the police because they are doing everything in their power for this NOT to be the way it ends up.

THey have called in negotiators, but my uncle has shut off his phone. I have a really sick feeling about this, especlailly because if he gets out of this alive, he will be arrested and the system will have his guns back in his hands within a year, again.

[Catherina]

1. I am so sorry Robyn

I have no words but wish I could reach out and hug you, and your father too.

I hope your uncle pulls out of this alive and gets help.

:hug:

[Brickbat]

2. You and your family are in my thoughts.

[Fumesucker]

3. ...

:hug: because there are no adequate words..

[meegbear]

4. Hoping the best for your uncle, you and your family

:hug:

[Lindsay]

5. I am so sorry

that you and your family are going through this. Hugs.

[Broderick]

6. Here is hoping for

a better outcome then what you anticipate.......

[Jim__]

7. I am so sorry to hear this. You have my sympathy. - n/t

[spanone]

8. sad / tragic

[blondeatlast]

9. Our hearts are with you, your father, your uncle, and the police.

I'm so very sorry, robyn. Saying a prayer for the most hopeful resolution of this awful situation.

[prolesunited]

10. I hope they have mental health professionals on the scene

and they are able to end it peacefully and everyone comes out safe.

[WiffenPoof]

11. I'm So Sorry Robyn...

I will be thinking of you and your family today.

-PLA

[emulatorloo]

12. I'm sorry Robyn. I'm hoping for the best possible outcome

and am sorry you all are having to go through this

[sinkingfeeling]

13. The article is by John Toole. I don't think that's Robyn66.

[Robyn66]

25. That is the news story about my uncle

I just posted it give info. I just cant beleive its in a news article already. I am afraid that another mentaly ill person with a gun will get national coverage. I dont want to see him discussed on the news tonight.

[Dappleganger]

49. I know that feeling...

when your real-life problems become everyone else's gossip. :(

[Doctor_J]

14. Bless you & family

I have never had to tend for a mentally ill person. I can't begin to imagine.

[flakey_foont]

15. so sorry to hear this

my thoughts go out to you and your family and hope for quick and peaceful resolution

[Smarmie Doofus]

16. Horrendous. Keep us posted. Maybe they can wait him out til he stabilizes.

That's the best I can do.... not knowing the situation. ( Might be the best even if I DID know the situation.)

Keep us posted.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. I am so sorry to hear this is happening. ;(

I am hoping the police act with care and recognize that this is a situation that needs to be very carefully addressed due to his mental state.

I hope your uncle gets out alive and can get the help he needs. :hug:

[SPedigrees]

18. I'm very sorry and hope this will not have a bad outcome. nt

[femrap]

19. So sorry to hear what

your family in enduring. Where did our common sense go?

I'll believe in a good outcome.

[Skidmore]

20. (((Hugs))) to you and I understand fully that feeling.

I have a couple memories from my childhood that I carry with me. My father was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when I was a very young child. Back then they were just starting to use thorazine. I remember watching 6 state troopers carry him out of the house, kicking and screaming. It did take six because he was so violent at the time. I also remember hiding in a closet and watching through crack on the hinge side of the door as he sat at the kitchen table drumming on it with the handle of the butcher knife he was holding.

He was never fully whole and I understand what you say about staying clear. As an adult, I never allowed my children to be around him...too much pain and fear. THe mental health system is pit into which lives and families disappear and are often snuffed out.

My thoughts are with you and yours this day.

[glinda]

21. Sorry that you and your father are going through this. Whatever happens, you might

need to support your father with showing care and compassion. It is very kind of you to be able to empathize with you father at this horrible time.

[elleng]

22. Terribly sorry to hear about this, Robyn.

The system, that is, New Hampshire, has to get its act together, that is, ITS sanity.

:hug:

[TwilightGardener]

23. I hope it's resolved peacefully--good luck to you and your family.

[cry baby]

24. my thoughts are with you and your family. nt

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lint Head]

27. I know you're worried. Stay strong. It is nothing you

can control. My heart is with you. I have folks in my family like this.

[TuxedoKat]

28. Sorry

to hear this. I have a relative who is mentally ill. I hope the police will be able to get through to him. (((Hugs)))

[supernova]

29. You have my sympathies, Robyn

:hug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. I am sorry, I wish it ends better

but I fear you are correct

[Lynx]

31. Robyn I am thinking of you

Let's just say I know of a situation that could end the same way. And there is nothing I can do about it. And it's heartbreaking.
Stay strong!

[Jokinomx]

My heart aches with you... and your family....:-)

:hug:

[Vinca]

32. I'm so sorry for the situation. I live in New Hampshire and the place

is freaking orgasmic for guns. The first order of the new Republican legislature was to take up a law allowing firearms in the Capitol buildings. Unrelated, but I read in today's paper the second order of business is repealing gay marriage. Stay strong, Robyn.

[mmonk]

33. Here's hoping for a peaceful positive outcome.

[thecrow]

34. Can't they tranquilize him somehow?

I'm so sorry for you and your family to have to be going through this.
I don't know what I would do if it were my brother or uncle.
I am praying for him, that somehow they can get him out and then mental help.
There must be a way they can capture him without killing him!
Tranquilizer darts? Some kind of tranquilizing gas?
There has to be more at their disposal than bullets?

[Katya Mullethov]

37. Trained gibbons with dart guns

A whole swarm of em .

[Jamastiene]

39. I have often wondered that too, about using tranquilizers.

I'm just guessing, but I would think the reason is that if they do not know a person's correct body weight or what they might have ingested already (drugs or alcohol, in some cases), it would be hard to know the correct amount of tranquilizer to use. That is just a guess though. I'm not sure. It is something that I have thought about before too.

[TorchTheWitch]

50. the reason is that it doesn't take immediate effect

and the person has a gun. This works nicely with animals because they have nothing to shoot at you with while the tranquilizer takes effect. Also in the case of humans they're not only trying to prevent them from harming others but also from harming themselves. What's needed is something immediate and non-lethal that would work to keep the person from shooting anyone else or their own self so they can be disarmed and captured. There are some things they already use like flash-bangs and tazers that shoot like a gun, but they aren't fool-proof and they still put others in danger as the subduing has to be done simultaneously.

I think the best thing to do is what they already do... try to negotiate while looking for any opportunity to subdue the person without grave harm to anyone including the person causing the problem, and use lethal force only when absolutely necessary.

[hlthe2b]

35. I'm hoping they might be able to drop in teargas...

or something similar to incapacitate your uncle enough that he might be brought out without harm.

So tragic. I am hoping for the best for you and your family.

[Robyn66]

43. They have already shot the house up with tear gas

My dad said there is not a window left in the place. I dont know how anyone can stay in a house full of teargas

[blondeatlast]

52. Robyn, words fail--just know we love you and all involved. I'm so sorry. nt

[TRJuan]

36. You would think they could shoot him in the leg or hand

to keep him from hurting himself worse. Sorry to hear about this.

[GSLevel9]

38. hope it all works out. nt

[annabanana]

40. Oh Robyn.. I'm so sorry.

For you, for him, for your Father, for the police...
There is no silver lining to this.
I am so sorry.

I pray for the best possible outcome.

[bobbolink]

41. I'm sorry, Robyn. That is a lot of pain to carry.

For you and your family...:grouphug:

[DearAbby]

42. I am so sorry Robyn

We are here for you.

[aikoaiko]

44. This is very sad. Mental illness needs to be treated.

[sixmile]

45. Stay strong

It's not you barricaded in there. You're amongst friends. I hope your Uncle gets the help he needs.

[MinneapolisMatt]

46. You and your family are in my thoughts.

:hug:

[Matariki]

47. I'm so sorry Robyn. I hope and pray this works out well

and your Uncle gets the help he needs.

[Dappleganger]

48. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

We had a gun incident with my bipolar/early-onset ALZ father 2 years ago but we were able to call in people to get it resolved. A certain group of home-burglars had decided to make his home a frequent target and he went completely off the deep end.

:hug:

[Taverner]

51. I'm so sorry. I wish there were something I could say

:hug:

[malaise]

53. I hope this ends without your uncle getting hurt

:grouphug:

[Odin2005]

54. Oh Jesus!

:-(

[reflection]

55. That's terrible.

I can't imagine how it would end well, but I'll hold out hope for you. :hug:

[tblue37]

56. Unless he is actually shooting at someone, then the cops do not have to

kill him. They can just blockade the house and wait him out, unless he tries to harm someone. I assume they would prefer not to have to kill him, so perhaps he will actually survive this day in spite of himself.

I will keep my fingers crossed that they choose that approach and that he calms down enough to come out alive.

I am sorry for your father having to go through this. It is ridiculous that NH doesn't have a legal way to prevent someone from owning guns once they have proven themselves so dangerous!

[thanks_imjustlurking]

57. I am so sorry. I hope it ends as well as possible. nt

[Ilsa]

58. I'm so sorry. I'm going to keep positive thoughts for him and your family. nt

[northofdenali]

59. Lighting a candle for you and your family.

Our mental health "system" is even more broken than our medical system. Thank you Ronnie Rayguns.

I wish you all comfort. :hug:

[Robyn66]

60. Thank you so much

and New Hampshire just loves to make cuts to their Health and Human Services Budget so. They can make sure he has his guns and is as unstable as possible.

We are over 24 hours now and I havent heard anything so I assume we are still at a stalemate.

[RainDog]

61. so sorry for you uncle's troubles

I wish he could get the medical help he needs.

hugs to you. what a sad situation.

[donheld]

62. My thoughts are with you all

:hug:

[PoliticAverse]

63. "Standoff Ends Peacefully"

PELHAM - George LaBonte surrendered himself to police about 4:30 a.m. today, ending a 34-hour standoff.

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x530791556/Standoff-ends-peacefully

[pinboy3niner]

64. Thanks for that update

This must be a huge relief to all, especially Robyn and her dad.

Kick for those awaiting news of the outcome.

[backwoodsbob]

65. awesome

good deal

[seabeyond]

68. was thinking about this. thanks for info. nt

[uppityperson]

69. YAY

[blondeatlast]

71. Thank goodess--and thank you for the update. nt

[Robyn66]

76. Thank you for posting that!

I hadnt had a chance to do it yet!

[mzmolly]

66. I'm so glad it ended well.

I'm sorry that it happened in the first place. I hope someone will take his damn guns this time?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

70. Tut, tut. We do not say such things in public.

If a random liberal grumbles against guns on the Internet, then REPUBLICANS WILL TAKE OVER EVERYTHING IN 2012!! PRESIDENT PALIN!! YARGLE BLARGLE BLARRRGH!!!!!

[mzmolly]

72. True. But, I'm all for replacing every gun with a 1770's model musket.

;)

[Bragi]

67. Now at least he will get "the treatment"

By treatment, of course, I mean that, like most non-rich people with mental illness, odds are he will be sent to prison with a very long sentence, be brutalized there by inmates and staff, and eventually end up in isolation in a Supermax prison, where his mental illness will become much worse.

This is the tried and tested American way of treating non-rich people with mental illness.

[blondeatlast]

73. Robyn needs encouragement now.

I can't even imagine what she's been through in the last 30 hours or so.

You are correct, but this may not be the time or place. Thanks. :hi:

[Bragi]

77. Probably quite so

Point noted. My excuse is that I am radically passionate on the subject of mental illness and prisons. However, I appreciate your comment and its tone, and would have deleted my comment if I had come back in time.

[hollowdweller]

74. Maybe now they'll keep his damn guns

WTF is it with a person with a history of that being given his guns back??

I had a buddy who went off due to blood sugar getting low, they mistook it for some sort of psychotic break and before he made it home from the hospital the NJ state police had come to take all his guns and it would cost him money, and court costs to get them back. And he didn't even do anything with his guns while he was crazy.

[texshelters]

75. I hope think turn out for the best

for you and your family.

Peace,
Tex Shelters