As the Grand Jury decision on whether or not to indict Ferguson,MO police officer Darren Wilson in the death of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown draws near, people around the area have begun to load up on firearms and ammunition. While it remains to be seen if the panic is warranted – everyone from community leaders to President Obama have stressed the need for peace following the announcement – the added guns in the hands of people who may not know how to properly use them has already seen at least one casualty.
St. Louis police are reporting that a 26-year-old woman has accidentally killed herself with a gun she had purchased in anticipation for Ferguson riots.
The accident occurred when the car the woman, identified as Becca Campbell, was riding in rear-ended a car in front of them. Typically a fender bender would not cause loss of life, but the woman’s gun discharged in the collision and the bullet struck her in the head.
According to KMOV:
The boyfriend, who wasn’t identified, told police that the couple had bought a gun because of fears of unrest related to the pending grand jury decision on the shooting of Michael Brown, the sources said.
He told investigators that as they drove late Friday night, the victim waved a gun, jokingly saying the couple were ready for Ferguson, the sources said.
He ducked to get out of the way of the gun and accidentally rear-ended another car. He said the accident caused the gun to go off and she was struck by a bullet in the head, the sources said.
Guns, already a problem for America more generally, are becoming an increasing concern for residents and law enforcement around Ferguson. As tensions rise – and urged on by a giddy media which can’t help but stoke the flames in pursuit of ratings boosts – the number of scared people buying firearms to “protect” themselves from their neighbors is skyrocketing. One Ferguson gun store owner told reporters that his sales have gone up by around 700% this month.
In a sign of just how bad it has gotten, store owners, like the one mentioned above, are now beginning to close up their shops and ship out their lethal stock so no more weapons can find their way onto the streets in the coming weeks. It’s a testament to the very real fear people feel that even the promise of large profits can’t entice gun shop owners from ignoring pleas from law enforcement and staying open for business.
Whether or not violence erupts after the decision, the fact that hundreds of more guns are now in the community is a problem that will likely plague Ferguson long after the protests end.
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