Wow. This massacre is the kind of thing gun-control advocates claim would run rampant if we had more liberal gun laws.
BIRCHWOOD, Wis. — A Wisconsin (search) hunter is accused of killing five people and wounding another three after he allegedly shot them over a fight involving a tree stand, authorities said.Hideous.The dead included a teenage boy, a woman and a father and son, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. Some of the victims were shot more than once.
"...shot them over a fight over a tree stand."
Reading the story, it more sounds like the guy had a screw loose and not just a casual fight over a tree stand.
As a lifelong Wisconsin resident, I can tell you that this is not how our hunting season usually goes.
I've heard of people getting accidentally shot and wounded.... but never a case where 5 people are killed.. intentionally.. by a hunter in his tree stand.
I'm all for letting the hunters hunt. There's too many deer around here. Every deer they kill is one less that will hit my car or starve to death in the middle of winter.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has already reported that the weapon was an assault rifle.
If only this fellow had a .30-06 instead of an SKS, this would never have happened (one might infer).
Interestingly enough, of the 6 people killed, reports said only one of them had a gun.
The J-S also said an SKS is a common hunting rifle. I really, really, really doubt that.
The SKS is a very common and inexpensive weapon. They can be had in good condition for around $100 to $150 and it does make a good hunting rifle. I say lock him up and throw away the key, or give him the death penalty. More gun laws won't fix anything and will only deprive law-abiding citizens of their 2nd amendment rights.
While some ridiculous law banning hunting *would* have prevented this tragedy, it is not because it would have stopped the trespassing loon, but rather only because the law-abiding hunters wouldn't have been there in the first place.
In other news today, a teenager went berzerk with a bunch of knives at his school today, injuring several people. Brings to mind an old Achie Bunker quote...