Family loses matriarch after she's killed, likely by celebratory gunfire in N. Harris Co.

[Francisco 2.0 32405]

https://abc13.com/family-matriarch-killed-likely-by-celebratory-gunfire/5804260/

 

Quote

A 61-year-old woman celebrating the new year with her family is dead after she was shot by celebratory gunfire, deputies say.

This happened just after midnight in the 12300 block of May Laurel Drive in the Laurel Oaks subdivision.

Authorities told ABC13 the woman, identified as Philippa Ashford, was standing at the end of the driveway while family and friends in the cul-de-sac were shooting off fireworks, when she suddenly clutched her body and said, "I think I've been shot."

Quote

She collapsed to the ground and died.

"At this point from our witnesses and seeing at the scene, we believe this may very well be a case of celebratory gunfire somewhere else in the neighborhood," said Sgt. Ben Beall with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "No indication a family member or anyone else in the cul-de-sac was discharging a firearm."

Quote

Ashford worked for The Menninger Clinic for more than 15 years, the center confirmed. She was the nurse manager for the acute stabilization unit, which is in the crisis psychiatric branch.

According to a clinic spokesperson, she was in charge of about 25 other nurses and was a mentor to the resident nurses.


Phil, as she was called at the clinic, was board certified in psychiatric nursing and even served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, her bio reads.

 

 

Quote

In 2015, she received the Texas Nurses Association District 9 Top 25 Outstanding Nurses Award.

A neighbor told ABC13 he heard Ashford and her family come outside right at midnight, shoot off a few fireworks and then 10 minutes later, deputies arrived.

"I don't know you can even figure what the odds are. You've got the family together, celebrating the new year and now the matriarch of the family is deceased," Beall said.

Officials went from house to house looking for shell casings and talking to residents in an effort to identify where the gunshot came from.
 

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Francisco 2.0

[Nice Guy Eddie 13517]

Fuck people that fire weapons to celebrate. Seems like someone is killed in Houston every few years because of this. 

[fattyflattie 4638]

Sad.  This world is chock full of idiots. 

[Macanudo 13005]

13 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Fuck people that fire weapons to celebrate. Seems like someone is killed in Houston every few years because of this. 

Every few years?  Try EVERY fucking new years.

[TwiceHorn 31519]

Terrible.  Is it racist to observe that hispanics seem fond of using firearms as fireworks?  Is that a neighborhood with a strong hispanic presence?

[DaysOff 7967]

This isn't fucking Kabul. Who does that?

[Hate 20130]

Terrible.  Is it racist to observe that hispanics seem fond of using firearms as fireworks?  Is that a neighborhood with a strong hispanic presence?

If you’ve ever been in Mexico in New Year’s you know that isn’t racist at all. I didn’t want to leave my hotel room the one time I was there. It was unrelenting from just before it got dark until about sunrise.

[elfenix 34331]

after she was killed?  not as she was killed?

[NowThis 931]

i read the title as celebrity gunfire.

[TornACL 7722]

https://youtu.be/5AdS86RWlgs

[GreenspointTexas 9662]

As someone who lived in Camden Park for my first decade of life, this used to hit close to home

 

but i aint surprised at all. Greenspoint, holla!

[GreenspointTexas 9662]

Also, in case u couldnt tell that post was sarcasm, this story is awful. 
 

as a fellow nurse, this hits close to home

[Nice Guy Eddie 13517]

I wonder how many people actually are reported and ultimately charged with firing their guns in celebration. My guess it’s a low number.

[clapclapclap 9000]

2 miles nw of Gunspoint Mall.

[Helobious 9464]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Terrible.  Is it racist to observe that hispanics seem fond of using firearms as fireworks?  Is that a neighborhood with a strong hispanic presence?

I don’t like spending NYE in the valley for this reason. Saw more than a couple people just unload full clips into the air on NYE & July 4th as a kid. It’s not as widespread anymore, now mostly just people that live out in the country or the colonias do it. No thanks. 
I’d still like a written apology for your comment though, you racist pig.

[TwiceHorn 31519]

13 minutes ago, Helobious said:

I don’t like spending NYE in the valley for this reason. Saw more than a couple people just unload full clips into the air on NYE & July 4th as a kid. It’s not as widespread anymore, now mostly just people that live out in the country or the colonias do it. No thanks. 
I’d still like a written apology for your comment though, you racist pig.

Haha. Out of rep.  It is, strictly speaking, racist, I guess.  Which points up that there is a continuum of racism from relatively benign observations to stereotypes to really malicious shit.

Apologies to all harmed by my insensitivity.

[Hornius Emeritus 12480]

What's a holiday without reckless gunplay?

[HenryJames 66145]

She should’ve armed herself.

 

[BearSchlong 8108]

I live adjacent to the hood, and every NYE I describe to my wife what we're hearing.  "Fireworks, Fireworks, 9mm, Fireworks, AR-15, Fireworks."

Anecdotally, last night it seemed that most folks expended their arsenal of fireworks and then brought out the firearms.

Edited January 1, 2020 by BearSchlong

[atomheartbevo 89774]

6 hours ago, DaysOff said:

This isn't fucking Kabul. Who does that?

A few years ago, I was at a friend's in East Austin on the morning of January 1st.  There were quite a few shells laying around his cul-de-sac, along with beer cans, a few liquor bottles, plenty of firework debris, all from the night before.  He and his wife thought about calling the cops, but they "didn't want to start shit with the neighbors, because they were actually good people just having some fun and shooting a few rounds off" (I counted a good 20+).

I started to mention that if you're in a big fucking city shooting shit in the air, it's going to come down on somebody else's house/head/whatever, but it wouldn't have mattered to them.

[Surly Bevo 25104]

Economics....you can buy bulk 9mm for something like 10-15 cents a round.  Fireworks, now that shit is pricey.  Literally more bang for the buck

Stupid as hell though.

Edited January 1, 2020 by Surly Bevo

[Newdoc 3448]

Central Waco sounded like Baghdad last night from 11:30 to 12:30. I’m amazed nobody is killed every New Year.  

[PRONG HORN 3150]

Any white people who do this please feel free to chime in.  

[Deej 76882]

8 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Terrible.  Is it racist to observe that hispanics seem fond of using firearms as fireworks?  Is that a neighborhood with a strong hispanic presence?

I live up near Rundberg. You would not be wrong. 

[Lhorn 4930]

8 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Terrible.  Is it racist to observe that hispanics seem fond of using firearms as fireworks?  Is that a neighborhood with a strong hispanic presence?

Not politically correct?  Yes.

True? Hell YES

[Brisketexan 105199]

My folks lived in Braeburn Valley West in Houston till around 95. A year or so before they moved, mom saw a dark spot on the living room ceiling. Then realized it was a hole. Looked down, and found a 9mm round on the carpet. Nearby apartments were rather sketchy. Round fell through roof and ceiling both.

Idiots shooting into the air are idiots.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

57 minutes ago, PRONG HORN said:

Any white people who do this please feel free to chime in.  

Growing up in the country, yeah we did it on New Years eve (shotguns with bird shot).  Cows were about the only other living thing we'd have hit based on where we were shooting.  I wouldn't do it now even if we were still living out there.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Onboard 2.0

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

Can’t believe people are so irresponsible with firearms. Guns don’t belong outside being fired in the air, they belong in every single church in America. 

[workswithseed 2109]

18 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Can’t believe people are so irresponsible with firearms. Guns don’t belong outside being fired in the air, they belong in every single church in America. 

I can't tell, but did you want more people to be killed at the church? 

[You don't know me 1161]

2 hours ago, Newdoc said:

Central Waco sounded like Baghdad last night from 11:30 to 12:30. I’m amazed nobody is killed every New Year.  

Sometime around 2009-10 I was in Baghdad.  One night it sounded like were being overrun because of the small arms fire.  There were rounds coming down from the sky.  I went to the closest bunker and there were a few soldiers in there.  Turns out the Iraqis had announced the election results and the locals decided to celebrate.

[Hate 20130]

Nm.

[Clintonaldo 2576]

I am obviously an idiot. I always assumed if you shot straight up in the air the bullet would peter out and calmly fall down to Mother Earth. Seriously don’t laugh at me/non gun owner/semi pussy. 

[Surly Bevo 25104]

I hope you are joking...you don't have to be a gun owner to understand basic physics of falling objects.  

Edited January 2, 2020 by Surly Bevo

[Nice Guy Eddie 13517]

6 minutes ago, Clintonaldo said:

I am obviously an idiot. I always assumed if you shot straight up in the air the bullet would peter out and calmly fall down to Mother Earth. Seriously don’t laugh at me/non gun owner/semi pussy. 

I’ve read that firing directly up would lead a much smaller chance of killing someone.  45 degree or lower angle is really bad since gravity isn’t fully working against the velocity.  

[KaiserSoze 998]

 

 

 

 

I’d still like a written apology for your comment though, you racist pig.

 

Fuck you for being okay with this ridiculous "tradition" and demanding an aplogy for it.

 

 

[Clintonaldo 2576]

Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’ve read that firing directly up would lead a much smaller chance of killing someone.  45 degree or lower angle is really bad since gravity isn’t fully working against the velocity.  

That makes more sense. When I read firing up I interpret as pointing straight up. A tip of the cap to you sir. 

[immortal13 4059]

26 minutes ago, Clintonaldo said:

I am obviously an idiot. I always assumed if you shot straight up in the air the bullet would peter out and calmly fall down to Mother Earth. Seriously don’t laugh at me/non gun owner/semi pussy. 

 

[BearSchlong 8108]

Good explanation. Well maybe not crystal clear, but good information.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/02/15/firing-a-gun-into-the-air-can-kill-someone/

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

1 hour ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Growing up in the country, yeah we did it on New Years eve (shotguns with bird shot).  Cows were about the only other living thing we'd have hit based on where we were shooting.  I wouldn't do it now even if we were still living out there.

Muzzleloader with newspaper a few years ago, but that's not coming down to kill anybody.

[Stunns38 3538]

Sounded like a war zone in Oak Cliff(west of 35) last night. Demographics are probably 75% Mexican, 20% Hipster, 5% other. No racist. Those new Bishop Arts dwellers probably are shitting their pants.

[RMac5 1551]

If she had been in the kitchen where she belonged she would still be around.

[Hate 20130]

Shotguns would be no big deal in any neighborhood. Rifles and handguns are A whole different subject. It did cross my mind when I was out shooting off fireworks with my son last night, but I figured the odds were probably pretty damn low. This event happened about 19 miles from where I live, but I have no doubt there were guns fired into the air much closer than that.

[GreenspointTexas 9662]

Is this the thread where everyone chimes in saying they live right next to the ‘hood and that they hear this shit all the time? Lol

[mdmost 43014]

I like to play the annual New Year's Eve game of "Is It Fireworks or Gunfire?" when midnight strikes in my area (East Dallas). 

[Hate 20130]

Guns are illegal in Chicago aren’t they?

[clapclapclap 9000]

"We're gonna build a roof.  It just got 10 feet thicker."

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

1 hour ago, Hate said:

Shotguns would be no big deal in any neighborhood. Rifles and handguns are A whole different subject. It did cross my mind when I was out shooting off fireworks with my son last night, but I figured the odds were probably pretty damn low. This event happened about 19 miles from where I live, but I have no doubt there were guns fired into the air much closer than that.

So the lesson from this is if you just have to chute your handgun, do the obvious responsible thing and use snake shot.

[Hate 20130]

Or just use your Judge loaded with .410 shells.

[LongestHorn 759]

Black powder blanks are loud and dirty blanks.

[El Diablo 4232]

9 hours ago, Newdoc said:

Central Waco sounded like Baghdad last night from 11:30 to 12:30. I’m amazed nobody is killed every New Year.  

Around 1997 I was living near 19th and Alexander. Sat out on the covered front porch on NYE and the sounds were what I imagined Baghdad sounded like when Saddam held a party. It wasn't fireworks.