Drive By-WWYD?

[snatchel]

So apparently there is a new trend going on. Kids rolling by houses shooting out windows of cars... with BB guns.
https://local.nixle.com/alert/4780538/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would I ever shoot someone who shoots at me with a BB gun? Of course not. That said.. until the first BB heads my way, I would have no way of knowing that it was a BB gun. Fact of the matter is, if I see a car with a gun pointed out the window at me... it probably won't end well.

[Hoosier Daddy]

The principle is the same if they walk into a bank with their BB guns and play stick up.

[C-dub]

Duck and take cover. Get license if possible. Return fire if necessary.

[couzin]

How is this a new trend - kids been doing this since I was a kid myself. Besides - they usually don't shoot if someone is around. Being a coward is safer. If one of these knuckleheads were to point a BB gun at someone - they have to know all bets are off if the pointee has a real weapon and can't recognize a toy. If you did shoot one of these kids - you might have a defense criminally - but I'm betting the entire family is going to sue in civil court and probably win.

[alvins]

You shoot me with a bb gun expect me to shoot back with my real gun.I may not but expect a responce.

[sugar land dave]

Practicing for their future careers????

[CC Italian]

couzin beat me to it. This has been going on in the Houston suburbs for years and happened to my brother’s car and all my neighbors just 2 years ago. Every few years a kid thinks it’s funny to cause thousands in damage and shoot out several dozen windows on a Saturday night. Nothing new here in the big city!

[snatchel]

Gollee... It just hasn't happened here as long as I can remember! By "new trend" I meant here, in my hometown, that was linked below my original post.

[discoqueen]

There has been a lot of this going on in the 'burbs north of Dallas recently. Happened to me personally (and about a dozen other people in my neighborhood that same weekend) just a couple months ago.
I discovered it the next morning, but I can't say for sure if I'd duck and cover or draw and shoot if I saw one being pointed in my direction. Sometimes you just can't tell in a split second if it's real or a toy.
Good news is they caught the punks that did it, and they (or should I say their parents since they're minors?) are on the hook for around $30,000 worth of damage. Don't expect to receive compensation for my car window, but sure would be nice if I did.

[tboesche]

How is this a new trend - kids been doing this since I was a kid myself. Besides - they usually don't shoot if someone is around. Being a coward is safer. If one of these knuckleheads were to point a BB gun at someone - they have to know all bets are off if the pointee has a real weapon and can't recognize a toy. If you did shoot one of these kids - you might have a defense criminally - but I'm betting the entire family is going to sue in civil court and probably win.

They may sue, but they aint gonna win if it was a justified shooting.

[Heartland Patriot]

The BB has a nominal caliber of .177 inches...the .17 HMR has a caliber of .172 inches. And at even a slight distance, the average human eye cannot tell the difference between those two and/or .22 LR or .22 Magnum barrel openings...pointing a BB gun at someone is a very stupid and very dangerous thing to do...this is the sort of info that needs to be spread by law enforcement via "the local news". It would certainly be tragic to read that some kid got some holes punched in him due to pointing a BB gun at someone, but who's fault would it be if they did? I'd say the parents who never taught their kids a darned thing about firearms safety, for starters. The list is longer than that, of course, but its got to start somewhere...

[Oldgringo]

Kill a couple of 'em and the others may wise up.

[speedsix]

...there's no such animal as a "just a BB gun"... http://www.whas11.com/news/local/BB-gun ... 34872.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52705 ... e.html.csp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/us/te ... wanted=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[G.A. Heath]

In a drive by shooting I will seek cover and try to make myself a good witness. First off why would someone wish to shoot back at a driveby shooter/vehicle? Keep in mind that the shooter will most likely only present head and shoulders for you to see, things in the door may or may not stop a bullet aimed lower (some door components like power window motors tend to stop bullets while thin panels do not). Keep in mind that if you miss the target and the bullet crosses the street and hits the five year old in their backyard you have a whole new world of issues to deal with. If you shoot at and disable the vehicle you have now increased the likely threat as they were most likely going to continue on their way but now they are stuck on foot with a threat (you) engaging them and you now have a real life gun fight on your hands. The risks outweigh the rewards in this situation. Now if they circle and come back around then things are different as you have a persistant threat, but you also have to better your position and request law enforcement as well as determine if you heard gun shots and notice that damage is not consistant with a firearm or something less threatening. In essence if the threat returns you now have more time and oportunities to evaluate the nature and level of the threat and prepare for it so your best judgement is your most important tool now.

[Heartland Patriot]

The BB has a nominal caliber of .177 inches...the .17 HMR has a caliber of .172 inches. And at even a slight distance, the average human eye cannot tell the difference between those two and/or .22 LR or .22 Magnum barrel openings...pointing a BB gun at someone is a very stupid and very dangerous thing to do...this is the sort of info that needs to be spread by law enforcement via "the local news". It would certainly be tragic to read that some kid got some holes punched in him due to pointing a BB gun at someone, but who's fault would it be if they did? I'd say the parents who never taught their kids a darned thing about firearms safety, for starters. The list is longer than that, of course, but its got to start somewhere...

I want to make it VERY CLEAR that I was NOT advocating shooting at a moving vehicle in a neighborhood or anything of the sort. I was merely pointing out the danger to the kid who points a BB gun at someone. I understand the forum rules about not advocating illegal or unsafe conduct.