Sometimes you read a news story and you know damned good and well that it just didn’t happen that way. Maybe it’s a BS tale told by someone who finds himself knee-deep trouble. Or maybe it’s just poor writing on the part of the reporter. I know which I think this is…
One thing we do know for sure is that Brandon Landis is dead. And if you believe this story, he was shot in the back of the head by Mack Thomas. Which seems like a pretty big detail to get wrong.
According to a neighbor who was friends with both men, “[Thomas] was playing with a gun and Brandon snuck up behind him and scared him.”
Got that? Thomas (above, with one helluva shiner) was “playing with a gun.” Landis then snuck up behind him and said BOO! – or something to that effect. This is where I have trouble. Somehow, Thomas whirled around and managed to shoot his friend, in the back of his head. As Dr. Evil would say, riiiiiiiight.
It’s hard to imagine how Landis would have had time, after scaring Mack, to turn tail and run in the other direction, thus exposing his backside to Mack. And if Landis did somehow manage that, why would Mack shoot someone who’s running away from him, even if he didn’t recognize that person as his friend?
The tragic events just happened last night, so I’m sure more details will emerge in time. And I’d love to know what happened to Mack’s eye. It could have nothing at all to do with the shooting. But maybe it does. I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out if this is a BS story or a story that was written in a BS fashion.
[Please contact Dan Zimmerman for any gun-related or other photographic needs.]
Welcome to my world. I work in the Emergency Room, and the media account of what landed the patient here is usually a “streamlined” version of the truth. The info generally comes from the police themselves, but they may have a legitimate investigative reason for not releasing all of the details. It often makes for a few chuckles at work the next day, though.
Not surprisingly the stories in the various outlets are inconsistent. Some say he took off running across a field after the shooting and may have faceplanted his way to a shiner. Another says that he carried Landis out of the house for some reason.
Fortunately for Landis (in an alternate universe) the gun was not loaded:“He told investigators that he was showing the gun, that was legally purchased about two weeks ago, to Landis when it accidentally discharged. Thomas believed the gun was not loaded.”
The story you referenced is a cut down version of the stories from the Madison Press. here are a couple of additional links, which unfortunately just add to the confusion.
http://www.madison-press.com/news/local-news/thomas-charged-with-reckless-homicide/
http://www.recordherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=139890
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2011/06/06/story-london-teenager-shot-killed.html?sid=102
Mack Thomas is a responsible, law-abiding citizen. I could tell right away by the neck tattoos.
As a gun owner, Thomas has clearly accepted his Second Amendment duties. He stands shoulder to shoulder with other patriots who arm themselves in order to defend our Constitution and our way of life against government tyranny. He doesn’t deserve prison, he deserves a medal. He’s not a criminal, he’s a freedom fighter.
I don’t know who this punk is that Thomas shot and killed, but there is no evidence in the news stories that he is even a gun owner. That means he is probably a liberal and a gun grabber. Good riddance to him. Also, the story says Thomas shot the guy at his own home. Therefore, the Castle Doctrine applies. The Constitution says you can shoot whoever you want on your own property. It’s the law, look it up.
Shaggy looks rough since Scooby Doo split…
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