Wow, talk about an accident...

[Brian Hamilton]

My friend of more than 15 years was killed last night. Here's the story from what I can gather...

He and his girlfriend/fiance' got in a small argument. There was a gun on the table, counter, whatever. He picked it up and she said, "What are you going to do with that?" He replied, "What, you think I'm stupid enough to fu**ing kill myself?" and put it to his head and pulled the trigger. He didn't know it was loaded.

Now, my analysis is that the gun was out and he was going to put it up. My friend was not the type who would do something like this. He was around weapons his whole life and was taught to treat them with respect, guess he forgot that this time. Also, all the weapons in his home were unloaded and the ammo and weapons stored seperately. This must have been his carry weapon, but I don't know how he would mistake it for being empty. I just don't know. So many things going through my head, so many friends I've called and broken the news to, what a shitty day.

I can only say that I love all my friends, and I wish everyone well. Please give everyone you know and love a big hug for me today. Thanks so much everyone.

Laters,

Brian

 

[Mark Worthington]

Holy crap Brian, I'm sorry. My regrets to his friends and family members.

But that shows what can happen of you are foolish enough to ignore not one, not two, but all three primary rules of firearms safety:

1. Assume that all guns are always loaded.
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are prepared to fire.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Holy crap Brian, I'm sorry. My regrets to his friends and family members.


But that shows what can happen of you are foolish enough to ignore not one, not two, but all three primary rules of firearms safety:

1. Assume that all guns are always loaded.
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are prepared to fire.

Yes sir. I always look for a way to use anything to teach my daughter about something. With this I gave her a very serious gun safety lesson, yet again.

 

[Dutton]

Very sorry to learn about your loss, Brian. My condolences to you, as well as his other friends and family.

Tim

 

[Al Jones]

Brian,my condolences.It's always hard to lose a friend,especially in such a needless haphazard circumstance. His significant other must be in shock having witnessed this - do your best to make sure she gets the help she will need. A.J.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Years ago there was a terrific rock guitarist named Terry Kath, who was a founding member of the band "Chicago". He died in similar circumstances, from what I recall. As an ER doctor, I've seen way too much of this. I've come to the conclusion that most of us are not intelligent enough to have guns around. I gave up mine and have never looked back.

 

[Doug S.]

Awful news, Brian....my condolences to you and all of your friends' friends and family. There is no good way to lose a friend, but this seems like one of the more senseless manners in which that can occur. I've been to a number of funerals for students where this happened, there's always a sense of lost purpose and promise.

The best advice I ever got was not to point a gun at anyone unless you were prepared to kill them, this goes for pointing the gun at oneself.

Sad, man.....

Doug

 

[Brian Hamilton]

I've gotten pretty much the whole story on what happened.

Justin got pretty drunk and ended up getting in a rather heated argument with his girlfriend. He decided he wanted to leave and realized he was way too trashed to drive, called a friend. The friend was about 30 minutes away but told him he was on the way. Justin was waiting outside and his girlfriend convinced him to come back in. He went back inside and the cats got in. He was trying to get them out and pulled the gun out of the case and said, "I'm just gonna shoot the fu**in cats and that'll be the end of it." He would never, but was talking trash as he was want to do. He was stumbling around and all that and his girlfriend said, "Please put that thing away, you're scaring me!" To which he replied, "What, you think I'm going to fu**ing shoot myself?" and that's exactly what he did. The friend showed up just as the police were taping the area off. He said he was there to pick up his buddy and the police said, "Too late, he's already dead."

I think the funeral is going to be Wednesday. I was speaking with his ex-wife and she was saying I'll get to see him at the funeral. I asked if it was seriously going to be an open casket, she said that if it could be, that's what the parents would like. I asked to speak with his mom and asked her, "Please don't let the last time I see my best friend, be in the coffin at his funeral." She told me she wouldn't and thanks for voicing my concern. Sorry, I'd rather remember him as the asshole he was rather than a corpse. LOL

It sucks. I can only imagine how Ross was feeling when his son took his own life. That's a son, this is a brother. Sucks either way.

Thanks for all the posts guys, I really appreciate it.

Brian

 

[Al Jones]

This hasn't been a good week either, Brian. I've just learned today that I lost my best friend from earlier school years and early twenties. As I just mentioned in a note to a friend, that makes two of my friends and two former co-workers this week. A.J.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Wow, man this week sucks. You guys all be careful OK?! I don't want to hear any of you getting hurt or killed.

I'll be in PA Wed. - Fri. Staying at the Ramada at the airport. LOL Anyone living near Philly can give me a shout.

Laters,

Brian
512-276-0063

 

[Keith]

As an ER doctor, I've seen way too much of this. I've come to the conclusion that most of us are not intelligent enough to have guns around. I gave up mine and have never looked back.

Well said sir. Personally I find it suprememly ironic that in another thread on this board statements were vehemently made that indicated it would be the "end of life" if guns were taken away/licensed. Coupled with the recent tragic death of three cops at the hands of a guy who was afraid his gun was going to be taken away.. it seems in the USA you're buggered either way.

 

[Tod]

Fact of the matter is this. It doesn't matter how secure you think your gun is - a gun will go off eventually. You can license them, lock them up, it doen't matter. You can't legislate or regulate the mind behind hand pulling the trigger.

I agree with Jimbo. To say that the only way that you will get a gun away from you is by prying it "from my cold dead fingers" is a prediction that too often comes true.

 

[Al Jones]

This thread is drifting back to the gun ownership topic but while it's highjacked,I'll say this:The problem is "where do you draw the line". We are given the right to own a gun in our constitution. There will be those who abuse the right.They're called criminals.There will be others who are 'good' people who for some reason,snap,and go over the line.Friends and family are the only defense here and most of the time it's beyond their help.In that manner,do you also ban knives?What about the guy who rams a group of people with his car? Do you try to control the military groups by outlawing freedom of assembly? And then does the government start protecting us from ourselves? What about the 19 year old kid on the second day of owning his new Hayabusa? and on and on.... We have to take responsibilty for training our kids and our citizens correctly. In an open society,the misfit will find a way;you cannot totally protect yourself from the fanatic.It is impossible to reason with someone who isn't afraid to die - just ask any combat veteran! "Nuff said.

 

[Jack]

Al, your post says it all...

 

[Chad]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. It's always hard to lose someone close to you, no matter what the cause of their death is.

Chad

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Brian a terrible loss, I'm sorry for you and the family of your friend.

As for those of you use this as a platform to voice your opposition to gun ownership, IMHO I think it is inappropriate. Start another thread and I will happily debate it with you.

 

[Keith]

Thank the Lord you said "IMHO" Pete. For a moment there, I thought you were being pompous...

 

[chuck smith]

it is a sad situation, no doubt, but there is no debate on gun ownership in the US, it is a constitutional right. whether one likes it or not is incidental to that fact.

 

[Mike Christian]

ownership and control - 2 different issues.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Well guys the funeral was great. The place was so packed, they had to open the whole building completely up. Every room was full. I was a pallbearer (sp?) and I'll tell you those things are friggin HEAVY! I was commenting that Justin needed to lay off the Coke's and junk food. Hehe. The gravesite is absolutely in the best position one could ask for. It's on top of a hill overlooking a great scene of farmland and mountains in the distance. I have to admit, it was pretty sweet. At the final service and the luncheon I got to spend some time with everyone. I'll tell you this, he's not gone. If you look at his 3 children, they all look exactly like him. This was the first time they got to meet my wife. They fell in love with her. It was awesome watching them take to her so quickly. The whole family did actually, it was awesome.

We rented a car to go to the funeral, April rented the cheapest thing they had, minivan... So we get there and the rental car dude comes up and introduces himself. He seems to be a pretty cool guy and asks what brings us to town once he sees our Texas licenses. I let him know that I was there to bury my best friend.
He said, "for $10 you can upgrade the car to something more... suited to you."
I said, "Done!"
We walked outside and there's a brand new black Dodge Challenger sitting there and I say, "I want this man..."
"You want this?"
"Hell yeah!"
"You got it man, we're friends now and you have to roll up in style if your friend was a car guy like you!"
Totally hooked us up with the Challenger. Very nice ride BTW, and decent power for a V6. Justin's dad was very jealous and said that Justin would be too. Said I should double check my tires before we left to make sure he didn't come back and slash them on me. LOL I even grabbed his daughter and son and sat them in the car so they could play around with it.

Anyway, I thought you guys would like to know about all that, expecially the Challenger. Hehe.

Now...
I noticed that since my friend was killed because he was irresponsible with a gun, there's some discussion on gun control. I knew that would come up. It's Ok. The first thing my mom said was "This is why I don't like guns honey..." Justin was around guns his whole life. Always safe. Never had a loaded weapon in the house because of his children. This was one accident which occured because of poor judgement on my friend's part. I loved him like a brother, but damnit he fucked up bad. Excuse my language, but Justin, you did something really stupid man. I still love him, and this one accident will NOT change my stance on gun control.

I still believe in the right to bear arms and I know Justin would too. We talked about it at length actually. As a matter of fact, I believe I will be getting one of his guns to remember him by. And honestly, there is nothing I'd rather have more. That's something that will last forever and damnit I can give it to my kids when they grow up. It will always have a story behind it.

Anyway, I love you guys and be careful out there OK?

Laters,

Brian