A 25-year-old Missouri man says he mistook his mother for an intruder before shooting her to death at their home’s back door.

Prosecutors have charged Jaylen Johnson with manslaughter and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting death on Thursday of his mother, Monica McNichols-Johnson.

McNichols-Johnson’s shooting death came less than a year after another shooting in Missouri saw Ralph Yarl, then 16, get shot on 13 April by 84-year-old Andrew Lester after ringing the wrong doorbell while picking up his siblings.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 months ago

      Of course, being mentally prepared to do what one has to in the case of preventing loss of life or great bodily injury, the only things armed self defense can legally be used for, isn’t exactly the same thing as pulling a Berkowitz. Most people who own them are prepared to, but hopeful they’ll never have to, use it, and mischaracterizing them as insane nutjobs is unlikely to win any favor in debate. Don’t get me wrong those people do exist, but conflating them with normal gun owners is a mistake, and one you’re free to make.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        While most gun owners are not insane nut jobs, the actual problem people are trying to point out is that everyone acts in poor judgement or overwhelming emotion sometimes. I might swear loudly at myself; someone having a loaded gun handy might end someone’s life. There’s a difference.

        The other issue that people don’t talk enough about is the inherent conflict between keeping a deadly weapon secured and keeping one ready for defense.

        • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 months ago

          I think the world might be better if we stopped pretending we’re all exactly the same.

          Thankfully, you must be wrong, or with 600,000,000+ guns for 300,000,000+ people we’d all already be dead.

          • AA5B@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            But it’s not as simple as whether we’re all the same. Owning a deadly weapon means that anything going wrong potentially kills someone. Most of the time they didn’t deserve it.

            You’re afraid of a threat that magnified by your fears and misperceptions. I’m afraid of your “self-defense” or your lack of securing your weapon.

            Be different all you want, but it’s a problem when it kills innocent people. Where are their rights?

            • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              8 months ago

              “Most of the time they didn’t deserve it” eh?

              Well, all gun deaths per year including accidents, murder, and suicide, hover around 60,000/yr.

              However, even by our most conservative estimate, conservative in this case meaning only using verifiable police reports and completely discounting the most common type of armed defense: defensive display, Harvard has estimated “the good guy with a gun” being effective 100,000 x/yr.

              Clearly we can see that 100,000 defensive gun uses is 40,000 more than 60,000. This indicates quite clearly that actually “most” of the time it is deserved, as “most” of the time by 40,000 it is self defense.

              You’re afraid of a threat that magnified by your fears and misperceptions

              I really hate that I have to say this, but literally no u.

              I’m afraid of your “self-defense”

              Well don’t attempt to kill me or someone I care about in my presence, simple as. Think you can handle that? Should be pretty damn easy tbh.

              or your lack of securing your weapon.

              Well don’t make people leave them in the car to come into your store, the only time mine are less secure than I’d like are when the law requires it to be.

              Be different all you want, but it’s a problem when it kills innocent people.

              If a man is stabbed in the park do you feel guilty for having knives in the kitchen? Unless I’m the one who does the bad thing I will not feel responsible for it, I am not responsible for the actions of another sentient being.

              Where are their rights?

              They have them. Just because rape exists, do you think a woman has no right to her body? Similarly, just because murder exists, that doesn’t mean the murderer wasn’t trampling the murdered’s rights, actually that’s literally the exact reason murder is called “a crime.” And the reason legal self defense is a thing, too, your right to self defense is to secure your right to life, specifically.

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                This indicates quite clearly that actually “most” of the time it is deserved, as “most” of the time by 40,000 it is self defense

                Not deserved, killed. You’re claiming that most of the time a gun is used someone is killed

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                I’m afraid of your “self-defense” Well don’t attempt to kill me or someone I care about in my presence, simple as. Think you can handle that? Should be pretty damn easy tbh.

                or your lack of securing your weapon.

                Yep, easy. I’ll try not to turn around in your driveway or knock on the door or live in range of stray bullets or be anywhere near whatever random kid finds your gun or in sight when you’re in a bad mood, or near anyone who steals it or whoever they sell it to, or in the same town when you’re nervous enough to decide that’s a good choice, or in the same park if you commit suicide m, or know any family or friend you might get pissed at or drink in front of, or near any store or government agency you thought gave you a bad deal, or anywhere in nature you think that rustling bush means a bear, or in any neighborhood where people make you nervous for any reason, etc

    • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Honestly no. I have better things to dream about. I have lived in the ghetto, and fallen asleep to the sound of gunshots and sirens. I have a wife who I love, and I want to make sure she doesn’t come to any harm. I’m sad for you that you think guns are only weapons for mass murders. Maybe someday you’ll realize self-defense is a valid reason to own guns. Be honest, could you live with yourself if your home gets broken into and your spouse or child gets killed and you stood there looking around doing nothing because you weren’t armed?

      • Oderus@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I doubt you’re being honest in your question but I’ll answer it anyway.

        Could I live with myself if my wife died due to a home invasion? Yes, of course I could. I’m not at fault for her death so why wouldn’t I be able to live with myself?

        The fact that you came up with a situation where you think violence is the solution answers my initial question of you dreaming about killing someone in self-defense. You didn’t think you were going to prove yourself a liar in your response did you?

        • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          You obviously made up your mind before ever posting or reading my response so there’s no point in continuing this conversation. Dreaming of something and preparing for the worst are obviously different but my words are wasted on you.