Meramec River Shooting

[joeD]

No one deserves to get shot in the head on the river. Quit the"shoulda couldas." Stop the ethical handwringing over landowner rights. Cease moralizing over the lives of those involved.

No one deserves to die on the river.

How would you feel if it was someone you cared about that was killed Saturday. And then you read the past 4 pages of posts?

It's sad how quickly we dismiss and trivialize the loss of life.

(Yes, I know life goes on)

(Make no mistake, the man with the weapon, landowner or not, was going to shoot someone Saturday).

[Chief Grey Bear]

I just want to ask Crocker one question during the trial:

Have you ever taken a pee on someone elses property without their permission or knowledge?

[Feathers and Fins]

I would just like to see the police report and not the media accounts, those two things seem to differ more and more each year.

Just a thought, if the shooter left the scene then returned with the gun the charges could be bumped up to M1 as it shows premeditation.

A lot of things we do not know YET.

I also have been forced to think what would I have done had a ( person ) came walking at me with a gun while I was on a river. That to me is a threat to my life and those with me, unless he was in uniform or identified himself as an official he is a threat and if he would have waved the gun I may well have shot. I cant say for sure as I wasn't there but the floaters may well have had the self defense argument.

[jdmidwest]

I would just like to see the police report and not the media accounts, those two things seem to differ more and more each year.

Just a thought, if the shooter left the scene then returned with the gun the charges could be bumped up to M1 as it shows premeditation.

A lot of things we do not know YET.

I also have been forced to think what would I have done had a ( person ) came walking at me with a gun while I was on a river. That to me is a threat to my life and those with me, unless he was in uniform or identified himself as an official he is a threat and if he would have waved the gun I may well have shot. I cant say for sure as I wasn't there but the floaters may well have had the self defense argument.

In all accounts, the landowner was yelling for them to get off his property. They clearly knew they did not own the property. They were unclear whether they could be there legally. Therefore, they were trespassing, they should leave and avoid a confrontation.

I really don't think he would have shot them in the back as they were paddling off.

[Mitch f]

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=389380

[moguy1973]

http://www.nationalrivers.org/us-law-who-owns.htm

Lots of good river property ownership info on this page.

[ness]

Is that Al Gore in the video?

[Mark]

I am definitely afraid the private ownership issue will come to a head now. And I am afraid the result will not be good for the public. I hope we never end up with regulations like Colorado and Wyoming where it's tough to go wade fishing without knowing the area - whether you are legal or not, this quarter mile is legal, the next quarter mile is not, you can only pass thru if you stay in your craft, etc.

For me, the MO law isn't that difficult - don't access a stream thru private land, and stay in the stream bed and gravel bars below the normal high water mark. I pray we don't lose that right, but am certainly afraid we may well end up with private ownership of the streams. That's a sin IMO.

Machosim on both sides is the cause of this incident.

[Old plug]

I think it will end up as a manslaughter conviction. Sound to me like everyone landowner and floaters had too much to drink.

If this river rights stuff winds up in the current state legislature I would not hold out much hope or floaters.

[Terrierman]

If this river rights stuff winds up in the current state legislature I would not hold out much hope or floaters.

I agree. I do not think this legislature would treat floaters well.