Semi-hypothetical: do you turn yourself in?

[Rain Man]

This story was on the news tonight: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28...-by-apparently

To save you the trouble of reading it, a family was camping in a national forest, and a stray bullet from some recreational shooters killed one of them. It was apparently a high-powered rifle, and the presumption is that it wasn't intentional. The area is popular with recreational shooters, and someone apparently fired a round in the woods that was really unlucky.

The question marks in this story are:

1. Shooting is not allowed within 150 yards of a campsite, though it's not clear if the family was at a formal campsite. For that matter, maybe the ban isn't just for formal campsites. The article doesn't explain the specifics.

2. There has been some friction with shooters in the general area recently, and an occupied Jeep was hit last year, prompting a ban on shooting in an area not too far from this area.

3. We don't know at this point if the shooter even knows that he/she shot someone. They may have no idea where their bullets were landing.


So my question to you is, assume that you are the shooter. You didn't go out into the woods with any malice, but you were shooting and a person is dead. What do you think are the odds that you'll get away with it? Do you turn yourself in, or do you lay really, really low and pray to every deity of every religion that you won't get caught?

Multi-part poll to follow on full automatic.

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by eDave

It'd be tough but I'd do it and I'd lawyer up heavily for sure. In the end, I couldn't not turn myself in.

I've broken some windows (with baseballs), tapped a few cars in my day and I've squared up every time.

I, personally, couldn't live with myself.

You're a good man, Dave.

I don't know that I'm that strong.

[eDave]

Would one get real prison time for this?

[Rain Man]

Yet another interesting part is how you would leave the area if you knew you did it and were trying to sneak out. In this particular area, you can leave to the north along a highway that has lots of transient traffic and probably highway cameras and stuff. Or you could leave to the southeast to a small town that has relatively little traffic, but probably still some cameras and witnesses. Or you could leave to the west on a very lightly traveled road with very little traffic, but you're probably more likely to be remembered if someone sees you.

[threebag]

If you are out shooting you are responsible for the bullet. Anyone worth a shit would turn themselves in for sure. Only a spineless shit stain would remain silent.


I wouldn't be careless with my firearm to put me in this position.


Squeal like a pig

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by eDave

Would one get real prison time for this?

That's a key question. I don't know. You'd probably face a million-dollar civil suit either way, and it seems like manslaughter will get you prison time. But I don't really know. Assuming it was an accident, there's still probably some negligence involved assuming it wasn't some completely weird ricochet.

[threebag]

The guilt would eat me up if i thought i did something like that.

[Mrs. Loopner]

Scenario 2 is ambiguous.
A person of average intelligence shooting any weapon is suppose to be able to account for all used bullets so they would know if they shot someone rather than their target.
Too many cameras everywhere anyway. You'd get caught.

Know what you're shooting at and what's behind it, gun safety rule.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by TimBone

Easy to say now with no pressure on you.

I'd like to say I'd turn myself in.....but I just don't know if I'd be able to muster up the courage to do so.

You could tell them that right before you killed the person that you had sex with a 14 year old.

[Bugeater]

**** no.

[LoneWolf]

I'll be honest. I wouldn't turn myself in. I would destroy the gun that did the shooting and I would get rid of all my other guns and never fire another weapon again, but there is nothing to be gained by me being in jail away from my wife and son for a few years. It is a complete accident that putting me in jail wouldn't rectify.

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

You could tell them that right before you killed the person that you had sex with a 14 year old.

I'd never admit to it.

[DJ's left nut]

Pft.

6'0'' male with brown hair, brown eyes and a medium build. Shit no I wouldn't get caught - I'm as nondescript as they come. "Calling all cars, be on the lookout for an extremely average looking dude in his late 20s/early 30s in a silver late model sedan..."

And no, there's zero chance on this earth I turn myself in. I'm sure my family will be really excited about husband/daddy being 'honorable'...and doing 5 years in the clink. Somehow I doubt I'll rest better at night on my steel cot knowing that I've deprived my wife of her husband, my daughter of her father and both of them of a substantial income stream now and in the future all so I could assuage my conscience and pat myself on the back for being upright. Hell, that's not even getting into the crippling debt that defending the manslaughter charge and inevitable civil suit would create as well as the judgment that I'll have against me and all my assets.

And for what? Will me coming clean change the lives of the loved ones of the person that died? No, not at all. I'm just adding more bodies to the pyre here.

Nope - I'll have to live with the guilt and the knowledge that a stupid decision on my part took a life...but I'd carry it with me to the damn grave and take some solace in the fact that I carried that burden myself and didn't take my family down with me.

[-King-]

Probably not...

As terrible as the guilt would be, I'd rather deal with that guilt on the outside, than be stuck in prison still feeling guilty.

I try to avoid prison as much as I can.

[007]

I'm glad I'll never have to make that decision.

[Hammock Parties]

And when I pull out my jammy get ready cuz it might go
BLAAAAW, how ya like me now?