Print

Print


My neighbor and his gun..

Doug was my neighbor and my friend.  He and Rosalie [his wife] had been in
good health for all their lives.  They had moved to Salisbury to be near
their son who lives in Holly Center, a state supported home for the
severely handicapped.

Rosalie developed liver cancer and died after a relatively short period of
substantial pain. Doug became depressed and developed Crohn's disease.  He
went to live with his daughter and son-in-law who lived about an hour and a
half away. His depression became deeper despite treatment, and then
improved.  He persuaded his son-in-law to drive him home to get some papers
he needed.

When they arrived, he asked his son-in-law to go to Kentucky Fried for
chicken carry out. When son-in-law returned he found Doug upstairs with
blood everywhere. Doug had shot himself in the head. The son-in-law came to
me for help. I called 911 to get assistance and directed the paramedics to
where he was.  He was taken to the local hospital. A bullet from a .44 Colt
had passed through his right temple and exited through the area just to the
left of his left eye. The left eye was gone. The damage was immense. The MD
who handled his case asked him if he wanted to be saved, one finger yes,
two fingers no. One finger moved. He asked again, one finger no, two
fingers yes. Two fingers moved. He was flown to Baltimore by helicopter.
He lasted for ten days.

 If his mind had been working properly and he had not been depressed.... If
the gun had not been available...

Restricting guns is easier than curing depression.