Man uses gun for backscratcher, shoots himself

The Dallas Morning News ^ | May 13, 2008 | KIMBERLY DURNAN

[Texican72]

A Fort Worth man trying to scratch an itch on his back used a revolver and accidentally shot himself.

Jorge Espinal, 44, was drinking beer and playing poker around 3 a.m. Sunday morning in his home in the 3500 block of Montague Street, when he got up from the table and walked into another room, said Fort Worth police Lt. Kenneth Dean.

“He told officers he had an itch on his back and grabbed the first thing he could get a hold of which was a revolver,” Lt. Dean said. “The gun went off."

[Texican72]

Is it wrong to laugh at this???

[svcw]

NO!

[C210N]

Not at all. But, he did forget about his itch.

[Poetgal26]

I don’t mean to sound evil or anything, but dude, here’s your sign

[Tijeras_Slim]

Not enough info.

Patridge? Baughman ramp? Keith long distance? McGivern gold bead?

[Towed_Jumper]

Hold my beer and watch me do this!

[Sax]

“The gun went off."

Yeah, that's the curious thing about loaded guns. They tend to do that when your drunken ass pulls the trigger.

[kcm.org]

Guess John Peter Smith was nearby?

[Kozak]

Close.

[Rick.Donaldson]

That’s the second monitor and keyboard I’ve destroyed today laughing through my coffee. lol

[paddles]

Does this mean he has two butt-cracks now?

[Daveinyork]

Sounds like a candidate for the Darwin Award.

[Hoffer Rand]

If this guy’s aim had been better, the gene pool would be much improved this morning. Not to be insensitive, but I’m just saying...

[WarToad]

Too bad he wasn’t scratchin the family jewels.

[Billthedrill]

I hate it when that happens.

Lessee - (1) alchohol, (2) poker party, (3) 3 AM, (4) a group of fellers who evidently didn't hear the gun go off when it happened in the same house. There are some signs here that it wasn't an entirely safe range environment...

[ElkGroveDan]

You might be redneck if you ever shot yourself in the butt while scratching your back.

[Samwise]

Yes, but it’s one of those unavoidable wrongs.

[Samwise]

That would’ve gotten him a Darwin award, wouldn’t it? LOL

[Dacus943]

"Too bad he wasn’t scratchin the family jewels."

Or picking his (tooth) teeth!

[Cobra64]

You might be redneck if you ever shot yourself in the butt while scratching your back.

"Where's tha candy...?"

[kenth]

“was drinking beer”

and

He’s lucky it was only his back that was itchy.

[Khankrumthebulgar]

Yes this certainly re enforces the image of Texans as upscale, urbane, and sophisticated... NOT. Yikes only in Texas could you see this.

[NTHockey]

Folks, we have a winner of the Darwin award.

BTW, can illegals (assuming, I know) qualify?

[Living Free in NH]

I love it when the headline makes me laugh my @ss off.

[Niteranger68]

Next time, use the smokepole.

[LTCJ]

Sounds like a candidate for the Darwin Award.

Truth be told, I thought it sounded like a Presidential candidate.

It's a guy, so it can't be Hillary. So, which of the other two genuses was it?

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Jorge Espinal, 44, was drinking beer and playing poker around 3 a.m.....with a loaded gun nearby? Didn’t he trust his poker buddies?

[Yo-Yo]

Shotguns make lousy cigarette lighters, too.

[calcowgirl]

Mr. Espinal went back and told his buddies that he shot himself. “They didn’t believe him until they saw the blood coming down his back."

He has some brilliant friends, as well!

LOL. Thanks for posting--I needed the laugh.

[Ramius]

Worst thing is... I’ll bet it still itches.

[Daveinyork]

“Truth be told, I thought it sounded like a Presidential candidate.”

One of them - McCain

[Proud_texan]

No doubt a case of an itchy trigger finger.

[C210N]

Sounds like a candidate for the Darwin Award.

Truth be told, I thought it sounded like a Presidential candidate.

It's a guy, so it can't be Hillary. So, which of the other two genuses was it?

Sounds like an internet inventor to me!

[Eaker]

LOL!

[Squantos]

Sounds like he buried his Bomar !

[LibWhacker]

And the Darwin Award Olympic judges
give Mr. Espinal................. an 8.5!!!

Good score, Mr. Espinal!

[Dr.Zoidberg]

“Dang, I just shot myself while scratching!”

“Are you still itching?”

“Uh, No.”

“I may have to try that myself. I’ve got this athletes foot here, let me borrow that...”

[knarf]

I've drank a lot of beer n' wrecked a few cars, I've smoked a lot of dope and ate a boatload of munchies, I've snorted and shot and survived without gettin' junkified, I've visited Jupiter, Mars and Venus (loved that girl .. /8^) ..) doin' acid ... but I ain't nevah scratched my @$$ with a loaded gun.

[ApplegateRanch]

That’s the second monitor and keyboard I’ve destroyed today laughing through my coffee. lol

You need to learn to say, "hold my coffee while I read this!"

[Larry Lucido]

Front sights do make it easy to reach that itch. Still, ALWAYS unload first (or at least drop the magazine and fire off that one in the chamber), and ALWAYS have someone hold your beer.

[dighton]

Treat all backscratchers as if they are loaded.

[Brett66]

Good thing he didn’t have jock itch.

[Nailbiter]

lol ping

[Still Thinking]

Hold muh beer and watch this!

[Revolting cat!]

Real men scratch themselves with their pistols!

[going hot]

I always use a rifle with a long barral. It makes it easier to get the hard to reach places.

[Disambiguator]

This reminds me of a story that ran in the ABQ Journal about 10 years ago. Apparently this one (hispanic) family owned an Old-Model Ruger Blackhawk revolver in .357 Magnum. Over time, two family members were killed and one wounded “because of the gun” (that was the gist of the story). Anyone familiar with the old “3-screw” Ruger single actions, or any other traditional single action revolver, knows that you should only load 5 rounds in the cylinder and keep the empty chamber under the hammer.

After reading the account, it was obvious why these incidents occurred. Lack of training, lack of knowledge about this particular type of gun, and (IMHO) sheer stupidity.

One incident involved the revolver (with 6 rounds loaded in it - first mistake) being carried “Mexican style” by a guy who then proceeded to climb into his pickup truck. The gun fell out of his waistband, hit the ground and discharged, killing him.

The second incident happened when one guy was unloading the gun. He had one hand over the muzzle, which was pointed at another family member. The gun discharged, killing the family member and blowing a hole through the guy’s hand.

Was the design of the gun really an issue here?

[MichiganMan]

Truth be told, I thought it sounded like a Presidential candidate.

Or a (cough)Vice-President(cough)

[RichInOC]

Good thing he didn’t have an itchy scalp.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Sounds like a candidate for the Darwin Award."

This guy cannot be a candidate for a Darwin Award since you have to have done something stupid to kill yourself to win. He's alive, ergo he cannot be considered. However, we do need to keep an eye on him as he definitely has potential for a future award nominee.

One last thing, I'll bet after shooting himself he no longer had an itchy back. That's what happens when you have other more pressing pains to be relieved of.