A North Carolina man was fatally shot while trying to help a drunk motorist who had driven off the side of the road during last Friday’s winter storm. The victim, along with two other people, pulled over to help the stranded motorist. When they approached his car, the motorist, who was clearly intoxicated, became angry, uncooperative and then violent.
The three good samaritans then decided it would be best to call the police for help. But, the intoxicated motorist overheard the three rescuers say something about the police, so he pulled out a gun and fired at them. Two escaped, but one man was hit and fell to the ground. The shooter approached the wounded man and shot him several more times before returning to his car. After failing to start his engine, the shooter waited for the police to arrive. When a SWAT team showed up, the shooter surrendered himself without struggle.
Cases like these highlight two issues that are plaguing America. The first is America’s need for stricter gun control legislation. North Carolina doesn’t require gun purchasers to have a gun license or even to register their firearms after they purchase them. In other words, you can purchase a gun even if you have a criminal history, and there’s no way to trace the weapon back to you if you commit a crime.
The second is the unfair standard by which law enforcement deals with alleged criminal behavior. For example, African-American children are shot by police for carrying toy guns while armed militiamen are permitted to take control of federal land without facing any consequences.
While we should be grateful that the police apprehended the North Carolina shooter peacefully, this treatment should be the norm for all American citizens. The lack of consistency in law enforcement combined with the easy access to firearms is only making a bad situation even worse.