The Gun Report: February 12, 2014

"One thing we have discovered since we began chronicling gun violence is that a surprising number of Americans use guns to end arguments or register their frustration. This probably would not happen if guns weren’t so readily available. Sometimes when these stories make their way into the press, you have to wonder whether you’re reading The Onion.

Shaneka Monique Torres, 29, got home from a Grand Rapids, Mich., McDonald’s on Sunday and discovered there was no bacon on her burger. When she called the restaurant to complain, she was promised a free meal to compensate for the error. Early Monday, after a night of clubbing, Torres returned to McDonald’s to claim her free meal. She checked her burger, and once again, no bacon. Police say Torres, who was sitting in the passenger seat of her friend’s car, pulled out a 9mm handgun, waved it around and fired through the closed car window. The bullet cut a path through the entire restaurant."

- Snip -

"Last Thursday, Jatari Walker, 20, a customer at Good Friend Chinese and Seafood in Birmingham, Ala., found a roach in her egg roll and asked for a refund. When Walker put the roll on the counter to show the restaurant’s owner, 52-year-old Chun Hin Ching, it rolled onto the floor. This, coupled with the fact that Walker had complained within earshot of other customers, seems to have set him off. After Walker got her refund, she turned to exit the restaurant, and Ching fired a shot over her head. She said she felt the bullet whiz past her.

Ching, who did not tell police why he kept a gun at the restaurant, has allegedly raised a bat to customers before, and even flashed a butcher knife. Police believe he intended to hit Walker but missed. He has been charged with attempted murder."

Here is today's report (25 gun incidents, 13 deaths):

http://nocera.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/the-gun-report-february-12-2014/