Unlawfully Discharging a Gun Should be Prosecuted More Vigorously

handcuffs-2

The mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard once again resurrects the gun control debate in America. Although a couple of troubling past arrests where the shooter discharged his firearm in an unsafe manner raise red flags, warning signs discovered after the fact are not very helpful in preventing mass slaughter that has already taken place. Whatever else can be said about “law-abiding” gun owners, we ought to all be able to agree that people who recklessly discharge weapons multiple times, should be prosecuted. In addition, they should not be allowed easy access to guns, since they clearly are not able to handle them responsibly. If gun advocates want to preserve the right to bear arms, they should join gun control opponents in helping remove arms from the hands of individuals who show a propensity to fire guns unsafely and unlawfully. These individuals are often ticking time bombs and allowing them to possess lethal firearms puts everyone at risk.

34-year old Aaron Alexis had been arrested twice for firing guns in an unlawful and unsafe manner. We also know that he was not formally charged with a crime in either instance. It is this “aw shucks, its no big deal that he fired his gun, because nobody got killed this time” attitude that increasingly endangers the American public.

in 2004, Alexis was arrested in King County, Washington for malicious mischief after he shot out three tires on a Honda Accord with a Glock .45 caliber pistol. When questioned by police, he defended himself by saying he was “mocked” by Construction workers that day, although he also stated that he blacked out and did not remember shooting the tires. The case was referred over to Seattle Municipal Court for property damage and unlawful discharge of a firearm, but he was never convicted as the city apparently failed to prosecute him for the incident. He was a valid concealed pistol license (CPL) holder in Washington state at the time he committed the crime.

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

In 2010, in Fort Worth Texas, Alexis again got into trouble when he fired his gun through the ceiling of his apartment with the bullet landing upstairs in a neighbors apartment.  He told police he was cleaning his gun and it accidentally went off. He was arrested for unlawfully discharging a weapon in city limits, but following the incident he was never formally charged nor convicted, even though he had recklessly fired a bullet into a neighbor’s apartment.

Aaron Alexis therefore has been arrested twice on misdemeanor counts for unlawfully firing weapons, once at a parked car and once into a neighbor’s apartment. Yet, not only were charges never pressed in either case, but Alexis was allowed to maintain his weapons for his next reckless act. Unfortunately, this time he would recklessly and murderously discharge his weapon with lethal malice, killing a dozen people.

While this nation may never agree on restricting the rights of “law-abiding” gun owners to possess firearms, can we at least agree that when individuals repeatedly discharge deadly weapons in an unsafe manner, that they should be denied the right to carry a weapon? Can we at least agree that individuals who mishandle their weapons carelessly or maliciously, do not have a right to continue to handling those weapons Can we agree that parents who let toddlers access their loaded guns are not fit to won guns? Can we agree that individuals who black out and shoot out car tires to blow off steam or persons who are unable to clean a gun without blowing a hole in the wall should be prosecuted and have their gun privileges taken away? Hopefully, the answer is yes, because we simply cannot afford to continue to shrug our shoulders when our citizens repeatedly abuse lethal weapons any more than we can afford to ignore drunk driving. If you fire a weapon in an unsafe manner you should lose your weapon carrying privileges. Failure to treat gun offenses with the seriousness they deserve only ensures that more Aaron Alexis’ will eventually turn their permit licenses into licenses to kill.


Copyright PoliticusUSA LLC 2008-2023