# Press the shutter, not the trigger. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681 "2015-09-02T05:15:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/1 "2015-09-02T05:15:04Z")
[http://www.seattlepi.com/news/texas/article/Houston-man-holding-gun-while-taking-selfies-6479679.php](http://www.seattlepi.com/news/texas/article/Houston-man-holding-gun-while-taking-selfies-6479679.php) A 19-year-old Houston man is dead after police say he accidentally shot himself while taking ‘selfies’ while holding a gun. Nothing to add. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/2 "2015-09-02T05:30:07Z")
What the story said was: He was (apparently) trying to take a selfie of himself pointing a gun at his head, and the gun went off. He must have gotten confused which trigger was in which hand or sumtin. :dubious: Gee, y’think, they always say _never_ point a gun at anyone, not even yourself, unless you mean to kill. And they always say, _always_ assume a gun is loaded, even if you know damn well for sure that it isn’t because you carefully checked it yourself and made sure. And they _still_ forget that there could be a bullet in the chamber. Gets them every time. So, if the guy had carefully made sure the gun was unloaded first, he could still have shot himself. But at least it would have been, um, less likely. So he probably didn’t even carefully make sure it was unloaded first. Nominate the man for a Darwin award. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/3 "2015-09-02T07:06:12Z")
Somewhere, Darwin is chalking up another… TX and guns - what could _EVER_ go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/4 "2015-09-02T07:15:02Z")
Remember, don’t ever, ever aim your camera at something you don’t intend to take a picture of. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/5 "2015-09-02T07:15:40Z")
This is a clear case of justified self-defense. This guy’s stupidity was trying to kill him so he used the gun he had at hand to defend himself by shooting that stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/6 "2015-09-02T08:35:10Z")
Guns don’t kill. Cameras do. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/7 "2015-09-02T09:10:37Z")
He’s with Jesus now. And the score is five to one. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/8 "2015-09-02T10:10:05Z")
Civilian kills with gun and no charges are filed? This increments a statistic which, in another thread, is counted toward _Benefits of Civilan Gun Ownership_. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/9 "2015-09-02T10:55:45Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Remember, don’t ever, ever aim your camera at something you don’t intend to take a picture of. You win the thread! (and it’s a pity that, due to modern technology, you can’t add another line: Because, back in the days when cameras used film cartridges, you could have made a quip about “always assume your camera is loaded”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/10 "2015-09-02T10:56:31Z")
I’m sure Wayne Lapierre will issue a statement stating that if Deleon Smith had a handgun, he’d have been able to defend himself. Anyone else reminded of [this?](https://youtu.be/Z_JOGmXpe5I) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/11 "2015-09-02T11:16:16Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Somewhere, Darwin is chalking up another… > > TX and guns - what could _EVER_ go wrong? Its par for the course. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/12 "2015-09-02T12:05:53Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Nominate the man for a Darwin award. At 19 [he’s](http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2015/09/01/teen-accidentally-shoots-self-while-taking-selfie/71546868/) already got two kids, so the pool is still stocked. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/13 "2015-09-02T13:32:28Z")
How did the picture turn out? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/14 "2015-09-02T14:45:13Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Its par for the course. ☹ Par for the corpse? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/15 "2015-09-02T15:14:51Z")
Texas Roulette ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/16 "2015-09-02T15:48:36Z")
Colonel Jeff Cooper’s Rules of Gun Safety: #1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded. #2: Never point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy. #3: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. #4: Be absolutely sure of your target and what’s behind it. So that’s the first three definitively broken and arguably the fourth. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/17 "2015-09-02T15:52:41Z")
If only there had been a Good Guy With A Camera there to stop him. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/18 "2015-09-02T16:05:19Z")
So, are we actually sure that this was an accident? Guy aims a gun at his own head and shoots, I’m inclined to think deliberate suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/19 "2015-09-02T16:05:34Z")
I want to make fun of this guy but I don’t have the heart. Two kids without a father for a \*really \*stupid reason. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681/20 "2015-09-02T16:35:32Z")
“No other injuries were reported” Well, that’s good, I guess. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/press-the-shutter-not-the-trigger/729681.md?page=2)