Gunman Massacres 4 Family Members After Dinner

[Nagishkaw 510]

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun.

I dunno, maybe we should ask the Manson girls.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Guns don't kill. People do.

I agree.

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun. So while a psychofreak will kill regardless, he likely kills a lot more with a gun. If mini-nukes were legal, you'd likely see psychofreaks like this guy taking out entire towns from time to time. We'll never stop the freaks from going nuts on the rest of us, but we do not need to be giving them the tools to make it easier.

OMg.. AJ has gone philosophical!!!

run everyone, run!!!

[Peikko 1,575]

Run? He's spot on with what he is saying. The tool designed to kill is always going to wreck more havoc than one that was not designed for the purpose, hence why our troops are equipped with guns not machetes.

As for the tragedy, it is just that, very, very sad.

[meowmeowmeow 1]

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Guns don't kill. People do.

I agree.

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun. So while a psychofreak will kill regardless, he likely kills a lot more with a gun. If mini-nukes were legal, you'd likely see psychofreaks like this guy taking out entire towns from time to time. We'll never stop the freaks from going nuts on the rest of us, but we do not need to be giving them the tools to make it easier.

You know it.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Run? He's spot on with what he is saying. The tool designed to kill is always going to wreck more havoc than one that was not designed for the purpose, hence why our troops are equipped with guns not machetes.

As for the tragedy, it is just that, very, very sad.

Sarcasm, u not getz it.

I agree with AJ.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Tragic and sad.

Yesterday, as I took my kids the park, I could hear some guy yelling and cursing on his balcony. People's emotions tend to run high during holidays...lots of unresolved family issues come up.

[Richard90027 1]

The youngest victim (age 6) can probably rest much easier knowing that she wasn't killed by a gun.

Four people died in a Thanksgiving Day shooting rampage when a Florida man finished his dinner, left, returned with a handgun and turned it on relatives.

All the victims were relatives of the suspect, 35-year-old Paul Michael Merhige of Miami, who is still at large, according to Jupiter police.

"We know the suspect had an ongoing resentment toward family members and at some point in the evening left the residence for a short period of time, then returned and started shooting without warning," Police Sgt. Scott Pascarella told ABCNews.com.

Pascarella said there were 17 guests at the holiday dinner massacre at the home of the youngest victim. He did not know if anyone had been targeted by the suspect.

"The suspect was an invited guest into the home, spending Thanksgiving with members of his family, and he started shooting," Pascarella said.

A neighbor called 911 after family members sought her out for help, according to ABC affiliate WPBF.

Police said the victims -- Makayla Sitton, 6, a second or third cousin; Raymonde Joseph, 76, an aunt; and Carla and Lisa Knight, 33, his twin sisters -- were relatives of the suspect. A fifth victim, Patrick Knight, 37, and the husband of Lisa Knight, was treated and released at St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach after he was grazed by a bullet, police said. The suspect also injured a cousin, Clifford Gebara, 52.

The dinner was at the Jupiter home of the dead girl's father, James Sitton.

The youngest victim was asleep in her room when she was shot and died after she was taken in a helicopter to St. Mary's Medical Center, according to ABC affiliate WPBF.

The girl's father, Jim Sitton, worked as a journalist for Florida's WPTV station, according to its Web site.

"I just want to let everyone know that she's in heaven; we know where she is, and that's the only reason I can stand here today," he told WPTV. "God has blessed us with a beautiful little girl and he just took her home."

U.S. Marshalls are assisting local police in the manhunt.

The suspect was last seen leaving the home at about 10 p.m. Thursday night in a blue, four-door 2007 Toyota Camry, bearing Florida license plate W427JT. He is considered armed and dangerous.

That American women should have kept her mouth shut!

[HAL 9000 96]

Wow... and people still think that mental testing isn't a good idea for people to purchase legal firearms?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Wow... and people still think that mental testing isn't a good idea for people to purchase legal firearms?

I think it's a good idea, though inherently flawed. Most psych testing will only bring about the most extreme patterns hermano, hence slight psychosis will not mark in the test. That and a good old drunken azzhole who would normally be a good dude... you know?

[HAL 9000 96]

Wow... and people still think that mental testing isn't a good idea for people to purchase legal firearms?

I think it's a good idea, though inherently flawed. Most psych testing will only bring about the most extreme patterns hermano, hence slight psychosis will not mark in the test. That and a good old drunken azzhole who would normally be a good dude... you know?

Yup. I can only hope the examinations can be developed to check for potential to violent behavior based on different reactive results. I can see one day there being actual 'scenario' driven tests designed to see how 'normal' people cope with different stimuli. Thusly we can overcome some of the general-population flaws you're thinking about.

Of course we can assume that the most extreme cases will be the easiest (and maybe others will be the hardest ones... its no secret many bona fide psychotics are really intelligent people) to detect. I think that's why challenging practical tests would be needed.

As someone whom believes I should be able to have a gun, its a price and process I'm willing to undergo to ensure the good guys have the weapons, and not the bad ones.

[Richard90027 1]

Wow... and people still think that mental testing isn't a good idea for people to purchase legal firearms?

I think it's a good idea, though inherently flawed. Most psych testing will only bring about the most extreme patterns hermano, hence slight psychosis will not mark in the test. That and a good old drunken azzhole who would normally be a good dude... you know?

Yup. I can only hope the examinations can be developed to check for potential to violent behavior based on different reactive results. I can see one day there being actual 'scenario' driven tests designed to see how 'normal' people cope with different stimuli. Thusly we can overcome some of the general-population flaws you're thinking about.

Of course we can assume that the most extreme cases will be the easiest (and maybe others will be the hardest ones... its no secret many bona fide psychotics are really intelligent people) to detect. I think that's why challenging practical tests would be needed.

As someone whom believes I should be able to have a gun, its a price and process I'm willing to undergo to ensure the good guys have the weapons, and not the bad ones.

CAREFUL!! If you tell the Democratic Senate that you think every American should be tested to see if they are Psychotic they might do it...

[_Simpson_ 250]

Guns don't kill. People do.

I agree.

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun. So while a psychofreak will kill regardless, he likely kills a lot more with a gun. If mini-nukes were legal, you'd likely see psychofreaks like this guy taking out entire towns from time to time. We'll never stop the freaks from going nuts on the rest of us, but we do not need to be giving them the tools to make it easier.

How much effort does it take to kill 4 people with some anti-freeze/poison?

This is a horrible thing that happened and unfortunatly there tragedy is being used as some sort of "we need to ban guns" argument.

[Peikko 1,575]

Guns don't kill. People do.

I agree.

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun. So while a psychofreak will kill regardless, he likely kills a lot more with a gun. If mini-nukes were legal, you'd likely see psychofreaks like this guy taking out entire towns from time to time. We'll never stop the freaks from going nuts on the rest of us, but we do not need to be giving them the tools to make it easier.

How much effort does it take to kill 4 people with some anti-freeze/poison?

This is a horrible thing that happened and unfortunatly there tragedy is being used as some sort of "we need to ban guns" argument.

Yet, it doesn't happen Simpson. There are all kinds of reasons why shootings are the 'popular' choice for these types of incidents, but not least is a notion of control that the perps of these types of crimes require. Poisoning, blowing people up is not targeted enough, not personal enough if you will. It's easy to say that these people would wreck the same havoc using other means, but demonstrably (look at societies where guns are not readily available and see how many of these types of crimes occur using alternate methods, it just doesn't happen) that simply isn't the case.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Guns don't kill. People do.

I agree.

It takes a lot more effort to kill 4 people with an axe or with a fork than it does with a gun. So while a psychofreak will kill regardless, he likely kills a lot more with a gun. If mini-nukes were legal, you'd likely see psychofreaks like this guy taking out entire towns from time to time. We'll never stop the freaks from going nuts on the rest of us, but we do not need to be giving them the tools to make it easier.

How much effort does it take to kill 4 people with some anti-freeze/poison?

This is a horrible thing that happened and unfortunatly there tragedy is being used as some sort of "we need to ban guns" argument.

Actually, what the story makes clear is that everyone invited to that family Thanksgiving party should have come fully strapped, ready to shoot this bastards head clean off as soon as he pulled his piece... er...