Man walks into Kroger with loaded AR15

[Gerle]

Open carrying sends a message. "I can kill you." Open carrying a rifle says "I can kill you from a distance."

This isn't just sent to criminals. Its sent to everyone.

I can kill you without weapons in a number of ways. But I won't. Just like the guy in this story that all of you are so afraid of.

 

[momeNt]

Honestly I think we should seriously consider having muscle mass restrictions too. I'm seriously intimidated by a 6'-5" 240lb guy made of muscle when I see him in a grocery store, and everybody around me is to.

What should we do about this?

 

[xj0hnx]

....ermm, the cops released him. Meaning, no crime.

Clerks shoot him? Why? He didn't pull it out, he did not say "you will die" - are you just trying to be obtuse?

Tom is not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, he barely has an edge as a matter of fact.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Honestly I think we should seriously consider having muscle mass restrictions too. I'm seriously intimidated by a 6'-5" 240lb guy made of muscle when I see him in a grocery store, and everybody around me is to.

What should we do about this?

Ban food?

Ban grocery stores?

What? HELP! We must find a knee-jerk reaction!

 

[NoStateofMind]

A grocery store is private property and if the owner determines that Guns are not allowed in his store then you should respect his authority and not be a showboating moron. The lady over reacted as expected because we are so conditioned in our daily life that the sight of a gun in public causes panic. smh

 

[RampantAndroid]

A grocery store is private property and if the owner determines that Guns are not allowed in his store then you should respect his authority and not be a showboating moron. The lady over reacted as expected because we are so conditioned in our daily life that the sight of a gun in public causes panic. smh

In WA, they can request you leave, but "no gun" signs are not legally binding. So you can open carry even if there's a sign, cops will just tell you that you have been asked to leave.

Then there's places like Starbucks that openly allow guns.

 

[momeNt]

Ban food?

Ban grocery stores?

What? HELP! We must find a knee-jerk reaction!

Door to door muscle-suction operations!

 

[Tom]

If their employer allowed them to be armed, yes they would be able to do so. Would they have a reason to? No, as evidenced they would not. Stop doing this, Tom.

I didn't say they should shoot him. Someone implied they wouldn't be able to shoot him.

Sorry you missed part of the chain of conversation.

 

[Gerle]

Well you did ask why they wouldn't be able to shoot him, I answered that question.
Ability and reason to do something are not the same thing here.

 

[emperus]

I've heard the most ridiculous arguments in this threat. From false equivalences, asinine analogies to just plain downright idiotic tortured logic. Is it that gun threads just attract the stupid or that gun nuts are just stupid?

Seriously, a guy left Krogers went to his car and carried a loaded Ar-15 back into this store. With all our recent issues with non-domestic (al-Quaeda) and domestic terrorism (Sandy Hook, Batman killer), I'm just amazed anyone thinks that is a rational thing to do and that this guy wasn't shot on sight. Just think how different this story could have been. It could have easily been, guy walks out of Krogers retrieves AR-15 and kills everyone inside.

For all of you saying this was totally ok. When is the determination made that he is a threat. Before or after he kills people?

 

[Fenixgoon]

I've heard the most ridiculous arguments in this threat. From false equivalences, asinine analogies to just plain downright idiotic tortured logic. Is it that gun threads just attract the stupid or that gun nuts are just stupid?

Seriously, a guy left Krogers went to his car and carried a loaded Ar-15 back into this store. With all our recent issues with non-domestic (al-Quaeda) and domestic terrorism (Sandy Hook, Batman killer), I'm just amazed anyone thinks that is a rational thing to do and that this guy wasn't shot on sight. Just think how different this story could have been. It could have easily been, guy walks out of Krogers retrieves AR-15 and kills everyone inside.

For all of you saying this was totally ok. When is the determination made that he is a treat. Before or after he kills people?

you take a risk of that happening any time you walk into a large public place. do you get suspicious of anyone wearing a large jacket? because they could easily hide multiple pistols and spare magazines in one without anyone noticing.

the only reason people are afraid is because they can see the firearm. if he had carried concealed, no one would have been the wiser, yet the possibility of a mass shooting would have equally existed. it's all part of ignorance is bliss.

i'm not saying it was a smart idea (it was incredibly stupid). although there is a difference between a rifle slung over the back versus one in your hands pointed at people. and if he had been shot on sight, i wouldn't call it unjustified or unreasonable.

when the whole washington sniper thing was going on, people in my area were afraid of going out to grocery stores and whatnot (i'm in the far burbs of DC). i thought it was absolutely ridiculous. there are a million other things that can possibly kill you, yet you're worried about what is essentially an anomaly? sorry, but i'm not going to subject myself to that insane, unfounded, and unreasonable fear.

 

[emperus]

you take a risk of that happening any time you walk into a large public place. do you get suspicious of anyone wearing a large jacket? because they could easily hide multiple pistols and spare magazines in one without anyone noticing.

the only reason people are afraid is because they can see the firearm. if he had carried concealed, no one would have been the wiser, yet the possibility of a mass shooting would have equally existed. it's all part of ignorance is bliss.

i'm not saying it was a smart idea (it was incredibly stupid). although there is a difference between a rifle slung over the back versus one in your hands pointed at people. and if he had been shot on sight, i wouldn't call it unjustified or unreasonable.

when the whole washington sniper thing was going on, people in my area were afraid of going out to grocery stores and whatnot (i'm in the far burbs of DC). i thought it was absolutely ridiculous. there are a million other things that can possibly kill you, yet you're worried about what is essentially an anomaly? sorry, but i'm not going to subject myself to that insane, unfounded, and unreasonable fear.

No, you miss the point. People are afraid because generally ONLY CRAZY people carry AR-15s to grocery stores.

Again, anyone who sees that sight and calmly goes around their business deserves a Darwin award.

 

[irishScott]

No, you miss the point. People are afraid because generally ONLY CRAZY people carry AR-15s to grocery stores.

Again, anyone who sees that sight and calmly goes around their business deserves a Darwin award.

So you'd give Darwin awards to hundreds of people who went about their business in spite of the guy. Can I get one too? Seems the recipients of your Darwin awards have the habit of surviving unscathed.

 

[xj0hnx]

No, you miss the point. People are afraid because generally ONLY CRAZY people carry AR-15s to grocery stores.

Again, anyone who sees that sight and calmly goes around their business deserves a Darwin award.

People not freaking out over a guy that isn't hurting anyone should get the Darwin award? Hahaha, I wish you could borrow a sane brain just for a day to hear how stupid you sound.

 

[openwheel]

those who carry AR-15 into a grocery store likely need psychological treatment. I don't care if your Kroegers is located on a dirt road next to a hunting ground and all the shoppers arrive and leave on ATVs. Only in fantasy land would that be okay. It is one thing to be a proud American gun owner/enthusiast, it is another to be down right nutty.

 

[Fenixgoon]

those who carry AR-15 into a grocery store likely need psychological treatment. I don't care if your Kroegers is located on a dirt road next to a hunting ground and all the shoppers arrive and leave on ATVs. Only in fantasy land would that be okay. It is one thing to be a proud American gun owner/enthusiast, it is another to be down right nutty.

why is it not okay? what makes it nutty? i'm not saying in this instance the guy was right to do it...but fundamentally, what is wrong with carrying a firearm around?

there are plenty of people who have CCW permits...are they nutty for carrying? of course, if you dont know they're carrying, how do you know if they're nutty or not? how do you know anyone is nutty or not? anyone who doesn't openly carry a firearm could potentially be carrying a firearm concealed, but no one seems to be too terribly concerned about that.

the only reason people object to it is because it isn't the norm. that doesn't mean there's something necessary wrong with it, or that the person is nutty.

i guarantee if everyone had firearms training, people's attitudes towards guns would change massively. people fear firearms partly because they don't understand them.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

There are other laws he broke. Creating a public disturbance is one.

And this guy should be banned from ever having a federal job.

 

[momeNt]

There are other laws he broke. Creating a public disturbance is one.

And this guy should be banned from ever having a federal job.

Why? Many federal officials will soon be hitting the streets with shiny new assault rifles, what makes them any different than him?

 

[Nebor]

A grocery store is private property and if the owner determines that Guns are not allowed in his store then you should respect his authority and not be a showboating moron. The lady over reacted as expected because we are so conditioned in our daily life that the sight of a gun in public causes panic. smh

And then there's states like Utah which side with the gun carrier. Private property owners who allow the public access to their property can't forbid them to carry firearms.

 

[Tom]

So you'd give Darwin awards to hundreds of people who went about their business in spite of the guy. Can I get one too? Seems the recipients of your Darwin awards have the habit of surviving unscathed.

He didn't say that. you omitted the word "calmly" which is key to his point.

Change what someone says then respond to the thing they didn't say. Makes for very long threads but since all we're doing is wasting time, who cares ?

not just you, btw, its a familiar habit of a number of people here, and a well known tactic for advocating a position that relies on half-truths.

 

[sigurros81]

He didn't say that. you omitted the word "calmly" which is key to his point.

Change what someone says then respond to the thing they didn't say. Makes for very long threads but since all we're doing is wasting time, who cares ?

not just you, btw, its a familiar habit of a number of people here, and a well known tactic for advocating a position that relies on half-truths.

:thumbsup:

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

There are other laws he broke. Creating a public disturbance is one.

And this guy should be banned from ever having a federal job.

There is no way such a charge could stick if (as was apparently the case) it was lawful for him to be carrying the gun. I still think he was acting like a jackass, but that is not, in and of itself, a crime.

 

[irishScott]

He didn't say that. you omitted the word "calmly" which is key to his point.

Change what someone says then respond to the thing they didn't say. Makes for very long threads but since all we're doing is wasting time, who cares ?

not just you, btw, its a familiar habit of a number of people here, and a well known tactic for advocating a position that relies on half-truths.

Alright, since we're nitpicking: his point is that anyone who saw a slung rifle and didn't immediately tense up deserves a darwin award. Yeah, because being cool under fire (or in this case, lack thereof) is the realm of CRAZY!!!

One can calmly take notice of and react to a situation, even where there's a perceived threat. His "point" is just as stupid.

There are a lot of squirrely people in this thread.

 

[openwheel]

why is it not okay? what makes it nutty? i'm not saying in this instance the guy was right to do it...but fundamentally, what is wrong with carrying a firearm around?

there are plenty of people who have CCW permits...are they nutty for carrying? ..........................

I conceal carry, and I think it's perfectly okay for anyone to do as long as they are qualified to do so. I think you mis-interpreted my post. I agree with you.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

why is it not okay? what makes it nutty? i'm not saying in this instance the guy was right to do it...but fundamentally, what is wrong with carrying a firearm around?

there are plenty of people who have CCW permits...are they nutty for carrying? of course, if you dont know they're carrying, how do you know if they're nutty or not? how do you know anyone is nutty or not? anyone who doesn't openly carry a firearm could potentially be carrying a firearm concealed, but no one seems to be too terribly concerned about that.

the only reason people object to it is because it isn't the norm. that doesn't mean there's something necessary wrong with it, or that the person is nutty.

i guarantee if everyone had firearms training, people's attitudes towards guns would change massively. people fear firearms partly because they don't understand them.

Concealed carry is a far cry from openly carrying a loaded AR.

For what it's worth I know many people with CCLs and while most of them are what I would consider slightly paranoid, I wouldn't call any of them nutty. I am a pistol owner and contemplated getting a CCL at one point, but ultimately decided the cost-benefit ratio didn't favor it.