VA: One of those "Shot Someone they Knew" Shootings

Gaberail Wright is a former Marine.  He is 21 years old.  He was shot yesterday by someone that he knew.  Someone that he is accused of stealing from.  Someone who kicked him out of their home after he lived there for two months, fresh out of the Marines.   The article does not say whether he had an honorable discharge or not.

The homeowner says that they kicked him out because he was stealing money from them by forging stolen checks.

At 3:00 a.m. on July 13th, Benjamin and Sharon Ethier were alerted by their dog.  They found Wright, with a handgun, crawling along the floor at the end of their bed.  That is when he was shot.  From witn.com:

Miller says their investigation shows that Wright broke into the home and was crawling along the couple's bedroom floor when Benjamin Ethier realized Wright was inside.

"I lifted my head up off the pillow and the lamp was on," says Sharon Ethier. "The touch lamp on his side of the bed on the nightstand, and then I saw someone at the end of our bed."

The sheriff says the husband shot the intruder.

This case illustrates the silliness of the claim that most people are shot by someone that they know.  It is not actually true.  It is only true if you dismiss all the people who are shot by "unknowns".

But for those who are known, they are most often an acquaintance.   This may be the person who came to check on your pool, one of those who dropped out of school with after bullying your child, or someone you were a witness against.

Criminals have relatives, people they see in the grocery store, and barbers.  Drug dealers have clients and competitors.  They all count as "someone you knew".   People have angry Ex's.  Anyone you ever knew is an "acquaintance".  And they are the biggest group of people who are shot by "people that they know".

Just like  the Ethiers, who were kind enough to take someone into their home, fresh out of the Marines.   Someone who took advantage of them until he was shot.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch