Irresponsible gun owners…

[Stomper]

"Is that your gun in my pocket, or am I just happy to see you?"

Well, whatever it is nobody here is gonna tug it!

 

[SJS1994]

Or run a check to see if it's stolen. That's how many stolen guns are recovered, in "routine" stops.


This, potential issues of liability.


Yes, it is, within his establishment, absolutely. If a kid had picked it up and killed someone, the store would've gotten sued. It was his duty to secure it.


You're joking, right? A lethal weapon is not a normal object for the lost and found.

One time in the army, I turned in a .45 Pistol that was left hanging in a public restroom. I knew whose it was, but the LTC owner wasn't around and wasn't going to be for some time. So I turned it in to my boss, another LTC. He gave it back to LTC #1 with a friendly reminder. LTC #1 wasn't happy but he knew he'd done wrong. It was privately owned, a WW1 1911, original Colt military blue, I should've stolen it. Now that would've been a lesson learned.

What I mean by the last part is exactly what other people have said. Someone called a specific store asking if a firearm was left in the womens bathroom. How often does this happen? Why not give her her gun back, and give the same reminder? I don't see using hypotheticals as a reason to seize someones firearm. So one person calls and asks a super specific question, you confirm there is a gun. Why not just ask her to describe the gun, and give her back her property?

 

[Koda]

OP was right to lock up the gun and call the police, but after that its subjective when the owner showed up before the police did. In the OPs defense it would be prudent to let the police take it from there but...
I also agree shaming and punishing mistakes wont help learn the lesson. Were all human and make mistakes and have bad days, we have no idea what stresses the gun owner may have been going thru that day. I tend to default to forgiveness when no harm came from the situation, like this one.

 

[gmerkt]

What I mean by the last part is exactly what other people have said. Someone called a specific store asking if a firearm was left in the womens bathroom. How often does this happen? Why not give her her gun back, and give the same reminder? I don't see using hypotheticals as a reason to seize someones firearm. So one person calls and asks a super specific question, you confirm there is a gun. Why not just ask her to describe the gun, and give her back her property?

Yes, there is hypothethis involved. BUT: I'm not gonna be the guy who hands it directly back. I want someone to be between the hander and the handee. If you are the hander, then the handee takes the gun and goes out and uses it illegally, someone with a smartphone is gonna come out of the woodwork with a picture of the hand-over. Or something like that. Having the cop in the middle keeps the hander clean. Plus gives the cop the opportunity, should they choose to do so, to check and see if the handee has any warrants out and if the gun is stolen.

I also agree shaming and punishing mistakes wont help learn the lesson.

I don't see it as shaming, just caution.

 

[solv3nt]

I was referring to you!

Dude, my price is half that!

 

[Koda]

I don't see it as shaming, just caution.

Agree a caution is appropriate here.

 

[GrayGoose]

CAN WE AT LEAST GET HER PICTURE?
Then I'll be the judge...

Just kidding.
(or maybe I'm not)

 

[solv3nt]

Well, I fo' danged sure ain'a tug it!

You're on tug roll tonight. Got something on your mind?

 

[solv3nt]

"Is that your gun in my pocket, or am I just happy to see you?"

 

[kmk1012]

So some kid gets hurt from having access to the loaded pistol in the bathroom, lets say it drops on the floor and goes off - its a learning lesson? What message are we sending - its ok to be irresponsible with a loaded fire arm because its a mistake. We can only hope she learned something, bet she doesnt forget the incident.

No one said it was a Sig

 

[Dirty-30_lever]

For the record, I did not shame nor demeanor this women. Our only words were her asking when LE would arrive, I replied I didn't know what their backlog is and they didn't say. She said ok and waited patiently. I went back to work…It's not my responsibility to send the message either, some people are good at conveying a constructive message with good intent, it wasn't on my radar and I'm not loosing sleep over it. I'm not handing over a loaded weapon to anyone just because they say so, half of you already stated you would, I pray we don't share the same shooting spaces. To the posters wondering if I highjacked her gun, I have no problem retuning goods to customers, we have items turned in everyday, and handle these matters regularly. I also handle drug addicts and drunks that become irate out of no where, you know the ones you see on you tube videos going bezerk? So I'm always on alert, tending to the flock and looking for wolves. Today my employees were safe and the customers where safe, she will probably get some advice from her circle of friends after she repeats what happened today, and hopefully they have good advice that she can easily absorb from someone she is comfortable talking with rather then trying to take it in after you misplace your weapon and are probably a little frazzled. I'm sure she will be ok, I'm home safe, it was a good day! Btw she never asked for it and understood the circumstances. If I had a person badgering me to return a weapon found on-site at my store, they can kick rocks till the LE shows up, I'm not the one to determine legalities, that's the PO's job, it's what they do, saying I wasted the time of an officer who's job description is to do exactly that is next level stupid in my opinion, again opinions don't matter. Have a safe holiday, make some memories and be kind!
Dirty 30 out!

 

[Flopsweat]

Could've just asked if she voted for 114. If yes, tell her to come back with a permit.

Now that's thinking outside the ballot box!

 

[Cavedweller]

Do people randomly make calls to see if a firearm was found in a specific location at a specific business? The answer is obviously NO. It was obviously her gun, so give it back to her. Some of the attitudes here show exactly why 114 passed.

He didn't say he got a call from the owner inquiring about a lost gun. He got a call from someone who found a gun in the restroom, which he took possession of. Then some one else approached him and claimed to be the owner. How is it "obvious" that person was the owner? It could have been someone else who observed the gun in the restroom, and then later thought they might try to claim it. He had no way of knowing. Seems like your attitude shows you did not carefully read the OP.

 

[Cavedweller]

Someone called a specific store asking if a firearm was left in the womens bathroom. How often does this happen? Why not give her her gun back, and give the same reminder?

Reading comprehension is important. Try reading the first few lines of the OP again.

 

[edzz]

@Dirty-30_lever Good call on your part...

Have a great holiday knowing that you made the right call.

 

[quneur]

The OP was being responsible in this situation; responsibility for the safety of his customers, community, his employees. Personally, I would have written a letter to the police department questioning why the officer handed the firearm to a stranger without any confirmation of ownership. At the very least, the OP would have a record on file of the incident.

I think some have come to comfortable with these 'tools' that we lose some respect for them. If we treated firearms as explosives, (both could be used as weapons, one is controlled the other isn't) we would likely be alot more responsible.

 

[GWS]

So how did the cop know it was Blondie's gun and not that she wasn't picking it up for her meth-head felon just out on parole from a murder boyfriend who just busted a cap on his ex homey who ratted him out to the Po-Po then hid it in the women's restroom before the heat arrived?

FWIW, I think OP handled the situation correctly.

 

[Joe13]

Didn't read the whole list of responses…

If stupid came at a greater cost then there wouldn't be any drivers on the road because imo 2 tons of steel (or plastic I guess these days) can do a lot more damage then pistol.

Criminals are going to steal them, good folk will turn them in but lost CC guns are most likely a very small amount of black market guns.

My 2¢

 

[salmon creek gary]

I've expressed a hard line on this situation based only the information OP provided and without reading anything into it. Mostly, that hard line was based on vulnerability of the employee and the business to lawsuit if he'd just turned it over to that petite blonde - a stranger to him, mind you - and if later some bad bubblegum should happen because of it. In short, I drew a "situational" hard line.

In a different circumstances, I know that a recovered firearm could be handled quite differently. And I've been there, done that, too; here's the story if you've got a few seconds:

Long ago in a place far away, I arrived at my quarters and saw two guys in civvies shuffling some papers beside my neighbor's car; one guy was my neighbor and the other was an MP Investigator I'd worked with often. Scant minutes later, I was out front again. Those fellows were gone already, but I saw a leather handbag (usually called a ___ bag in those days) left on top of that car. Picking it up to return to my neighbor, I quickly saw it must certainly belong to the MP Investigator. The army issue snubbie inside was a big clue. Within seconds, I was in the house and on the phone to the MP Desk Sergeant:

"Hey, if you're in radio contact with _______, call & tell him I've got something he really needs right away. He can meet me in front of ___ Strasse where he took that last report."

Desk Sergeant, "What did that idiot forget, his radio?"

"No, it's a really hot joint investigative matter, and I just got my hands on it. He needs it right now."

No more than three minutes later, _______ screeched to a stop out front. I handed him the bag, he verified his duty revolver was inside and gave a big sigh of relief before tearing off to another call, "Multiple soldiers fighting MPs at the main gate."

Later, we never, ever spoke one word to one another about that incident.
No need; I never again saw him carrying a ___ bag.

 

[Cavedweller]

Didn't read the whole list of responses…

If stupid came at a greater cost then there wouldn't be any drivers on the road because imo 2 tons of steel (or plastic I guess these days) can do a lot more damage then pistol.

Criminals are going to steal them, good folk will turn them in but lost CC guns are most likely a very small amount of black market guns.

My 2¢

And this is relevant to the discussion how?