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Pen-gun accident kills budding rap singer
Ohio News Network | Dayton Daily News ^ | 12/5/05

Posted on 12/05/2005 3:39:51 PM PST by LibWhacker

ST. PARIS, Ohio -- Steven Zorn had put the pen gun to his head and clicked before, thinking it was jammed and would not work.

But on the third try, the tiny, silver pistol went off as the 22-year-old budding rap singer was drinking to celebrate an impending record deal. He died later at the hospital.

The shooting Nov. 18 at Zorn's home in this rural village of 2,000, about 50 miles northeast of Dayton. Family, friends and law enforcement officials believe it was accidental.

Family and friends said Zorn drove himself to succeed in the music world. He loved hip hop and wrote songs described as being filled with raw emotion. He taught himself to play the keyboard and record tracts using inexpensive software on his home computer.

"He could make a song out of anything," said friend Shane Hanes, with Zorn the night of the shooting.

Zorn tracked down rap artist Miracle in Georgia and urged the crunk artist to listen to a CD of his original recordings.

"The lyrical content was awesome," Miracle said. "He had a lot of skill. I took a liking to him, took him under my wing."

About a week before he died, a friend gave Zorn the pen gun with the .25-caliber bullet.

"This guy gave it to him with a jammed bullet in it," said Zorn's mother, Lisa McCoy-Horn.

She said that the night of the shooting, her son had been drinking and she confronted him about it. Later, Hanes and another friend joined Zorn in a small barn he had converted into his living quarters and sound studio.

"He walked up to his computer and pulled the pen gun out of his pocket and started playing with it," Hanes recalled. "I looked at him and said, 'Steve, you shouldn't be playing with that, that's a loaded gun.'"

When Champaign County sheriff's deputies arrived, they found Zorn shot in the head. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, where he died.

"Steven had a career and his dreams all ahead of him," said McCoy-Horn. "But messing with these pen guns, these kids need to know that life can be taken in a blink of an eye."

McCoy-Horn wants to see pen guns outlawed. She said several schools have expressed interest in having her come to speak out against the weapons. And she would also like to take her message to the Legislature.

"I've cried and cried so much, but I'm mad now," McCoy-Horn said. "Something's got to be done."


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: darwin; gun; hereletmetestthisthi; kills; pen; rap; rapper; singer
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1 posted on 12/05/2005 3:39:52 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

LOL!


2 posted on 12/05/2005 3:42:09 PM PST by The KG9 Kid (Semper Fi!)
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To: LibWhacker

Geez, if they don't have enough talent to come up with an original song, how can they be trusted with a jammed gun?


3 posted on 12/05/2005 3:43:09 PM PST by shekkian
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To: LibWhacker

You realize, of course, this means stellar record sales.


4 posted on 12/05/2005 3:43:16 PM PST by Wolfie
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To: LibWhacker

What's this trigger do?


5 posted on 12/05/2005 3:43:18 PM PST by Mark was here (How can they be called "Homeless" if their home is a field?.)
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To: LibWhacker

'rap' and 'singer' are contradictory terms.


6 posted on 12/05/2005 3:43:25 PM PST by RedBeaconNY (Vous parlez trop, mais vous ne dites rien.)
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To: LibWhacker

I don't know what a 'pen gun' is, but obviously this guy knew it was real and it was loaded. But then, maybe all sharp or potentially dangerous instruments should be kept away from rap singers...


7 posted on 12/05/2005 3:43:25 PM PST by Spok (Est omnis de civilitate.)
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To: LibWhacker

The pen is mightier than the sword.

(and smarter than the budding rap star)


8 posted on 12/05/2005 3:44:17 PM PST by VRWCmember
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To: LibWhacker

Hold mah crack pipe....


9 posted on 12/05/2005 3:44:30 PM PST by Kiss Me Hardy
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To: LibWhacker; feinswinesuksass; JillValentine; ladyjane; Millee; Jersey Republican Biker Chick; ...

LOL!!!

DARWIN AWARD NOMINEEE!!!!

WOOHOO!!!
If you put a gun to your head and pull the trigger three times, you might kill yourself.


10 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:00 PM PST by Dashing Dasher (God made mud, God made dirt, God made boys so girls could flirt.)
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To: LibWhacker
"She (the idiot's mother) said several schools have expressed interest in having her come to speak out against the weapons. And she would also like to take her message to the Legislature."

Oh, please......one less stuck on stupid for the gene pool.....I'm sorry, but the kid was WARNED! His mother might want to try finding out WHY her kid would point a loaded gun at his head and pull the trigger!

11 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:11 PM PST by goodnesswins (I'll fight a war in my time......so my grandchildren have peace in theirs.)
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To: LibWhacker
--in contention, at least, for the posthumous Darwin awards--
12 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:17 PM PST by rellimpank (Don't believe anything about firearms or explosives stated by the mass media---NRABenefactor)
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To: LibWhacker
"He could make a song out of anything..."
13 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:31 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: LibWhacker
Lisa McCoy-Horn is an idiot and her son was an idiot.
14 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:39 PM PST by Ninian Dryhope
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To: LibWhacker

So long as he doesn't already have children I nominate the deceased for a Darwin award.


15 posted on 12/05/2005 3:45:56 PM PST by Phsstpok (There are lies, damned lies, statistics and presentation graphics, in descending order of truth)
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To: RedBeaconNY
'rap' and 'singer' are contradictory terms.

I think it originally was titled "... rap 'artist'" but the software rejected that title and the only replacement word the editor could come up with was "singer"

16 posted on 12/05/2005 3:46:01 PM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Wolfie
You realize, of course, this means stellar record sales.

Heck yeah! I didn't even know who Tupac Shakur was until he was dead. After he was dead the guy put out like a 100 albums

17 posted on 12/05/2005 3:46:23 PM PST by Gator101
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To: All
"I've cried and cried so much, but I'm mad now," McCoy-Horn said. "Something's got to be done."

Translation - WHO CAN I SUE!?!?!

18 posted on 12/05/2005 3:46:32 PM PST by Dashing Dasher (God made mud, God made dirt, God made boys so girls could flirt.)
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To: goodnesswins

The idiot's mother wants to exploit her son's death to attack freedom.

I'm going to call her a Little Eichmann. If that's Ward Churchill's free speech right, it's mine too.


19 posted on 12/05/2005 3:48:50 PM PST by JillValentine (A government that wants to ride in and save the day must be small enough not to crush the horse.)
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To: LibWhacker

Guess he wasn't in any danger of being offered an academic scholarship, huh?


20 posted on 12/05/2005 3:49:14 PM PST by Doohickey (If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice...I will choose freewill.)
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