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At West Third and Thompson Streets, a man was shot twice around 11PM on Friday night - prime barhopping time. Reports say a dispute began at the restaurant where the victim worked, which seemed to be Negril from the TV reports we saw. Police say the gunman disappeared into crowded Washington Square Park, and the victim "sought refuge" at bar, The Dove. Apparently the gunman was a frequent customer. The victim is recovering at St. Vincent's.
An off-duty police officer and another patron of Cordato's at Rector and Greenwich got into an argument and the off-duty cop pulled out his gun. The other man pushed it away and the gun ended up going off and shooting him in the leg. Officer Bernard Marti was arrested and suspended without pay for 30 days.
And two staffers at The Source magazine were charged with attempted murder, after a triple shooting on Friday night on West 23rd Street. It turns out that the general manager and a salesman at The Source were arguing with a rapper, his cousin, and a busboy over "whether or not a rap CD would be played." Yeah, it's kind of crazy. Leroy "Bum" Peeples and Alvin Childs apparently shot rapper Orlando Orenga in the head, his cousin in the arm and leg and the busboy in the torso; they were apprehended carrying a Glock and 9mm gun.
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I just have to laugh when the gun nuts always argue that society would be so much safer if everyone carried a gun. Like we wouldn't have more shootouts like these. People get angry and weapons come out in the heat of the moment. I'd rather those weapons were simply fists. Not to mention this whole "gangsta" culture that these self-important morons buy into lock, stock and two smokin' barrels. When you pack a "piece," you got power. And what's to keep me from being shot in the back at any given moment even if I had a gun? Yeah, I'd feel safer with more guns around. Wouldn't you?
yes, i would, actually.
it's quite possible that neither medium amounts of gun control or lack thereof have much of an effect on crime. i don't think most people would carry, but many would certainly keep them in their homes. as it is now, if someone wants to do you harm, they can get a gun, regardless of how many laws nyc has to prevent such a thing from happening.
it's the law-abiding who get screwed, of course.
Dhex, you're right, but the problem here was people carrying guns and casually pulling them out to use in an argument, not guns being used during a mugging or something. The facts are specific to each case of course, but maybe if it were harder to get guns these guys (besides the cop) wouldn't have had them and used them so carelessly.
were that it might be possible to actually prevent people from getting them in the first place. it is not, and every intersection that creates a black market results in crap like this. (well, that and a lack of forethought and a bit too much self-esteem)
it wouldn't necessarily make people smarter or more careful, but it would give people a bit of a fighting chance. and maybe people would think twice about trying to shoot people randomly.
A fighting chance? Appropriate choice of words. A good number, if not the majority, of violent crimes out there are not premedidated. This isn't the first hip hop shooting in NYC. In fact, there have been actual shootouts where both parties have guns. That also happens between gangs. Look at the whole Bloods/Crips thing from way back when. They all knew the other guys had guns. Didn't keep them from shooting each other and bystanders. If everybody had a gun, there'd be the potential for a full-fledged firefight at the drop of a hat. Ask any soldier who's ever been under fire. If you're shot at, you shoot back without really thinking about it. Adrenalin, a gun, and lack of information about what's happening around you is an extremely dangerous combination.
if this were the case, places with concealed carry laws would have far higher rates of gun violence than they do. near as i can tell, they don't.
there is also the question of normative gun cultures, as it were - i.e. one of the good things the NRA does is hold firearm safety courses - which leads to a far different attitude towards guns than you find in a place like new york city.