Man threatens to shoot iPhone at Genius bar

Tangentially, where did you find a stock image of an iPhone with Cingular as its carrier?

. I think it is obvious to everyone here that what this man did was very dumb. While I highly doubt he meant to carry out his threat to shoot his phone, but he might have thought his actions through a little better. He gives a bad name to the millions of law abiding gun owners out there.

Somebody mentioned that they thought guns belong in wars, not in malls. Can I point something out? By suggesting that guns are acceptable in war, you accept that it is neccesary and right to defend ones country through the use of firearms. No one is likely to disagree with that, a country needs to defend itself. The only way to change this would be to remove firearms from every person on the planet. This is not possible. Weapons aren't going anywhere soon.

I find it odd that you find it so easy to accept a government and a peoples need to defend themselves, but so easily dismiss an individuals right to do the same. While certainly, you aren't likely to need a firearm while in a mall, thank God, why do you object so strongly to the idea of law abiding citizens retaining the ability to defend themselves? Its a little naive to suggest this would never be neccesary. It would be like the major powers in the world disarming themselves in the interest of world peace. Very naive indeed

In cities, I'd rather everyone be stabbing each other with knives than shooting each other with guns. The death rate would be lower. The injury rate would be lower. As for the military, police and the "Man" (FBI, CIA etc.) they can have guns. As for hunting, sure, have guns, go nuts. But not in urban areas please. "Oh the criminals will always have guns somehow" ~ clearly the restriction on gun distribution is a problem, right? Decriminalise drugs appropriately and gang violence reduces. Instead of fighting the war on drugs, fight the war on all these criminals getting guns so easily. The prison system then needs to be totally overhauled because just locking them up does not seem to rehabilitate them. I would say carrying a gun for self defence is a ridiculous argument. So if a store/ bus/ airport you are in got held up you'd be the hero and start blasting away at the criminals or terrorists in self-defence? And if a criminal pulled a gun on you you'd be a quicker draw and bust a cap in him? Please...

The right to carry a gun is something that this country is built on. Its the 2nd amendment for a reason. Regardless of how many years ago it was written, and how many different revolutions our country goes through, it is a basic fact that America was built on free speech and the right to carry.

Those of you who live in other countries should really exercise common sense in your postings. I would hate to bring up the fact that violence there is growing.

In Canada, they introduced Bill C-14 yesterday (http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2009/doc_32430.html). It addresses growing violence, including drive by shootings.

Canada is facing the same problem we have here in America. Immigration is bringing the violence, gangs and drugs, which leads to the increase in crimes. At least we get the option of shooting back.

for anybody outside of the US it is still unbelievable that people are allowed to carry a gun. You may say it´s a right, but while society advances. so should rights. The wild west is long gone people, guns are for war. Definitely not malls.

After reading the article and comments, I am so happy to not live in the US.

The fact that some are blind and say that more people carrying guns make a place safer I'd beyond me. Jesus - you're defending something written hundreds of years ago that doesn't make sense after industrialization, commercialization, population density increases, the information age, etc. Is this Darwinism at work?

Personally, I've never understood the need to allow concealed carry. It's not as though it actually makes anyone safer than carrying a weapon openly. (Actually, you might even be safer to carry one openly. Remember the concept of "mutually assured destruction"? The threat of a weapon being used against you may be enough of a deterrent to keep you from drawing yours.)

Really, about the only reason someone would want to conceal carry is because they're hoping for a situation to come up where they can use it. Basically lull a violent criminal (who might otherwise not act if they knew you were carrying) into a false sense of security, then blast them.

So what is it? The thrill of possibly getting to shoot someone and have it be legal? The hope that you'll get to be a hero for 15 minutes? Or is it just some bizarre sexual thing that Sigmund Freud would have a field day with?

Oh, and don't even bother giving me that "if the criminals can't tell who's armed and who's not, they'll stop committing crimes out of fear" line. (It's BS, and you know it...)

only in America...

it is more a culture issue than a gun issue.

if you compare gun-crime rates to violent-crime rates in general by country... you will see that some countries are just more violent. guns or not.

you don't need a gun to violently assault someone... yet those rates are high in the US as well.

i don't think guns existing in general... magically makes non-gun crime high as well. that simply doesn't make any sense.

there are countries with tons of guns per capita with both low gun-crime and low violent-crime rates... clearly the guns are not the main issue.

it sounds to me that this man was acting a bit violent and irrational before a gun even entered the picture. but yes... by all means... it was the magic spell the gun cast over him that made him act like a violent dillhole. not some other societal issue.

i agree. it is EASY to blame an object... much harder to blame something deeper and more personal like 'we suck at raising our kids. we hate poor people. solving broad problems with state-sanctioned violence is a good lesson to teach.' etc etc.

The idea of having everybody in the country openly carrying guns is absolutely crazy (somebody mentioned that on here). Then anybody who gets mad at you can just pull out their gun and shoot you without thinking or taking time to cool off (like this guy could have).

Sure in Canada you can get guns on the black market, but it's obviously much harder than just going to the local store and carrying one wherever you go. Every country with gun control has less crime than the USA. I don't think knife crime in Canada is as bad as gun crime in the USA.