86-year-old woman charged after bringing BB gun to town meeting, police say

NBC News ^ | January 9, 2013 | LeAnne Gendreau

[Altariel]

CONNECTICUT -- Westport police arrested an 86-year-old woman accused of bringing a BB gun to a town meeting.

When detectives retrieved the gun, Estelle Margolis, 86, of Westport, Conn., told officers she brought it to make a point during a discussion about gun control to show how easy it is to purchase a gun, according to police.

At 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, a Representative Town Meeting member approached a Westport police officer and reported that he and another RTM member believed a woman walked into the auditorium with what they believed was a weapon under a white cloth, police said.

[FlingWingFlyer]

She’s lucky she didn’t shoot her eye out.

[Paladin2]

"..a weapon under a white cloth..."

Maybe she is French and was surrendering?

[Morris70]

Why didn’t she just bring a cap gun?

[mylife]

"Hey, Stay safe out there"

[FlingWingFlyer]

I guess her point was that it is really easy to buy a BB gun?

[mylife]

Would the result have been different in this environment?

Cap guns are verboten.

[Morris70]

Or why didn’t she just mix ammonia & bleach at the meeting to prove how easy it is to purchase ammonia and bleach.

Definitely lacking ability of reasoning.

[mylife]

This incident could have clearly escalated into a tragedy,” police said in the news release.

Yeah Cops mighta shot the 86 year old lady with the BB gun if they weren't "Highly Trained Professionals"

[mylife]

46-caliber pellets

O'rly?

[tumblindice]

A Red Ryder? Granny Oakley, you go gal! (But one of those ‘BB’ black talon rounds could break the skin and cause a nasty infection.)

[rickomatic]

She must be pretty strong to cock the spring on a 46 caliber pellet gun.

[publius911]

I think I can understand and overlook senility in an 86-yr-old woman. Unless she was in Congress.
That also goes for anyone over 85 who can't quite grasp the concept or the difference between a BB gun and a firearm.

No sympathy whatsoever for the "authorities" in that town...

[mylife]

Bad ***!

[mylife]

Some how I doubt it was like this...

[OldNewYork]

Odd. She sounds like she could be in the anti-gun crowd. I can’t see her producing it at some point in her town-hall comments and then not trying to pass it off as something more powerful.

[Red Steel]

This incident could have clearly escalated into a tragedy,” police said in the news release.

Ummmm no LoL. Something must be in the water in Connecticut. "Escalating into a tragedy" is when the asteroid Apophis is on course to hit the Earth.

[mylife]

She is the anti gun crowd.

Funny thing, My Mom would never let me have a BB gun, but when my kid was 5 she gave him a sling shot LOL

[Morris70]

She was worried some one would go on a shooting spree with a bb gun, so she Brought one?
Makes no sense.

If I wanted to alert others how easy it is to make anthrax, should I bring some with me?

[mylife]

She’s an old lady.
That there splains a lot.