• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

News Story - Another shooting in Lakewood

compmanio365

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2007
Messages
2,013
Location
Pierce County, Washington, USA
imported post

LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- Police here say a man playing with a gun accidentally shot another a friend in the back of the head Sunday night.

Lt. Steve Mauer said the man who was shot was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center where he died. His name has not been released.

Mauer said the two men were handing the gun at an apartment on Street Court Southwest when the gun went off at about 8 p.m.

The man who fired the weapon initially told investigators that the victim had accidentally shot himself in the head, Mauer said.

"We don't believe it was malicious," Mauer said. "We believe he just screwed up and didn't realize there was a bullet in it."

Mauer said the incident should serve as another reminder to never assume a gun is unloaded.

"If you don't know, you don't touch it, and you don't play with it," he said.

"I don't know how many times we've heard this in the media where things like this have happened and people just don't use common sense. And, unfortunately, somebody paid the price with their life today."
Dumb, dumb, dumb........:banghead: I'm sure the antis will play this for all it's worth....."See? Guns are dangerous, and we should take them all away for everyone's safety." I can see it now........
 

Hammer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
448
Location
Skagit Valley, Washington
imported post

It reminds me of a sad hunting accident from my younger days.
A friend of mine and classmate at the time was shot in the back of the head and died.
The shooter was resting the rifle over the hood of the truck. As he fired, my friend stood up in front of the muzzle.

Back to the 4 laws....
 

Alwayspacking

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
599
Location
Lakewood, Washington, USA
imported post

You know some people do stupid things with firearms. I was at a friends house years ago and nothing guy came by to visit. He then pulled his loaded gun out and was cocking it and pressing the decocker over and over. Having it pointed just anywhere. I told him to stop and not to point it at anyone. He kept on saying it is safe, my reply was safeties fail. I walked out of the room and would not enter that room he was until he put that gun away. I thought to myself with a mentality like that he would be dead before long.
 

Bear 45/70

Regular Member
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
3,256
Location
Union, Washington, USA
imported post

j2l3 wrote:
Dave_pro2a wrote:
compmanio365 wrote:
LAKEWOOD, Wash... Madigan Army Medical Center
I wonder if he was military.
In an extreme, life/death situation, the military hospitals will take the victim if they are closest. They then transfer them out to a civilian facility once stable enough to move.
The law requires that the EMS people take a critical truma patient to the "nearest" trauma center. In Lakewoods case that would be Madigan.
 

SlacK

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Spokane, Washington, USA
imported post

you know, i would agree that guns are dangerous......when you point it
at somebodies head, and pull the trigger.

You know, if they want to make gun laws so bad. they should really
make a law against shooting someone in the back of the head.
 

compmanio365

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2007
Messages
2,013
Location
Pierce County, Washington, USA
imported post

jchen012 wrote:
For those who don't like clicking on links:

Man who accidentally shot friend arrested on manslaughter charges


A man who accidentally shot a friend to death in Lakewood has been arrested for investigation of manslaughter. Police say the men were playing...

By The Associated Press

LAKEWOOD, Pierce County — A man who accidentally shot a friend to death in Lakewood has been arrested for investigation of manslaughter.
Police say the men were playing with guns Sunday night in an apartment when one man put the gun to the back of his friend's head and pulled the trigger. The victim was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center where he died early today.
Lt. Steve Mauer says the shooting was unintentional, "just stupidity with a gun."
 

Bear 45/70

Regular Member
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
3,256
Location
Union, Washington, USA
imported post

deanf wrote:
The law requires that the EMS people take a critical truma patient to the "nearest" trauma center.

Which law would that be?
Washington state law. When the wife gets home, I'll have her look it up since she's the Para-medic for almost 20 years. But if she tells me it is the law, I will believe it.
 

Alwayspacking

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
599
Location
Lakewood, Washington, USA
imported post

HOLY COW JUST READ THIS.....
On a personal note, please make sure your kids are not hanging around idiots that plays with loaded guns..

stupid, stupid, stupid.


Lakewood man, 19, charged in shooting death of friend
ADAM LYNN; adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com
Published: July 2nd, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: July 2nd, 2008 05:41 AM
Pierce County prosecutors filed one count of first-degree manslaughter Tuesday against a Lakewood man accused of accidentally shooting a friend to death over the weekend.
Matthew Richard Fuller, 19, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Superior Court.

Judge James Orlando ordered Fuller jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail at the request of deputy prosecutor Ed Murphy, who said Fuller originally lied to police about what happened to Michael Avlakeotes, 20.

Defense attorney Bryan Hershman did not oppose the amount but instead requested a bail hearing for July 9 to argue for a reduction.

Fuller, who was booked into the jail early Monday after his arrest, wiped at tears throughout the brief hearing.

Avlakeotes’ death resulted from a stupid game the two men reportedly played throughout the weekend, according to court documents.

Fuller told police he and Avlakeotes took turns pointing a small-caliber pistol at each other and pulling the trigger. Fuller said he took the gun from his mother’s home without her permission.

“He said they would never ‘cock’ the gun so that the gun would just make a click when they pulled the trigger,” Murphy wrote in charging papers. “The defendant’s girlfriend told police that she saw three bullets in the clip earlier in the weekend.”

The game turned deadly about 7:45 p.m. Sunday as Avlakeotes was leaving Fuller’s apartment, court records state.

As Avlakeotes walked toward the door, Fuller pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger, according to the charging papers. This time it fired. Avlakeotes, who had a 2-year-old daughter, was hit in the back of the head and died.

Fuller called 911 to report the shooting but first told police Avlakeotes had shot himself, the records state. When pressed, he admitted to shooting his friend. He said he didn’t know how a live cartridge came to be chambered.

“I can’t believe I shot him,” he reportedly told police officers.

Several of Avlakeotes’ friends and relatives attended Fuller’s arraignment. Many cried throughout the proceeding.

Outside court, Vince Edwards, the victim’s father, had trouble finding words to talk about his son.

“He’s going to be missed by his family and friends,” Edwards said.

Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644

blogs.thenewstribune.com/crime

Before graduation kids should pass a common sense course, if they fail that class they should be locked in a padded room for their own protection and the protection of others
 

OlGutshotWilly

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
443
Location
Snohomish, WA, ,
imported post

Bear 45/70 wrote:
deanf wrote:
The law requires that the EMS people take a critical truma patient to the "nearest" trauma center.

Which law would that be?
Washington state law.  When the wife gets home,  I'll have her look it up since she's the Para-medic for almost 20 years.  But if she tells me it is the law,  I will believe it.

Bear,
You are very close but not quite exact in your assertion. In Lakewood, Madigan is the closest level II trauma center so the patients would be transported there. However, up in your neck of the woods there is not much available in the way of trauma centers so paramedics (don't need a hyphen :p ) can call Airlift to fly patients to Harborview ( The only level I trauma center in the state, bypassing lessor qualified level ll,lll, and lV trauma centers. If Airlift is not available then the closest trauma rated hospital would do for stabilization.
I routinely bypassed Evergreen hospital (level lll), Overlake hospital (level ll) to drive or fly critical patients to Harborview. On Vashon, I never send critical patients to Tacoma hospitals or Highline, even if they are technically closer. They are driven or flown to Harborview. There are state trauma guidelines in place to determine who can go to which level of trauma center.
COBRA AND EMTALA laws also govern medical facilities actions on disposition of patients to other facilities.

DeanF, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS AND BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THIS as you are in the business. I shouldn't have to do this for you. :? You need to read my post in reply to you from yesterday in Agent 47's thread.

Back to the topic= As in the video's posted in this forum about not talking to the LEO's before you have a lawyer present, it seems this kid said too much when he stated his friend shot himself instead of keeping his mouth closed or at least telling the truth.

+1 on the natural selection.

My 6 year old got his first rifle at 5, can recite the safety rules to me and knows explicitly to leave any friends house if a gun is brought out to "play".
 

Holo

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
86
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

"+1 on the natural selection."

I don't know if I'd call this natural selection. Considering we only have half of the truth and that has come from an already proven liar, you can't base a decision on the fact that he said they were "playing a game and taking turns". Maybe the guy was completely innocent in all this and his buddy just shot in the head on purpose or as a joke thinking it was unloaded.

Either or, I'm not so sure we can call this natural selection.
 
Top