Saturday, February 13, 2010

Another Interesting Angle

We've got the Harvard educated professor of biology at the University of Alabama-Huntsville who apparently was a bit disgruntled about a denial of tenure so she came to a faculty meeting and discussed it intensely. She killed three of her colleagues and wounded three others with a handgun. Incredibly the school's standard gun-free policy of denial of concealed carry on campus for licensed law-abiding citizens didn't stop her. Who could have anticipated that?

Now we've got this tidbit:

Twenty Years Ago an Incident

That's remarkable. Most people, even Harvard graduates, can go through their entire life without shooting anyone. This woman seems to have a proclivity for a more proactive approach in times of conflict.

I particularly like this aspect of the story:

Amy Bishop shot her brother in the chest in 1986, Braintree police Chief Paul Frazier said at a news conference. She fired at least three shots, hitting her brother once and hitting her bedroom wall, before police took her into custody at gunpoint, he said.

The shooting of the brother, Seth Bishop, was logged as an accident, but detailed records of the shooting have disappeared, he said.


Excuse me? Accidental shootings are characterized by ONE shot. Three shots is not an accident.

Why do I expect more shoes to drop on this?

8 comments:

juvat said...

Ras,
I've read several reports of this, at least a couple of which mention she's an avowed socialist. Hmmm, bet that'll get a lot of play in the papers.

Murphy's Law said...

There IS more. The DA at the time was William Delahunt, now Democratic Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts. Apparently she was released after a phone call from him to the chief. At the time, her mother, Judy Bishop, was on the town's Board of Personnel.

http://www.necn.com/02/13/10/Ex-chief-denies-cover-up-in-Bishops-1986/landing_newengland.html?blockID=180076&feedID=4206?

juvat said...

Ras,
She didn't just shoot her brother, she killed him.

Tam said...

"We would have believed it was an accident, ma'am, if you hadn't changed magazines. Twice."

Ed Rasimus said...

Report this AM says it was a shotgun, not a handgun. The question then becomes about whether she shot her brother with the first discharge or the third. If she kept shooting she's crazy either way.

juvat said...

I think she was firing for effect and bracketed him. My money's on round #2.

Six said...

In my experience with multiple discharge shootings, most miss with the first shot and the last shot. Without knowing the particulars, the fact of 3 shots with one hit lends credence to the second shot theory. One miss, one hit and a last miss as the target goes down. First is usually low (buck fever) and the last high (recoil and/or target loss). Goes toward showing deliberate intent.
I agree, this stinks and more will be forthcoming. I notice DeLahunt is now saying he's considering retiring his seat.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/hingham/articles/2010/02/13/delahunt_says_he_is_considering_leaving_his_seat/

Ed Rasimus said...

This AM's fishwrap says first shot hit the wall, second hit the brother, third hit the ceiling.

The Six gets the prize for forensics!

Clearly accidental. Case dismissed. Ditto on the pipe bomb in the mail for the doctoral advisor at Harvard.