Wal-Mart idiot

[MarkM]

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/NEWS01/109070123

Wal-Mart shooter faces felony charge


By ASHLEY SMITH, Telegraph Staff
[email protected]

Published: Thursday, Sep. 7, 2006

HUDSON – Charles Masterson was always taught that it’s safest to point a gun at the sky when it’s not being used, so that’s what he did when he stepped into a bathroom stall at the local Wal-Mart to relieve himself, he told police.

The precaution backfired when the gun went off and struck a ceiling tile, scaring the pants back on Wal-Mart employee, who came running out of the next stall. For placing that teenager in serious danger, police are holding Masterson criminally responsible.

Masterson, 36, of 23 Brook St., No. 3 in Nashua, was jailed overnight after the gun discharged, but released on personal recognizance Wednesday after an arraignment in Nashua District Court. Charged with felony reckless conduct, Masterson is accused of discharging the weapon in the bathroom of the Hudson Wal-Mart around 9 p.m. Tuesday. His 13-year-old son was also in the bathroom at the time, police said.

In an interview with police later that night, Masterson said he had been carrying the Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart, Masterson replied: “Well, I have the right to bear arms, you know.”

The Wal-Mart employee, 17-year-old Adam Carew of Dracut, Mass., told police he was in the handicapped accessible stall when he heard the gunshot. Carew said he ran out and saw Masterson’s son covering his ears. Masterson walked out of his stall, put the gun in his pants and “just walked right out of the bathroom like nothing happened,” Carew told police.

Store employees called police, and Masterson complied when management asked him to stay until they arrived.

At the Wednesday hearing, Masterson asked Judge Thomas Rappa Jr. to reduce his $5,000 cash or surety bail, maintaining that he is not a flight risk and he cannot afford it while paying child support.

Rappa agreed to change Masterson’s bail to $25,000 personal recognizance, which means he pays nothing as long as he stays out of trouble. “I’m talking not even a stop sign violation,” Rappa said.

Sgt. Donna Briggs, the Hudson prosecutor, requested that Masterson’s apartment be searched as a condition of his bail. Masterson agreed to the search, which was to be conducted by Nashua police immediately after his release.

Briggs also asked that Masterson have no contact with Wal-Mart or its employees, which the judge imposed.

Carew, the Wal-Mart employee, could not be reached for comment. His father, Art Carew, said his son was “pretty shaken up” by the whole thing.

 

[JonJ]

He's a bright one.

 

[Pilgrim]

Sgt. Donna Briggs, the Hudson prosecutor, requested that Masterson’s apartment be searched as a condition of his bail.

WTF ?????

 

[JonJ]

WTF ?????

Possible that they revoked his license?
Another reason to make sure that your significant other is licensed.

 

[Chris]

the gun went off

BS!!!!!

The brain pulled the trigger.

 

[Nashmack]

JonJ this is NH, no liscence is required. I'd say this would be an unreasonable search as long as he's not a felon and can legally posess a firearm.

 

[JonJ]

JonJ this is NH, no liscence is required. I'd say this would be an unreasonable search as long as he's not a felon and can legally posess a firearm.

Can't be "unreasonable" if the defendant consented.

Sgt. Donna Briggs, the Hudson prosecutor, requested that Masterson’s apartment be searched as a condition of his bail. Masterson agreed to the search, which was to be conducted by Nashua police immediately after his release.

 

[Nashmack]

Can't be "unreasonable" if the defendant consented.

I wouldn't have. What bearing does the contents of either my residence or vehicle have on the town's case?

I am in agreement with the WMI on one point, apparently the cieling was the safest place for the muzzle to be covering, as evidenced by the fact that nobody was shot.

 

[C-pher]

What a wacko...

 

[JonJ]

I wouldn't have. What bearing does the contents of either my residence or vehicle have on the town's case?

And for that, you're more intelligent than he is. Make the police get a search warrant.
Like I said, he's a bright one.

 

[Nashmack]

At any rate it could have been a hell of a lot worse. The muzzle could have been pointed elsewhere, or he could have been in Mass.

 

[Scrivener]

And for that, you're more intelligent than he is. Make the police get a search warrant.
Like I said, he's a bright one.

Forfeiture of his firearms was almost certainly a condition of the PR instead of bail. The search was probably to confirm that this cretin didn't have other guns.

AND, he consented.

Not that he had much to bargain with.........

 

[C-pher]

At any rate it could have been a hell of a lot worse. The muzzle could have been pointed elsewhere, or he could have been in Mass.

Or there could have been a second floor...

 

[BigWarden]

Idiot ... It's people like that that give the antis more ammo for their cause. At the very least he's just given them a strong argument for requisite training for gun ownership.

BLANKET PARTY!!!!

 

[Nashmack]

That as well, did anyone hear what type/caliber of firearm it was?

 

[MarkM]

That as well, did anyone hear what type/caliber of firearm it was?

Article says a 9mm Glock

 

[JonJ]

In an interview with police later that night, Masterson said he had been carrying the Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart, Masterson replied: “Well, I have the right to bear arms, you know.”

Ya but you don't have the right to shoot up the ceiling at a store while taking a one handed leak!

 

[Nashmack]

So he's violating at least one of the 4 rules: KEEP YOUR BOOGERHOOK OFFA THE BANGSWITCH!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Ya but you don't have the right to shoot up the ceiling at a store while taking a one handed leak!

Maybe he gets excited!

Or he could be from one of those third-world countries where they shoot guns off into the air to celebrate everything. Perhaps he was celebrating his ability to take a crap!

 

[Moderator]

Someone give that guy a silver dollar.

 

[Len-2A Training]

And for that, you're more intelligent than he is. Make the police get a search warrant.
Like I said, he's a bright one.

Yes, but it wouldn't take more than a heartbeat for the PD to get the warrant. Not much point in refusing at this point, as long as permission was granted for a "narrow" search just for the guns.

I do believe that if you've been charged with a felony (which he was), you lose your gun rights per Fed Law until it's adjudicated. If I'm wrong here, someone please correct me.

I expect this will get plead down to a minor misdemeanor since he didn't intentionally try to cause harm. If stupidity was a felony, there'd be more folks in jail than walking freely on the streets.

 

[JonJ]

Idiot ... It's people like that that give the antis more ammo for their cause. At the very least he's just given them a strong argument for requisite training for gun ownership.

BLANKET PARTY!!!!

You got it.
The poster child for new licensing requirements and carry restrictions in the great free state of NH.

 

[Nashmack]

Well, if they start liscencing like Mass I can always move to VT

 

[Twigg]

A real dog & pony show from start to finish ! ...complete with sheeple !

 

[BigWarden]

When asked why he felt the need to carry a concealed handgun at Wal-Mart...

Clearly the interviewer had never been in the Hudson WallyWorld ... Or WalMarts in general.

 

[senorFrog]

If no one was hurt, just pull his license.

Sounds like he's going to have problems in family court too re custody.

 

[rscalzo]

Problems

The sad part is that for every incident like this, everyone will pay. No way around it that while sitting on the john, he pulled the trigger. For all the years I carried on and off duty, I never let a round go. I also would not carry by tuvking it in a waistband. I decent holster would have avoided the entire problem.

 

[Chris]

So would a little expenditure of grey matter.

 

[BigWarden]

So would a little expenditure of grey matter.

Unfortunately, that's the part that nobody is going to consider ... No matter how the laws are written, they can't stop a guy from being stupid.

 

[MarkM]

Unfortunately, that's the part that nobody is going to consider ... No matter how the laws are written, they can't stop a guy from being stupid.

Yep, If they banned stupidity I can think of a few states that would need to cecede.