Another target practice tragedy

[TxRVer]

In no way would I defend the two idiots. I'm just wondering what it was about the shooting that made it criminal.

[seamusTX]

PC § 6.03. DEFINITIONS OF CULPABLE MENTAL STATES.
(d) A person acts with criminal negligence, or is criminally negligent, with respect to circumstances surrounding his conduct or the result of his conduct when he ought to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the circumstances exist or the result will occur. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances as viewed from the actor's standpoint.

§ 19.05. CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE. (a) A person commits an offense if he causes the death of an individual by criminal negligence.
(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.

- Jim

[frankie_the_yankee]

In view of the above, "Know your target and what is beyond it."

The shooter in this case did not follow this BASIC rule. As a result, a guy sitting down and minding his own business in a place he had every right to be got killed.

I guess we'll lhave to let it play out, but if I was on the GJ I sure as heck know what I would do.

[dihappy]

I'm curious. What made this accident a criminal offense. If the two men had been legally deer hunting and had accidentally shot someone, would it have been criminal?

What kind of backstop do you use when deer hunting in the woods?

Good question for many, but for me, since i hunt from a tree or elevated stand, the ground is my backstop.

[gregthehand]

My family is friends with the guy that used to own the camp ground before KOA bought him out. I remember going out there before and while he was developing it. I'm suprised someone would shoot a rifle with no berm in that area. It's not in the city but there a whole lot of houses and some neighberhoods with 1-2 acre tracts on them in the area. It's also only about 3/4 of a mile from Montgomery.

[Double Naught Spy]

A backdrop of trees is NOT a backstop. That is very irresponsible to shoot blindly into the woods given you don't know what is in the woods at all times. The fact that the neighbors may be miles away is great, but you don't know who is in the woods.

Would a large mound of dirt suffice? Maybe. Is it wide enough? That is why most folks use berms and not individual mounds.

If it's my property and there are "no trespassing" signs and it's a couple miles till the end of my property, then they shouldn't of been standing there on my property in my wooded area.

Right, they should not be there. But since your backdrop isn't a backstop and because you can't seen all the way into the woods, then you don't know what is or is not there. That is the problem.

[dihappy]

A backdrop of trees is NOT a backstop. That is very irresponsible to shoot blindly into the woods given you don't know what is in the woods at all times. The fact that the neighbors may be miles away is great, but you don't know who is in the woods.

Would a large mound of dirt suffice? Maybe. Is it wide enough? That is why most folks use berms and not individual mounds.

If it's my property and there are "no trespassing" signs and it's a couple miles till the end of my property, then they shouldn't of been standing there on my property in my wooded area.

Right, they should not be there. But since your backdrop isn't a backstop and because you can't seen all the way into the woods, then you don't know what is or is not there. That is the problem.

+1

Is it worth not being careful just because its YOUR property?

Is it worth taking someones life?

[stevie_d_64]

I'm curious. What made this accident a criminal offense. If the two men had been legally deer hunting and had accidentally shot someone, would it have been criminal?

What kind of backstop do you use when deer hunting in the woods?

I heard that every round that leaves the muzzle of your gun has a lawyer on it...(I heard that from a lawyer, )

So, to me its always a good idea to be sure what lays beyond (reasonably determine that) what you are shooting at, and that if there is any chance of penetration, and the backstop you have does not give you a 100% confidence factor in stopping the round after it is fired...

Well, there are a lot of things you can do to rectify that issue, and give you the confidence that you've done everything you can to conduct a "safe as you can make it" range session...