Too close for comfort
Rather crappy news from near Beer Can Hill ...Suspected shooter surrendersWhen I first heard the news this afternoon, before the suspect turned themselves in, I really didn't believe that some Sarajevo-style sniper was loose down the creek. But a 22 has a lethal range of about 1600m, so where the hell did they *accidently* discharge the weapon from?!? Regardless of whether a cyclist, pedestrian or other animal/vegetable/mineral was involved I'm seriously fucking angry about such a stupid incident in my local area. As Normie Rowe said ages ago, Northcote's My Patch and like many, I've cycled over that bridge thousands of times since the 90's and hate the fact that a relatively rare incident such as this could potentially put the frighteners on people. Hope the cops and the ballistic experts get to the bottom of the matter and seriously do a proper job on the fuckwit/s responsible.
March 23, 2006 A Melbourne man is being questioned over the shooting of a cyclist after he turned himself in to police. A number of firearms and ammunition were seized from the man's house after he contacted police. No charges have been laid. Police say a 31-year-old Northcote man may have accidentally discharged a firearm which shot a woman in the chest on Tuesday. The cyclist, Melinda Zygarlicki, was lucky to escape with her life after a 22 calibre bullet struck her in the chest as she was riding across a footbridge over Merri Creek, near Rushall railway station in Fitzroy North on Tuesday morning. "I felt something (hit) me in the chest and originally I thought it was a bird or a tennis ball," she said.
"It felt like it was ricocheting ... through me and I thought don't be silly, don't be melodramatic, you're all right." Ms Zygarlicki rode home and was unaware of the extent of her injuries until an X-ray hours later revealed a 22-calibre bullet lodged under her rib cage. She is recovering in St Vincent's Hospital from a collapsed lung. "If you're going to be shot this is apparently the best case scenario," Ms Zygarlicki said. "Whoever's mucking around with a gun is very stupid and look what it does to people."
In happier news, Bikesoilers Cunning Plan to get into the Lysterfield MTB CommGames event
posted by cfsmtb at
10:42 pm
3 Comments:
Update from local Constabulary:
Victoria Police - Man questioned over bicycle shooting Fri 24 March 2006
A man is expected to be charged on summons in relation to firearms offences, after a woman was shot while riding her bike in Northcote on Tuesday.
Detectives from Darebin CIU interviewed a 31-year-old Northcote man about the shooting incident, which occurred near Merri Creek at about 9.30am.
It is believed the woman was riding north along a foot bridge over the Merri Creek near the Rushall railway station when she was struck in the chest by a single gun shot.
Police seized a number of firearms and ammunition from the man’s home, after he contacted police in relation to the incident.
Police are investigating the possibility the man may have accidentally discharged a firearm.
A metal object was removed from the victim and is being held for forensic analysis.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Sergeant Peter Sambell
Media Unit
By
cfsmtb, at 5:27 pm, March 24, 2006
There is no such thing as an accidental shooting.
Being that I lived my first 34 years in the USA, I naturally was a gun owner. OK, arsenal owner; I had 12 firearms of calibres varying from .22cal to 7.62mm at the time I left the US. Safe handling of firearms is the very first thing I learned. You treat a gun like it's loaded, even if you know it's not.
I kept a sandbag in the workshop to point weapons at while I was unloading guns to clean them. This turned out to be a very good thing when I once had to clear a jammed semi-automatic high-powered rifle, which quite unexpectedly fired while I was extracting the jammed cartridge. The bullet stopped in the sandbag instead of a passer-by. If you're going to handle guns, you're completely responsible for whatever your bullets hit.
There's no excuse for this poor cyclist being hit by a .22 bullet... but she's incredibly lucky that it was a .22 and not a 7.62mm high-powered rifle bullet, which will shoot straight through a school bus (end-to-end).
By
Anonymous, at 8:45 am, March 27, 2006
Holy sheet! What a loon! Quite how he could 'accidentally' shoot someone in the chest is confusing. I mean, surely you have to load the weapon and point it at someone/something in order to shoot her/him/it? It doesn't seem to fall into anything one could define as an accident whatsoever.
I agree with what Weez wrote; If you're going to be waltzing about with a loaded gun, you're responsible for anything which happens with it.
By
3Ply Stagliano, at 6:10 am, March 30, 2006
Post a Comment
<< Home