http://wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1920841
Gun involved in 'road rage duel' legally owned March 26, 2010 - 12:57pm
Gabriel Poventud (Photo courtesy of Virginia State Police) DALE CITY, Va. - The gun that police say was used to fire 13 shots during a road rage duel on Interstate 95 was legally owned, WTOP has learned. Gabriel Poventud, 25, and James Bringham, 44, have been charged with attempted murder in the altercation that began at the height of Tuesday's afternoon rush hour. Police say Bringham, the driver of a 2007 Ford F550 dump truck, tried to merge into the southbound lanes of I-95 near Route 123, shortly after 4 p.m.
Police say the drivers then "began engaging with one another in an aggressive manner."
The dump truck struck the Jaguar Poventud was driving twice.
Both vehicles ended up on the left shoulder of the highway, pinned against the Jersey wall. That's when Poventud got out of his car and started firing at the truck. The dump truck pulled away into traffic, but was struck more than four times by the 13 rounds, police say.
Police say Poventud had his 2-year-old daughter in the car during the incident. No one was hurt by the gunfire.
Poventud did not have a prior history of mental illness or a criminal background that would have prohibited him from having a gun.
The information that the gun was owned legally has supporters on both sides of the debate weighing in.
"It shows that even people that legally have guns do stupid things and make mistakes, and that's one of the risks that goes with having more guns in more places," Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, tells WTOP.
"Too many people who have guns get angry, get drunk, do something stupid and when that happens, all of us are endangered. It's why we need to treat guns very seriously and make sure that it is not too easy for dangerous people to get guns," Helmke says.
Phillip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, suggests the dump truck driver should have been armed himself.
"Why should he have been murdered helplessly? He should have been able to protect himself. I don't care who it is -- if it was an off-duty police officer that cracked and started doing that. You still need to be able to save your life, if you are the innocent life," Van Cleave says.
"Your life is precious. Things happen in this world. Crime can happen at any time. Owning something legally doesn't mean you can't misuse it. Basically our view is that you should be able to protect yourself and should be prepared to do so at any time."
WTOP's Adam Tuss contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2010 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
DALE CITY, Va. - The gun that police say was used to fire 13 shots during a road rage duel on Interstate 95 was legally owned, WTOP has learned. Gabriel Poventud, 25, and James Bringham, 44, have been charged with attempted murder in the altercation that began at the height of Tuesday's afternoon rush hour. Police say Bringham, the driver of a 2007 Ford F550 dump truck, tried to merge into the southbound lanes of I-95 near Route 123, shortly after 4 p.m.
Police say the drivers then "began engaging with one another in an aggressive manner."
The dump truck struck the Jaguar Poventud was driving twice.
Both vehicles ended up on the left shoulder of the highway, pinned against the Jersey wall. That's when Poventud got out of his car and started firing at the truck. The dump truck pulled away into traffic, but was struck more than four times by the 13 rounds, police say.
Police say Poventud had his 2-year-old daughter in the car during the incident. No one was hurt by the gunfire.
Poventud did not have a prior history of mental illness or a criminal background that would have prohibited him from having a gun.
The information that the gun was owned legally has supporters on both sides of the debate weighing in.
"It shows that even people that legally have guns do stupid things and make mistakes, and that's one of the risks that goes with having more guns in more places," Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, tells WTOP.
"Too many people who have guns get angry, get drunk, do something stupid and when that happens, all of us are endangered. It's why we need to treat guns very seriously and make sure that it is not too easy for dangerous people to get guns," Helmke says.
Phillip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, suggests the dump truck driver should have been armed himself.
"Why should he have been murdered helplessly? He should have been able to protect himself. I don't care who it is -- if it was an off-duty police officer that cracked and started doing that. You still need to be able to save your life, if you are the innocent life," Van Cleave says.
"Your life is precious. Things happen in this world. Crime can happen at any time. Owning something legally doesn't mean you can't misuse it. Basically our view is that you should be able to protect yourself and should be prepared to do so at any time."
WTOP's Adam Tuss contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2010 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
I'm wondering if the shooter had a CHP or was he OCing.
