Interesting story.
On the bullshit excuse meter, “I didn’t know the gun was loaded” ranks up there with “I forgot bank robbery was illegal”.
But remember: guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Not really; one piece of gun owning advice that I’ve repeatedly heard is “always treat a gun as if it is loaded.” Guns aren’t toys, and treating them like toys can easily lead to stuff like, well, this.
It is? Dang.
Yes, and that’s why “I didn’t know the gun was loaded!” is a bullshit excuse.
Especially the stupid ones.
How does that contradict what Lemur said?
Obligatory Janice Soprano reference.
Did he pull out in time, or will necrophilia be added to the charges?
It’s a bullshit excuse in that it doesn’t absolve him of responsibility for what happened, but it’s a reasonable excuse in the question of murder versus manslaughter versus negligent homicide.
It’s an excuse that casts doubt on any intent to kill, whereas it’s hard to argue about intent when one has robbed a bank.
No. bullets do.
I think it’s a reckless enough act to render the distinction moot. I also think it would set a really bad precedent to give anyone slack for saying “I didn’t know it was loaded.”
I guess using a toy gun wouldn’t have quite done it for them. :rolleyes:
“You’ll shoot your wife out with that thing kid…”
…too soon?
Apparently not. 
Yeah, pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger is so insanely reckless that it almost doesn’t matter whether you believe the gun is loaded or it isn’t. It’s like the distinction between intentionally driving your car through a busy intersection with your eyes closed or your eyes open.
Somehow, the fact that he’s 23 and his late wife was 50 makes the gun play even more suspicious.
Yeah, he’s in pretty deep.
I’m so sorry, my friend.