WV man standing his ground, except it wasn't his

[Denver]

Some updates: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...man-kills-new-neighbor-cops-article-1.1593047

My original thought was a mental illness. We'll see. Or, he's a nutcase with his radio tuned to Glenn Beck and has been wanting to do something like this his whole life, and thought this was the perfect chance.

Then I read:

The two victims are black and the shooter is white but McComas said there is no indication race was a factor in the suspect's motive.

Uh oh.

 

[Ranb]

He's being charged with 1st degree murder. Lesson here: Know your property lines!

Ever think the real lesson just might be "Don't be a murdering SOB"?

Ranb

 

[Garrette]

He pointed a gun at two people, pulled the trigger, and killed them.

How is that not murder?

That information, alone and without context, should never be sufficient to convict.

 

[Madalch]

Some updates: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...man-kills-new-neighbor-cops-article-1.1593047

My original thought was a mental illness. We'll see. Or, he's a nutcase with his radio tuned to Glenn Beck and has been wanting to do something like this his whole life, and thought this was the perfect chance.

Then I read:



Uh oh.

Was he even close enough to them to see what race they were?

 

[Matthew Best]

The two victims are black and the shooter is white but McComas said there is no indication race was a factor in the suspect's motive.

Just a coincidence, I'm sure. Some of his best friends are black!

 

[Magyar]

Exactly this was a minor mistake over .

Wow, just wow! 2 people assasinated long distance, without warning is a minor mistake to you!? I suppuse in your world the Holocaust was just a faux pas or is this just another example of the mindset that is the"responsible" gun owner.

 

[Magyar]

Quote:
The two victims are black and the shooter is white but McComas said there is no indication race was a factor in the suspect's motive.
/quote



Well, wv. Nothing more needs to be said. After all, its not possible that 2 <SNIP> could be doing anything but up to no good around a white mans property.

Edited by Locknar: 

SNIPed, breach of rule 10.

 

[Denver]

Was he even close enough to them to see what race they were?

Don't know yet. The story seems to still be developing. Could be he had already met them and knew exactly who they were. Could be he had a scope or binoculars. We'll see.

 

[BenBurch]

BS it's not about race. He thought a couple of <insert n-word here> were messin' with his stuff. If this had been a couple of white guys he would have just run them off.

 

[Pup]

Was he even close enough to them to see what race they were?

The local TV station website, linked from the article in the OP, has their pictures. http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/...-in-Barboursville-241973841.html?device=phone

It's funny, I wondered if they were black when I first read the story, saw their pictures, and then thought: no, guess not.

Looking at their pictures again after being told they're black, I can see how maybe so, but unless those are really poor pictures, I think my "one drop" detector needs recalibrated.

More photos of the shed and surrounding area here: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/x238620574/Families-struggle-to-make-sense-of-shooting

Edited to add: I agree with Denver that he may have met them up close before. Usually when people purchase property, they go to inspect it at least once before buying, and the killer may have seen them closer then.

From the article above:

Rodney Black claimed ownership of the residence and its adjoining land in speaking to investigators, despite county records showing the adjacent property had been sold 10 days earlier.

Garrick and Denise Hopkins purchased the L-shaped, near-acre tract of land for $50,000. She said they planned to move a modular home onto the property by early spring....

Denise Hopkins remained at a loss Monday to explain how the brothers' visit to look at the property and replace some boundary stakes ended with such tragedy.

 

[Pup]

BS it's not about race. He thought a couple of <insert n-word here> were messin' with his stuff going to move in next door. If this had been a couple of white guys he would have just run them off.

FTFY, after reading that they were messing with boundary stakes.

 

[blutoski]

FTFY, after reading that they were messing with boundary stakes.

Ugh. The article's description of history for the property sheds a bit of light on his thinking, and I'm not inclined to think race was an important issue.

It sounds like he felt it was unjust that he didn't inherit the entire original property, and the arrival of new owners on that portion challenged his insistence that he still owned it all.

 

[Rolfe]

That article throws a HELL of a lot more light on the whole thing. Sense appears to be emerging.

(Oops, cross posting.)

Rolfe.

 

[Checkmite]

Just for reference, this is apparently where the guy lives:

[qimg]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-medium/19dv0p5wnd8rwjpg.jpg[/qimg]

I thought it was in the middle of nowhere. The guy lives in a neighborhood.

Jesus. That's a chilling thought.

 

[RenaissanceBiker]

I think you score an own goal in your gun advocacy argument there.

Ponderingturtle was obviously off the mark. It is clear form that photo that she loves you. The guy sitting next to you with the shades is a bit creepy though.

What happens in Jellystone Park, stays in Jellystone Park.

 

[Checkmite]

That article throws a HELL of a lot more light on the whole thing. Sense appears to be emerging.

(Oops, cross posting.)

Rolfe.

It actually adds only a single new detail: that the shooter felt the shed and property should belong to him even though they did not. It does, however, definitely serve to clarify that it was a situation deserving of a premeditated murder charge, and not some kind of manslaughter.

 

[Rolfe]

But that is exactly the point. That single fact completely recasts the entire incident.

Rolfe.

 

[blutoski]

But that is exactly the point. That single fact completely recasts the entire incident.

I think so, too. I'm reminded of those Freemen who are in a similar situation: "Yes, I know the law says X, but I refuse to recognize the authority of the government to define what is or is not legally mine, so I took matters into my own hands and protected what I personally define as my property."

 

[LTC8K6]

He mentions that they were shaking the doors of the shed. So he thought they were robbers. I'm going to go with the idea that he doesn't shoot them if they are white.

Nothing else makes any sense. He knew that he didn't own the property or the shed. He knew that he had no property in the shed. He knew the property was up for sale.

Imo, he saw two black guys and assumed they were criminals and shot them without a care in the world about it.

Or possibly anger at the property being sold to blacks.

Or a combination.

He was aware of the sale of the property, so there should be nothing unusual to him about prospective buyers being there.

 

[Rolfe]

But they didn't look black. You'd need a pedigree or a signed confession to put the word "black" to either of them.

I diagnose utter fury that these people (OK it was only one of them) had actually acquired the land he believed should be his, so he shot in that frame of mind.

Rolfe.