Sad news. Meleanie Hain [shefearsnothing] was killed tonight

[Planedr]

I have been bummed all day. I was sitting at a stop light and I saw agirl who reminded me of Meleanie and I started to tear up.
Thank you Meleanie for the Birthday trip to Al's, Iwill never forget that!

[Warpt762x39]

Can someone PM me the link to her epic debate? I haven't had a chance to see it yet.

[MostlyHarmless]

I am sad.


This just was not right. Period.


Jan

[TFred]

Along with everyone else, I was shocked and numb this afternoon when I first saw this terrible news.

I know that most likely only a very few, if any of us here will have the occasion to ever personally interact with the children or adult relatives in the future, but just for a reference on the matter, I'd like to comment on some things I've seen posted here.

I'm not a professional grief counselor, all this information is my opinion and that from other resources I've used.

The children will never "get over" this. It sounds terribly harsh to say it so bluntly, but quite simply, this tragedy is now a part of who they are, and no amount of counseling or elapsed time will ever change that. What needs to happen and what we can hope and pray for is that they will learn to live with it. That is where the relatives and those who are a part of their lives can help. Time does not heal all wounds, and any number of other cliches are simply not helpful, even if given with the best of intentions.

An organization set up to help those who have lost loved ones to sudden tragedy has published a list of "Dos and Don'ts", which I found to be very helpful.

http://www.llost.org/Resources/DosDonts.php

If you find yourself in contact with a bereaved person, I encourage you to take a couple minutes to read through that web page for some ideas on how to bring your good intentions out as genuinely helpful actions. Please pay particular attention to the last section, "Don't Say....."

TFred

[son of the revolution]

Can someone PM me the link to her epic debate? I haven't had a chance to see it yet.

IIRC lildobe had it archived on her site Warpt. You might also try doing a forum search here for it.

[Corn Flake]

Just finished reading the entire thread. Some of the posts here have brought tears to my eyes. Even though I didn't have the chance to personally meet this wonderful person, I interacted with her on this forum and felt like a friend to me.

Mods: Will it be possible to change her membership status to 'Eternal member'

Eternal rest grant unto Meleanie, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
Rest in peace.

[weavagra]

Wow. I don't know how I missed this. I saw it posted on another forum and immediately knew who it was and came here to check. I must say it is rather disturbing how quick people are to pass judgment on people they know nothing about. (it was not a firearm related forum)

My deepest condolences go out to friends, family, and especially the children.

[Pa. Patriot]

I've been away from this site for a while now and I'm shocked to see this. A terrible thing for any family to deal with. May she rest in peace.

Lets not forget Scott Hain had parents and a life also. It takes a very mentally ill person to do what he did. No emotion just sickness. Let's curb the rot in hell comments unless you lived with him everyday.

I can attest personally to the fact it takes a SICK individual to do this, not just an angry one. Out of respect, deserving or not to his immediate family lets behave.

Brad

As hard as it is to do, under emotional stress be it as it may, I believe I must concur.

[thelemite]

I just hope the children can find some peace at night one day soon.

[Pa. Patriot]

I don't know if anyone else has seen this but I found a decent article about her here:

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_13516841

Friends mourn death of gun-toting mom
Acquaintances say Meleanie Hain's death was a matter of domestic violence.
By JOHN LATIMER
Lebanon Daily News
Updated: 10/08/2009 11:26:07 PM EDT

Meleanie Hain speaks with gun-rights advocates, from left, Greg Rotz and Rich Banks, and her attorney, Robert Magee, outside the Lebanon courthouse last October. Rotz had organized a show of support for Hain at her court hearing to get her gun permit returned after it was taken away by Sheriff Mike DeLeo. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS)

Friends and supporters of gun-rights advocate Meleanie Hain mourned her death Thursday.

Hain, who gained national notoriety a year ago when she wore a holstered handgun to her 5-year-old daughter's soccer game, and her husband, Scott Hain, were found shot to death inside their South Second Avenue home Wednesday night in an apparent murder-suicide.

Investigators have released few details about the circumstances that led to the shootings, but neighbors said the Hains' three children ran from the house screaming, "Daddy shot Mommy," shortly after 6 p.m. The children, all between the ages of 2 and 10, escaped unharmed and were staying with neighbors as of Thursday afternoon.

Lebanon police Chief Daniel Wright said he was awaiting results of Thursday's autopsy on the Hains before releasing more details about the incident. The only new information he provided was that the couple were found on separate floors of the split-level brick house in the quiet southside neighborhood.

Police were called to the Hain home shortly after the children escaped. Minutes later the Lebanon County Emergency Services Unit -- a specially trained tactical squad made up of officers from several municipal police departments -- and city police cordoned off the area and told neighbors to stay inside their homes.

Wright said the ESU responded quickly to the scene because it was already on a training mission.

Little transpired for the next two hours as police tried to establish contact with anyone
in the house. At about 8:30 p.m., the ESU entered the home, where it found the Hains' bodies.

After last year's incident at the soccer match, the 31-year-old Hain became a spokeswoman for open-carry advocates who support the right to wear a loaded weapon in public, a practice she often employed and which is legal in Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, other open-carry advocates who knew Hain said her death was a matter of domestic violence and should not be used to argue against the Second Amendment rights she championed.

"If Meleanie had never taken the firearm to the soccer game, regretfully, what happened (Wednesday) still would have happened," said Rich Banks, founder of paopencarry.org, a Web site devoted to the open-carry issue.

Banks said he came to know Hain as a kind and generous person through her postings on the Web site's discussion forum under the name "Shefearsnothing."

"In the end, her actions were not the ones that harmed anyone else," Banks said. "Agree with her or not, she was a good person who never harmed a soul, and I just hope people remember that."

Banks said he spoke with Hain regularly and occasionally saw her at the organization's training exercises, shooting-range trips and social functions. It was common knowledge among her friends that she was having problems with her husband, he said.

"A lot of people were aware of her marital issues," Banks said. "She did stuff that she didn't completely trust his reaction to. It was not a secret by any means. She has been considering her options for some time."

Despite the marital discord, no one expected a violent outcome, Banks said.

"I don't think anyone could have prevented this outcome other than Meleanie," he said.

Despite rumors to the contrary, a check of county records showed that Hain had not applied for a protection-from-abuse order from her 33-year-old husband, who was a parole officer in Berks County.

Hain's friend, Greg Rotz, organized a show of support last October when she had a court hearing to get her gun permit returned after it was taken away by Sheriff Mike DeLeo following the soccer incident. He was devastated to hear the news of Hain's slaying.

"I just saw her this past Saturday at a birthday party of a friend that she attended as well," he said. "She seemed fine -- like her normal self, to me."

Rotz also was aware of her marital problems but said he didn't think it would lead to her death.

"Those of us who knew her a little bit knew things weren't perfect at home," he said.

Although he doesn't know many details of her death, Rotz said Hain may have been unarmed if she could have used her weapon.

"I'm very curious to know if she happened to have her weapon on her," he said. "If she didn't, and she would have, it might have made a difference."
johnlatimer@ldnews.com; 272-5611, ext. 149

Thank you, John Latimer.

It's nice to be quoted accurately (as I expected John would) but more importantly it's so refreshing to see the real/important angle put on this "story" by "the media". Our friend was murdered, at no fault of her own.

Please send your thanks to Mr. Latimer for putting a human and honest face on this article.