Roadrage Assholes

[Gravekeeper]

Ugh, here's one for you: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/27/us/flo...e8aVODtopPhoto ( autoplay video warning )

Two idiots road rage on each other. They both call 911. One follows the other home to get his address. The follower gets out of his car and yells at the followee. The followee shoots him five times. Then turns the gun on the guy's wife, daughter and grandson. Orders them all out of the car and holds them at gunpoint until police arrive.

Shooter claims the other guy charged him. Witness claims the guy was actually backing away soon as he saw the gun. Shooter doesn't appear to have offered any explanation for why he would hold children hostage at gunpoint on his front lawn though. -.-

Shooter is charged with second degree murder.

Difficulty: State Your Ground state.

[Rageaholic]

Hard to tell who's the bigger asshole, the guy who shot someone and taking a family hostage or the guy who puts his own family at risk trying to chase some guy down. Usually, it's just one aggressor who overreacts to a small mistake and wants to be badass.

[TheHuckster]

Hard to tell who's the bigger asshole

Any situation that ends in one guy shooting another unarmed guy five times means the shooter is the bigger asshole. They are both idiots, to be sure. You don't chase a random driver and then confront them afterwards.

Shooter doesn't appear to have offered any explanation for why he would hold children hostage at gunpoint on his front lawn though. -.-

Simple. As you said, it's a stand-your-ground state. Hell, I think even the squirrels are armed down there.

[Andara Bledin]

Hard to tell who's the bigger asshole, the guy who shot someone and taking a family hostage or the guy who puts his own family at risk trying to chase some guy down. Usually, it's just one aggressor who overreacts to a small mistake and wants to be badass.

No it isn't.

There's zero question that the guy that shot another man in front of his family over a road rage incident is by far the bigger asshole.

Apparently, he didn't just shoot the guy five times but rather shot him once, then paused, then shot him a couple more times, then paused again, and then shot him two more times.

Conjecture is that after the first shot he thought that, "Oh, hey, I can't claim self defense if I only shoot him the one time, so I'd better shoot him a couple more times... three? no... yeah, five outta do it."

[s_stabeler]

Shooter is charged with second degree murder.

Difficulty: State Your Ground state.

irrelevant. Stand Your Ground doesn't give you carte blance to shoot at anyone you think looks funny- especially when Gonzalez was, in fact, in the middle of the road when he was shot. ( generally, you can either shoot somebody who'se actively threatening your life- which Gonzalez wasn't- or who is on your property- so yes, someone standing on the sidewalk being an irritating little shit is not a legitimate target. (and yes, I consider Gonzalez to be in a similar category- there was no real reason for him to follow Doyle.

But yeah, while Doyle is by far the bigger asshole, Gonzalez doesn't exactly cover himself with glory- why did he follow Doyle? Why get out of the car, since it would only precipitate a confrontation?