there has been a mad gunman loose in cumbria...

[stokemaveric]

there are reports of several fatalalities...lets hope this lunatic is apprahended soon..what is happening to people nowadays?

[moonraker558]

FAO anotheoldgit: There is no such thing as a telescopic rifle, you mean a rifle fitted with a telescopic sight.

[Booldawg]

He had valid firearms licences and nothing in his medical history to suggest any kind of mental instability. You simply cant legislate against 'what ifs' without banning absolutely everything for everyone.

[jackthehat]

You 'could' ask exactly what a taxi-driver needs any sort of weapon for, especially those kept at home..............

[ummmm]

He inherited them from his Dad.

[sara3]

I see no need for anyone to keep fire arms at home.

[moonraker558]

any weapons kept at home under licence or normally for pest control or target shooting.

[jackthehat]

ummmm - That still doesn't address the 'need' for him to have them. Or for him to have kept them at home...........
I have never been able to fathom quite why 'ordinary' people feel the need to keep firearms in their house (Game-keepers and farmers, etc are obviously a different category).

[moonraker558]

Someone who is unbalanced could kill just as many if not more with a car but is that a reason to ban keeping cars at home?

[sara3]

have there been situations where anyone has gone out and intentionally mown down several random people in the family saloon?

[jackthehat]

Ha !
Nice to see a proportionate response..............

Cars serve many functions..................guns less so.

[moonraker558]

I expect it has happened soewher in the past, but it could happen.

[moonraker558]

that should have spelt somewhere

[LoftyLottie]

I agree with EDDIE and with Sarah. Guns do not kill - people using guns kill. Would you like to see cars banned because they could be used quite easily to plough through a crowd of people and kill.

Although this whole thing is terrible, to me it is not 'gun crime' as such. It was the act of a very disturbed human being and fortunately incidents like this are very, very rare in this country. Our licensing laws are strict.

[moonraker558]

quite right

[LoftyLottie]

Absolutely EDDIE. Well said.

[chrissa1]

Sadly a couple of years ago I had to call the police as my husband who was drunk at the time was becoming uncontrollable. He was taken away for the night. No charges were brought by me against him.
About 3 weeks later two armed policeman arrived and took his guns away and his licence was revoked. He used them for clay pigeon shooting and game shooting and had owned them for over 30 years. I thought it was OTT at the time but they acted quickly where they had evidence of a possible misuse of them.

[jackthehat]

<Cars serve many functions..................guns less so.>
I see nothing wrong with that statement.

This man wouldn't have been able to kill, wound and maim his victims if he hadn't have had the guns at his house !
Please don't try and tell me that he would have been able to 'attack' 24/25 people in 11 or so separate incidents with his car..............!!!! That is almost as stupid as the "guns don't kill people...........people kill people" saying.
Guns make it far too easy for deranged firearms-holders to take out their petty grievances on innocent people.

But we could always blame the Police, now.................to save time :o(

[society]

"Guns make it far too easy for deranged firearms-holders to take out their petty grievances on innocent people. "

So true, their first defense is to pull the trigger.