Sigh. Another instance yesterday of a gun owner shooting at other human beings with little to no provocation. I realize you all are probably getting tired of me bringing these reports to your attention, but geez. I’m tired of the fact that so many gun owners seem to have so little self-control.
Gabe [May] reportedly told police that after knocking on a Main Street door and running toward Conewago Street, he and his friend hid near a culvert for about 15 minutes. They walked down Hale Avenue before a white male stepped into the alley and said, “Are you boys lost?” according to the affidavit.
Gabe said he and his friend turned around and started running, when he heard a gunshot and felt pain in his foot, the affidavit states. After running and hiding, Gabe said he took off his shoe and sock, discovering he was shot.
Kids have been knocking on doors and running away from them since there have been doors. It’s a juvenile prank that usually results in, at most, an angry glare from the neighbor. But not in this case.
Naturally, the specter of “stand your ground” raises its head again. In Pennsylvania, where this shooting occurred, it’s referred to as the “castle doctrine.” Experts don’t think it applies in this case because, you know, the kids were running away when they got shot. Not only that, the shooter apparently hunted them down over a 15-minute period. For ringing his doorbell. He only wanted to scare them, but apparently his aim was so poor that when he attempted to miss them, he hit them. You never know with this stand-your-ground business. Perhaps the whole idea of having your doorbell rung late at night is enough to feel threatened to such an extent that you’re justified in resorting to lethal measures.