His Mother Named Him Rayshine

After finding the site that keeps track of gun deaths, I began thinking about the real people that have lost their lives since Newtown, now some 4000+ people, and I thought I might try to find these real people and post something about one or two of them a day.

After I read about the murder of Rayshine Burks in Camden, New Jersey, I couldn’t help but wonder if his mother had named him Rayshine because of the joy she felt when he was born.  Perhaps she was thinking no such thing, but once I saw his name, it was hard not to think of a small baby bringing rays of sunshine into his parents’ life.

Rayshine was just 24 years old when he was shot several times as he sat in his gold Buick outside a food market in Camden.  He drove away in an attempt to save his life but crashed into a tree and was later pronounced dead at the local hospital.

When I searched for information about Rayshine’s death online, I also found a series of mug shots that had to be him (Rayshine D Burks, Male/24 of Camden New Jersey) and thought again that he must have let his mother down several times in his short life, that he did not live up to the name she bestowed on him when he was born.

Look at the names of people killed by gunshot online and you will see the names of towns you have heard of and towns that you have not but it will confirm that many, many young men will not live to have families or see middle age.  This is the story of gun violence in our country, and it is hard not to wonder if we had stricter gun laws…

88 Year Old Man Kills 80 Year Old Woman After Argument

After finding the site that keeps track of gun deaths, I began thinking about the real people that have lost their lives since Newtown, now some 4000+ people, and I thought I might try to find these real people and post something about one or two of them a day.

Vivian Shronce, 80, a kidney cancer survivor, mother, grandmother and great grandmother was shot to death on Mother’s Day by her 88 year old roommate Charles Edwin Venn.

After Shronce returned from church on Sunday, the two started arguing.  According to police Capt. Jay Human, the fight was over the fact that Venn drank several beers that morning.

The shooting took place at the Venn Trailer Park (aka The Pine Grove Trailer Park)  which was formerly owned by Charles Venn but is now owned by his son.  Apparently, news spread fast, and as usual, everyone said that Venn “seemed like a very nice man.”   But others said they had heard the Shronce’s roommate of six years had “a bad temper and a drinking problem.”

He has been ordered to undergo a psych evaluation and is being held in jail.  Capt. Human noted “Any time you mix alcohol and guns, it is deadly.”

Texas Two Year Old Shoots Self in the Head

After finding the site that keeps track of gun deaths, I began thinking about the real people that have lost their lives since Newtown, now some 3800+ people, and I thought I might try to find these real people and post something about one or two of them a day.

Kinsler Allen Davis, age 2, of Corsicana, Texas died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to his head.

The toddler apparently found a gun “hidden” in the bedroom and it accidentally discharged.  The gun had no lock on it, and there was ammunition in the chamber.  The boy’s father (who believed he had concealed the gun effectively) was in a walk-in closet when the accident occurred.  There was no one else at home at the time.

The small town of Corsicana has a population of 24,000 and a fund has been set up at through the Community Bank and Trust of Texas to pay for funeral expenses.

Authorities say there is nothing to show that this was anything other than a “tragic accident.”    Chief Police Randy Bratton said that the family “is obviously extremely upset.”  He went on to ask anyone who had a gun in their home to secure it safely.  ”Hidden,” he said “is not always hidden.”  Especially in the case of a loaded gun.

“He Just Went to Church and Work”

After finding the site that keeps track of gun deaths, I began thinking about the real people that have lost their lives since Newtown, now some 3800+ people, and I thought I might try to find these real people and post something about one or two of them a day.

On May 3rd, a father of four children was shot dead in his driveway during a robbery in the early morning in Harris County, Texas.  Carlos Serrano, 48, also left his wife and a grandson behind.

Family members told the media that Serrano was on his way to work shortly after 6:00 a.m. when he was accosted by two robbers.  The robbers shot Serrano, took his wallet, and then pumped more bullets into him.

The North Houston neighborhood has become more dangerous over the past several years, and a neighbor said Serrano was the one who looked out for everybody and kept an eye out for crime.  Another neighbor said that he “only went to work and church and came home.”  Serrano’s son-in-law said that Serrano “always talked to them about God.”

According to KHOU.com, one neighbor said “I just heard about six shots go off, just rapid, ’cause I was thinking to myself ‘Why are they shooting this early in the morning?’ … you know they do it all the time around here.”

Gun Stats I didn’t know

The following information is from theblaze.com and an “independent” editorial by Glenn Hall, who “presents a fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us.”

The gun industry:

1. employs twice as many people in the United states as General Motors

2. “contributes” more than $33 billion to the U.S. economy  – a record in 2011.  The firearms industry would rank number 21 on the Fortune 500 list.

3. while there are big manufacturers like Colt, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Remington, the gun business “is divided up among thousands of little companies.”

4. in 2011, manufactured:  2,598,133 pistols,  2,318,088 rifles, 862,401 shotguns, 572,857 revolvers, and 190,407 miscellaneous firearms.

5. “provides” $5 billion in tax revenue to state and federal governments

6. The top states for gun manufacturing are:  California, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, New York, Oregon, New Hampshire, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

7. 47% of American adults report having a gun in their home.

8. After the federal assault weapons ban  (Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994) the number of gun dealers and ammunition manufacturers saw significant declines.

9. After the assault weapons ban expired the number of licensed firearms manufacturers shot up from 2,959 in 2009 to 5,441 in 2011.

10.  9.4 million new guns were sold in America in 2011.  A 25 year survey estimated that 2,228 companies produced more than 106 million firearms between 1986 and 2010.

11. The following foreign-manufactured firearms were sold in the U.S. in 2011 :  Brazil (846,610), Austria (522,638), Germany (313,528), Italy (254,901 and Russia (216,293).

12. When all of the roughly 270 millions existing guns are counted, there are close to 90 firearms for every person in America.