Sadly, this week’s headlines were dominated by two tragic shootings. On Tuesday morning, a 12-year-old boy opened fire at a middle school in New Mexico, wounding two students. According to Reuters, it was the second shooting to take place in a U.S. middle school in three months.
Even closer to home, in a Tampa movie theater Monday, a 71-year-old retired police officer, Curtis Reeves, shot a fellow moviegoer in the chest after an argument erupted over cellphone use during previews. Authorities said a man was trying to contact his 3-year-old daughter when the ex-officer confronted him. According to witnesses, the man using his phone threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves, and Reeves proceeded to brandish a gun.
As authorities investigate the Tampa shooting, Florida news outlets are already beginning to speculate: Will Reeves’ lawyers try to mount a “stand-your-ground” defense?
The obvious, overwhelming response is, are you crazy? The victim allegedly threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves — hardly an imminent threat of death or serious injury. And the fact that Reeves is an ex-police officer plays a significant role in the investigation, the Tampa Bay Times said.
According to the Times, “A defense attorney could argue Reeves is well-versed in stressful standoffs and has expert judgment on when deadly force is necessary. On the other hand, a prosecutor could argue that as a former officer, Reeves should have known how to de-escalate the situation.”
All in all, however, Reeves’ defense team would be hard-pressed to build a convincing argument that his decision to open fire was absolutely necessary.
The shootings we saw this week open the same debate we have had time and time again in this country when violence at the hands of gun users results in the injury of children and the death of citizens who simply tried to text in a movie theater.
Of the New Mexico shooting, Reuters reported, “It comes amid a contentious national debate on gun control that intensified after a gunman shot dead 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012. Following that attack, President Barack Obama called for sweeping new gun control measures.”
“Most of Obama’s proposals were defeated in Congress, but his administration proposed new regulations this month aimed at clarifying restrictions on gun ownership for the mentally ill and bolstering a database used for firearms background checks,” Reuters said.
While the details of the New Mexico shooting are still hazy, one thing is certain: security needs to be heightened in public, enclosed spaces such as arenas, stadiums and — yep — small movie theaters.
Of course, this argument is hardly groundbreaking. The familiar wave of liberal rage will be met with a conservative blowback, and nothing will result. It’s hard not to grow weary.
But should we stop pushing for a cultural change in the way this country handles firearm ownership?
We don’t think so.
A version of this editorial ran on page 6 on 1/15/2014 under the headline "Does ‘stand your ground’ apply in Tampa shooting?"
