Gun-Providing Wackos

When R. Budd Dwyer wanted to blow his brains out in front of video cameras, he had to call a press conference to do it.

Nowadays, even senseless, horrific murders -- and suicides -- can be caught on tape, by happenstance.

The latest example of the latter occurred yesterday in Casselberry, Fla.

For reasons that may never be known, 44-year-old Marie Moore, holding a pistol, stood behind her 20-year-old son, Mitchell and squeezed the trigger, the gun aimed at his head. He was killed, instantly. Seconds later, Moore stuck the gun into her mouth and fired. She died later in a hospital.

Now, some more details: Moore and her son were at a shooting range. And the whole thing was captured on videotape. There was a poor man in the shooting stall next to mother and son when it went down. He was the first to see the gore. I wonder how long before he's getting psychiatric help.

There's a punch line here, too, and as with most punch lines, it defies logic.

Moore, relatives said, had a history of mental illness.

SO WHY WAS SHE ALLOWED IN A SHOOTING RANGE AND ABLE TO RENT A GUN??!!

Sorry. I had to put that in all caps, don't ya think?

I saw the video, and all I can say is, thank God for surveillance cameras. But not for the reason you might think.

You see, those security cameras record at such a low speed that when played back, you don't get a fluid picture. Instead, your images are herky-jerky, as if they're skipping frames. And, of course, the video is in black-and-white. Another reason to be thankful.

Because the incident is NOT something you'd prefer to see in any other way than in B&W and with the "frame skipping" effect.

Moore and her son, both wearing protective (ha!) goggles and wearing ear muffs, are seen being tutored briefly by another man, firing from an adjacent stall. Then the man goes about his business. Mitchell Moore takes his position, too. Mom lingers behind him.

The video, soundless, plays on, and because you know something terrible is about to happen, it's extremely eerie. Several seconds go by as you keep your eye on mom, because you know she's the perpetrator.

Then, it happens.

Moore raises her gun, inches behind her son's head, and fires. The herky-jerky video is such that one moment Mitchell is in frame, the next he's gone.

Then you see Moore, barely in frame, stick the gun in her mouth. In a flash, she's gone, too.

The poor man turns and looks, and you can only imagine what he sees. And his eyes don't register in black and white.

I'll post the story here. Don't click on the video link within it if you're squeamish.

Why Moore, with her supposed "history of mental illness", was allowed to rent a loaded gun at a shooting range is a question I'd dearly love to have answered.

I've never been to a shooting range, but I'd hate to think that just anyone off the street can sign up and be handed a weapon as if it were a pair of roller skates. Or a putter at mini-golf.

Perhaps by the time you're reading this more details will have emerged about how something like this could have happened. The story I read lacked those details.

Dwyer, by the way, was Pennsylvania's treasurer, and he became indicted on some bribery charges. On January 22, 1987, Dwyer called a press conference on the eve of his sentencing. He handed out manila envelopes to select people, along with a prepared statement to the media.

Dwyer himself held a manila envelope.

Then, after some brief remarks in which he apologized to his family and also berated the people who were his accusers, Dwyer reached into the envelope. And pulled out a .357 magnum.

I've seen this video, too.


R. Budd Dwyer, about to end it all in front of all


Gasps are heard, along with pleas from the crowd asking Dwyer not to do what everyone knows is going to be something awful. But it's no use. Dwyer sticks the barrel of the gun into his mouth and fires.

The video cameraman recording the shocking moment adds to it by zooming in to Dwyer after he blew his brains out.

Dwyer obviously wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. As if he wanted to have the ultimate last word.

Marie Moore? I'm not sure what her deal was. Witnesses at the range told police that mom and son seemed to be getting along fine. Until mom killed him.

Of course, she had that history of mental illness. That explains it.

Now, let's explain the whole letting-her-have-a-gun thing. That ought to be a doozy.