# Is it possible to shoot someone by accident? Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend by mistake. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266 "2013-02-14T08:23:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/41 "2013-02-14T19:51:16Z")
> [@JamesQueue](#): > > [Oscar Pistorius charged with MURDER of model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278492/BREAKING-NEWS-Paralympic-star-Oscar-Pistorius-questioned-police-girlfriend-shot-dead-home.html) > > Oscar Pisstorius shot and killed his girlfriend, supposedly believing she was a burglar. I hope they string him up and hang him. I don’t care if it’s a ‘mistake.’ You are not allowed to make mistakes like that. With gun ownership comes responsibility–the responsibility to not shoot innocent people. It’s that simple. Saying it’s a mistake is not good enough. > > As a society we should not accept that it’s possible to shoot someone by accident. You can’t shoot someone by accident. Having a gun means you’ve already taken several deliberate steps towards shooting someone, it’s just now a matter of finally taking the final step of pulling the trigger. You see, in this “society” (by which I presume you mean Western industrialized society in general since South Africa and the USA are different countries with different laws), we accept that there are different levels of punishment, depending on intent. A premeditated murder tends to be treated more harshly than a crime of passion, which is worse than negligence, which is worse than “oops, that’s not supposed to happen!”. A couple months ago, he apparently “went into full recon mode” when he mistook his washing machine for a burgler. Maybe she was making washing machine noises? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/42 "2013-02-14T20:36:27Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > That’s certainly not a true statement 100% of the time. > > It depends on where you live, but there are plenty of places where you can only shoot a burglar if you are defending yourself or a another person. Using deadly force to defend property is not justified. South Africa is one of those places. He’ll be charged with murder as a matter of course. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/43 "2013-02-14T20:42:21Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > I hadn’t read that she had a stocking over her head. > > The house was in a guarded (we’d call it “gated”) community in South Africa. Perhaps he mistook his very blonde girlfriend for one of the folks kept locked out… I was responding to the comment that I quoted, which was a broad statement, not not necessarily related to this case. As far as who he THOUGHT she was, we don’t know at this point. However, I will say that it’s not completely outside the realm of possibility he mistook her for an intruder, especially since he reportedly lived in a very high crime area (hence the gates), that it was in the middle of the night, and that he lacks the ability to fight back/hide/flee as easily as someone who has 2 permanently attached legs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/44 "2013-02-14T21:04:51Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > As far as who he THOUGHT she was, we don’t know at this point. However, I will say that it’s not completely outside the realm of possibility he mistook her for an intruder, especially since he reportedly lived in a very high crime area (hence the gates), that it was in the middle of the night, and that he lacks the ability to fight back/hide/flee as easily as someone who has 2 permanently attached legs. It’s possible. It’s a little hard to believe since [his home sounds incredibly secure](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/14/oscar-pistorius-murder-girlfriends-shooting), but it could be. Parts of this should be cleared up fairly easily. If she was lying in bed and he shot her, he obviously didn’t think she was breaking in. If she was shot coming through the door or something, then maybe. The police are saying there are no signs of forced entry and in the early stages it doesn’t sound like they think this was an accident, but that should come out in time. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/45 "2013-02-14T22:00:21Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > I suppose it is if your instructor is Claudine Longet. {snip} Claudine Longet is an actress/singer. According to Wikipedia, “She was found guilty of misdemeanor criminal negligence in the 1976 [shooting] death of her live-in boyfriend, professional skier Spider Sabich.” Source: [Claudine Longet - Wikipedia](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudine_Longet#section_1) ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/46 "2013-02-14T22:07:39Z")
> [@solosam](#): > > He pulled the trigger without positively identifying his target. This kind of negligence cannot be allowed. That’s one of the responsibilities inherent in gun ownership. None of us has all the evidence yet. It will come eventually. That said, ALL of my family and friends know not to play “let’s surprise Ducati at home”. Most of my defense-purposed guns have lights on them to help ID my target if it’s dark. You can’t swing a dead cat in my house without hitting a flashlight or three. It’s highly unlikely that I would shoot my BIL sneaking in to crash on the couch, but I realize that since I’m human, mistakes are possible. That’s why he calls about 2 minutes out, no matter what time it is. BIL: “It’s me. I’m passing Publix. Don’t shoot.” Me: “K”. Click. Mrs. Duc came home early last week, maybe 3pm. I’m used to being here alone all day, nice and quiet. The driveway alarm went off, meaning someone has just driven in. The next one went off, meaning someone’s in the parking area near the side door. Since I always answer the door armed, I grabbed a gun in my office, and started for the den, when the door alarm dinged, meaning someone has just entered the back door. Shit. My heart rate zoomed, and I rushed the den, only to find my wife putting her purse down and looking sheepish. “Sorry”, she said.:rolleyes: Still, I managed not to shoot her, because I determined in about 1/40th of a second that she was not an intruder. It’s really not that hard. \*\*\*Responsible \*\*\*gun owners don’t shoot intruders until they have identified a true threat. I would consider anyone with a mask on a threat. If indeed his girlfriend was wearing a mask or hose, or whatever, I’m afraid she has no one to blame but herself. I’m sure it’s a complicated situation, and I’ll be interested to learn more. If he acted recklessly, he should be punished. An analogous situation here in Atlanta was the case of [Dany Heatly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dany_Heatley#Car_accident). Driving his Ferarri too fast for conditions, he killed his BFF. Through his negligence, he killed his friend, but got probation and a fine. Not nearly enough in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/47 "2013-02-14T22:22:12Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > You are about 6 hours too late for that joke. Yeah… well, I swear I hadn’t seen anyone else make the “replicant” joke yet at the time I made it, but I guess that one was pretty obvious too. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/48 "2013-02-14T23:21:21Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > If indeed his girlfriend was wearing a mask or hose, or whatever, I’m afraid she has no one to blame but herself. Just to make sure we’re on the same page, I believe that’s a hypothetical or speculation and isn’t based on anything. Nobody seems to know where the ‘he thought she was a burglar’ thing came from, nevermind the idea that maybe she tried to make him think she was a burglar. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/49 "2013-02-14T23:36:25Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > So some guy comes into my bedroom wearing a stocking over his head, and I’m not allowed to (stab/shoot/pummel him with a baseball bat) until I can turn on the lights, pull off the stocking, and identify him? > > Interesting sense of justice you have there. No, that’s not what I mean by “identify.” If she _was_ appearing and behaving in such a way that he could reasonably have interpreted her to be an intruder stranger, then he’d be justified in defending himself. But this is all academic; I have seen no reason to think that Pistorius’ action was an ‘accident’ in any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/50 "2013-02-14T23:41:49Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Since I always answer the door armed … > > … \*\*\*Responsible \*\*\*gun owners don’t shoot intruders until they have identified a true threat. I would consider anyone with a mask on a threat. Note to self: Scratch **ducati** ’s house of the trick-or-treating route. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/51 "2013-02-15T01:36:19Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Note to self: Scratch **ducati** ’s house of the trick-or-treating route. Well, especially because he apparently lives in some kind of post-apocalyptic “Walking Dead” wasteland or is in the Witness Protection program. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/52 "2013-02-15T01:51:55Z")
Great. Now I have to move again. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/53 "2013-02-15T03:16:59Z")
To me, an accidental shooting is: “He was cleaning/loading his gun and it went off, hitting someone.” Accidental discharge. If he is being honest, he meant to shoot … that wasn’t the accident. The accident was misidentification. Try this on: A guy is driving through Death Valley at noon in July and it’s 125 Fahrenheit. He’s not expecting to see his girlfriend hitchhiking on the lonely road because he thinks she’s at a resort in Palm Springs swimming in a pool. So, anyway, he doesn’t recognize her in her badly sunburned, no make-up, dirty clothes condition and swerves away, avoiding her. She dies of exposure. Is he guilty of abandoning her in the desert in the Summer to die of thirst and heat exhaustion? ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/54 "2013-02-15T09:31:45Z")
Well, the story is getting worse. South African media are reporting that she was in the bathroom and he shot her four times through the door. ([link](http://www.citypress.co.za/news/reeva-shot-through-bathroom-door/)) ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/55 "2013-02-15T10:40:00Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Since I always answer the door armed, I grabbed a gun in my office I’m glad I live nowhere near the paranoid little universe you apparently occupy. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/56 "2013-02-15T11:21:31Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Mrs. Duc came home early last week, maybe 3pm. I’m used to being here alone all day, nice and quiet. The driveway alarm went off, meaning someone has just driven in. The next one went off, meaning someone’s in the parking area near the side door. Since I always answer the door armed, I grabbed a gun in my office, and started for the den, when the door alarm dinged, meaning someone has just entered the back door. > > Shit. My heart rate zoomed, and I rushed the den, only to find my wife putting her purse down and looking sheepish. “Sorry”, she said.:rolleyes: So, if I’m reading this right, your wife cannot walk into her own home unannounced, without being confronted by a lethal weapon. And when she does so, and she is confronted by one…she apologized. Is that a correct interpretation of the above? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/57 "2013-02-15T12:55:52Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > Well, the story is getting worse. South African media are reporting that she was in the bathroom and he shot her four times through the door. ([link](http://www.citypress.co.za/news/reeva-shot-through-bathroom-door/)) Well, unless she came in through the bathroom window (someone should write a song about that), in an attempt to surprise him, it’s not looking good for Pistorius. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/58 "2013-02-15T13:15:16Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > So, if I’m reading this right, your wife cannot walk into her own home unannounced, without being confronted by a lethal weapon. And when she does so, and she is confronted by one…she apologized. Is that a correct interpretation of the above? Sounds like it. I’m guessing she doesn’t spring many surprise parties for him! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/59 "2013-02-15T14:07:52Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > Well, the story is getting worse. South African media are reporting that she was in the bathroom and he shot her four times through the door. maybe she was using up all the hot water. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266/60 "2013-02-15T14:58:35Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Most of my defense-purposed guns have lights on them to help ID my target if it’s dark. . Oh good. Because having tactical lights on your guns makes you seem less crazy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-shoot-someone-by-accident-oscar-pistorius-shot-his-girlfriend-by-mistake/650266.md?page=4)