This is why I carry...

[matty70]

This could have been me, I applied for this job but all the positions had been filled. He is one of my *brothers* your prayers are appreciated!


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/lo...sing_unit.html


Posted on Sun, Jul. 26, 2009



City worker shot at housing unit
By Bonnie L. Cook

Inquirer Staff Writer

A Philadelphia Housing Authority carpenter was shot once in the back of his head yesterday as he prepared to work at a low-rise public housing unit in North Philadelphia.

Rodney Barnes, 46, of Elkins Park, had just removed tools, paperwork, and sneakers from his red pickup truck parked at 41 W. Norris St. when a bullet came from close range, said Richard A. Zappile, chief of the authority's Police Department.

"He was here on a legitimate assignment. He was here to fix a toilet. We at PHA are all brokenhearted," Zappile said.

Barnes, a PHA employee for six months, underwent emergency surgery at Temple University Hospital, Zappile said. His wife, cousins, and aunts gathered at the hospital.

The surgery was over at 5 p.m., and Barnes "does have a chance to survive," said Mark Durkalec, business representative for the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters. Barnes, a father, was one of the union's 13,000 members.

He was still in critical condition late last night, police said.

Philadelphia police homicide officials began a criminal investigation on the sun-baked street of townhouses. Detectives examined a hole in the back window of a gray truck that union members said belonged to Barnes' work partner.

No suspects were in custody late yesterday, and no motive had been determined, Police Sgt. Timothy Cooney said. He would not specify where the bullet had come from or what distance it had traveled.

Neighbors and members of the carpenters union said they believed the shooting might be a case of mistaken identity: In a shooting in the neighborhood Friday, the person responsible allegedly drove a red pickup.

Union members said they believed whoever had fired at Barnes had done so from a corner at 23d and Norris Streets, thinking he was the assailant in the Friday shooting.

"They saw him get out of the red truck. They shot him for no reason. Police impounded the red truck Friday. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Durkalec said. Police would not comment on the reprisal theory.

Angela Jones, who has daughters ages 10, 12, and 17, sat on her porch around the corner from the crime scene and said, "Lives are being cut short for what - nonsense."

Jones, a 10-year resident, said she believed a town watch and surveillance cameras might make the area safer.

In a shooting at a PHA complex on Feb. 17, 2008, an assailant knocked on the security booth at Queen Lane Apartments in Germantown, then fired one shot with an SKS rifle at the officer inside.

The officer survived; the suspect was found guilty and is serving a prison sentence.

[shefearsnothing]

I am not, by any means, blaming the victim here. I do have two words that come to mind as I was reading that. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. (I even catch myself sometimes but I try very hard to be diligent ALL the time.)

Prayers sent.

[customloaded]

What? This happened at a rent free location? I mean, Section 8 housing? err, ahh, Public housing? I can't imagine residents of free or reduced priced housing would not appreciate it...nope, not at all and then to shoot and probably kill a man coming to fix a toilet, good lord almighty...what little heathens we have running the streets...

[PocketProtector]

I wonder.....How long is the rap or Juvy sheet of the perp gonna turn out to be?

[LorDiego01]

if a bullet comes out of "nowhere" and strikes you in the back of head...

what difference does it make whether you are carrying or not???

I hope he recovers, but that's gotta be a nasty wound, and I can only imagine his quality of life will now be shitty, to say the best.

[shefearsnothing]

if a bullet comes out of "nowhere" and strikes you in the back of head...

what difference does it make whether you are carrying or not???

I hope he recovers, but that's gotta be a nasty wound, and I can only imagine his quality of life will now be shitty, to say the best.

Ever heard of situational awareness? I think I mentioned it before in this thread. Maybe not but I'm pretty sure I did. That can make all the difference in the world...

[WhiteShadow]

I am not, by any means, blaming the victim here. I do have two words that come to mind as I was reading that. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Ever heard of situational awareness? I think I mentioned it before in this thread. Maybe not but I'm pretty sure I did. That can make all the difference in the world...

Yeah, but situational awareness can only go so far. Especially when your at your workplace, and oh, i dont know, you have to actually work and pay attention to what your doing. When your working on something, its hard to focus if your too busy worrying about that homeboy that could potentially be coming around that corner. If he was working on a toilet, i'm pretty damn sure he was concentrating on fixing the damn toilet, not worrying about constantly scanning his surroundings.

(I even catch myself sometimes but I try very hard to be diligent ALL the time.

Yeah, and maybe he was the same way, maybe this happened during one of the times he had to "catch himself".

I'm sick and tired of hearing about these pathetic wastes of lives that feel the need to just pop innocent people for no damn reason. These are the kind of people i would love to watch get shot in the face with a 12 gauge buckshot round.

[shefearsnothing]

The article said that he was getting things from his truck when it happened. He wasn't bent over a toilet trying to fix it, lost in his thoughts or the task at hand.

How many people go to and from their vehicles (work or not) with their hands full or without thinking much about their surroundings? I have kids and am FOREVER reminding them NOT to unlock their doors and get out but rather let ME unlock the doors and tell them when to get out. I catch them trying to get IN the car before I've unlocked it as well. I am trying to teach them to CHECK the car before getting in.

At the end of the day it is the fault of the criminal. I'm just saying, if you want to act like the guy had no chance because it was a shot to the back of the head, think again. None of us were there but it's something to consider.

[matty70]

if a bullet comes out of "nowhere" and strikes you in the back of head...

what difference does it make whether you are carrying or not???

I hope he recovers, but that's gotta be a nasty wound, and I can only imagine his quality of life will now be shitty, to say the best.

You are right in this instance, but it doesn't usually go down like this. I'm just saying I carry b/c I have to frequent places like this, and often use the service entrance/loading docks of businesses in the back alleys at night in the city.
As of last night the guy was on a ventilator and they say he has a chance.

[camper]

Government owned housing, send the government in to each and every apartment and sweep each room for the weapon. The residences do belong to the government, afterall, so there is no private property rights due here. If they don't like it, they can move out into a private residence. Once the .gov starts reminding people who is in control of government owned properties these jackals will realize that government housing is not as wonderful as they've been bred to believe.

As for the man, I wish him the best and I pray he pulls through. All the SA in the world could still end with a man getting shot in the head.

camper