He thought he saw a deer and fired his pistol. Now his neighbor is dead.

Firstly, this is sad for the husband who lost his beloved wife. Secondly, the shooter is an idiot (period). I've seen a lot of posts about firearms, right to carry, self-protection, and hunting lately, so I'm curious what my fellow ATS members think about this.
Washington Post SOURCE

Wednesday was a typical afternoon but an exciting one — Thanksgiving was the next day, and Jamie Billquist and his wife, Rosemary, would partake in one of their favorite traditions: the Turkey Trot. Rosemary Billquist, 43, got home from work about 5 p.m., and left shortly after to walk the couple’s dogs, Stella and Sugar, near the field behind their Sherman, N.Y., house. Jamie Billquist, 47, stayed at home, watching television. A little while later, the dogs came racing to the back of the house, barking loudly. Jamie Billquist panicked. He called Rosemary’s cellphone, but she didn’t pick up. “I thought, ‘Something might’ve happened to Rosemary,’ ” he said. “Maybe she fell.” As he put his phone down, ambulances showed up outside the house. An EMT who is a friend of Jamie Billquist’s rushed to the field, saying someone had been shot. Moments later, he learned that it was his wife. A neighbor, Thomas B. Jadlowski, thought he saw a deer in his back yard 200 yards away and fired a single shot. Then he heard a scream. Realizing he’d shot a person, he ran out to help, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office officials said in a news release.

Jadlowski, 34, called 911 and applied pressure to Rosemary Billquist’s wound until paramedics arrived, according to the sheriff’s office. The bullet had traveled through her hip and out her back, Jamie Billquist said. He rode with his wife to a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center facility in Erie, Pa., where she was pronounced dead. “That’s it,” Billquist said with a heavy sigh. “My life has changed. Things are never going to be the same.”

a reply to: seattlerat

First off...I think the basic rule of hunting is..."know exactly what you are shooting at." Correct me, if I'm wrong. The guy "thought he saw a deer??" Well, he should have known he saw a deer before taking the weapon off of safety.

This is a sad and tragic event that didn't have to happen...because some idiot "thought" he saw a deer.

guy was not a hunter, he should be arrested and charged there is no excuse for this behavior especially when it results in the death of someone.

I've seen a lot of posts about firearms, right to carry, self-protection, and hunting lately, so I'm curious what my fellow ATS members think about this.

Incidents should almost never dictate policy or sweeping repercussions. They DO remind the majority of responsible gun owners that regardless of legalities or training, human error will always provide us with opportunities to learn.

a reply to: seattlerat

It wouldn't have happened - if gun owners were required to take and pass a safety test and had to renew their 'license' for time to time for each weapon owned. Just like the registration of a car and the license to drive a car requires.

a reply to: seattlerat

Anyone who takes a 200 yard shot with a pistol?

That's not a hunter.

Even if using a Thompson Contender Unit with a .223 barrel.

Something's funky fishy about this.

Or just plain stupid.

Edit to add:

From article: 'Sheriff Joe Gerace told the Buffalo News that Jadlowski used a single-shot handgun permissible for deer hunting.'

So a black powder/muzzleloader pistol? 200 yards?

He's either too stupid to wipe his own arse without dirtying his hands - or there's something so wrong with this.

Then again - it just could be an example of 'pure stoopid'.

I don't think this is a gun issue. You can just never underestimate the stupidity of people.

a reply to: kelbtalfenek

You are correct, in fact you're not supposed to put your finger on the trigger at all until you have that of which you intend to kill within the sights and a clear shot.

Trying a 200 yard shot with a pistol is stupid anyway, this idiot was just going to wound the animal and let it suffer.

RIP to the lady.

a reply to: seattlerat

The idiot needs to go to jail.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: seattlerat

It wouldn't have happened - if gun owners were required to take and pass a safety test and had to renew their 'license' for time to time for each weapon owned. Just like the registration of a car and the license to drive a car requires.

That doesn't seem to prevent car accidents. Licensed or not, idiots will be idiots.

a reply to: silo13

Something's funky fishy about this.

Exactly, unless the guy was drunk or drugged, I doubt a person would be firing at a neighbors yard, deer or not.
Something sounds off with the whole thing.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: seattlerat

It wouldn't have happened - if gun owners were required to take and pass a safety test and had to renew their 'license' for time to time for each weapon owned. Just like the registration of a car and the license to drive a car requires.

So people who take driver safety courses never have accidents.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: seattlerat

It wouldn't have happened - if gun owners were required to take and pass a safety test and had to renew their 'license' for time to time for each weapon owned. Just like the registration of a car and the license to drive a car requires.

Oh, BS. Plenty of licensed drivers kill people every year after they've been through the training and paid all registration fees. The fact is, this guy was "hunting" illegally in the first place, equivalent to driving without a license in an unauthorized area. "Taking a class" and "registering a firearm" does not fix this level of stupid.

a reply to: schuyler

Where do you read he was hunting illegally?

Sheriff said he had a tag.

Wondering if I missed something?

A 200 yard pistol shot from a non hunter is kind of a flag ,
200 yards a deer is pretty hard to see , I don't know what to say except that if he hasn't had a Hunter safty course and a license then he should be charged.
You don't shoot at something you think is a deer .

Very Sad, feel bad for her loved ones. Very reckless of the neighbor and why shoot at what he thought was a deer to begin with !?

Negligent homicide is usually a jail-able offense. This shouldn't be any different.

originally posted by: silo13
a reply to: schuyler

Where do you read he was hunting illegally?

Sheriff said he had a tag.

Wondering if I missed something?

Right here: komonews.com...

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: seattlerat

It wouldn't have happened - if gun owners were required to take and pass a safety test and had to renew their 'license' for time to time for each weapon owned. Just like the registration of a car and the license to drive a car requires.

dmv is a terrible system. as an example, my grandmother who had been diagnosed with alzheimer, was incapable of driving, all the paperwork had been filed properly to inform the dmv and yet they kept on issuing here new licenses even after she had been relegated to an alzheimers home. there is very little oversight as long as u file for your renewals they wont check a thing.

I see deer all the time. What I've never done is then pull out a pistol and shoot at them. Why the F would this chump do that? He wasn't hunting, the deer was pretty far away probably grazing. What a fool.