Victims Sought Protection Prior To Shootings
Gunman Asked About Victims' Conditions, Officials Say
Posted on 09/27/2007 3:01:39 PM PDT by Stoat
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Michael Ruschak, 22, and Tiffany Barwick, 19, met twice with Seminole County sheriff's deputies on Monday, telling investigators that they feared for their lives because Barwick's ex-boyfriend, Andrew Allred, 21, sent them a threatening text message. Barwick was told to seek a restraining order.
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Late Monday night, she and Rushack were shot and killed by Allred, according to officials.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said there was nothing the could have done to prevent the shootings because they did not witness or hear the threat. Meanwhile, Allred confessed to shooting the two and injuring another person shortly after his arrest. He also asked police about the condition of the victims, according to Seminole County authorities.
Allred was being held on Wednesday without bail at John Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford. He has been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and armed burglary. Allred told detectives he went to Ruschak's house on Monday with the intention of crashing a car belonging to his ex-girlfriend, who was at Ruschak's house, a sheriff's report said. Allred entered the home by shooting out a sliding glass door.
Eric Thomas Roberts suffered a gunshot wound to the leg while trying to take the gun from Allred after the other two were shot, the report said. Allred was arrested at his home a short time later. The gun believed to be used in the shootings was recovered.
A restraining order tells the cops who to arrest after the murder. That’s all it is good for!
Paper might wrap stone, but it is not very effective against sharp or piercing instruments.
Michael should have gone out and purchased a decent pistol and shortsword or tomahawk (in case of 21 foot rule). Courts, laws and paper will never stop a determined attacker.
I wonder what the Seminole County sheriff’s office would have done if a similar threat came in against someone in the department. What would they do if some local government employee had received the threat? We all know that the guy who sent the threat would be in custody until they decided he was harmless or he was charged with a crime. More proof that the “protect” part of law enforcement is non-existent.
I wonder what kids on Ritalin and such will have on their record and whether it will disqualify them from owning a firearm.
I admire the sensible steps your family took. Very restrained.
A decent crossbow has more range than the average gun.
Just get two or three crossbows, put in a good huting arrow tip, and you are in business. They are also relatively quiet.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/FLSL.pdf
If I understand the NRA summary of Florida’s gun regulations, a properly identified, qualified adult can buy a long gun with just an instant check. But there is a three day waiting period for a handgun and, will certain travel exceptions, you need a concealed carry permit to have a handgun on you outside your dwelling place.
I’m sure you would like a law that entitles the police to arrest, charge and hold without bail anyone who is “alleged to have made threats”. (/sarc?) The cops are only as competent as the society that grants them powers.
2 young people who might be alive now if they had armed themselves. Only fools rely on the police to keep themselves safe.
Of course not, and I never implied such a silly thing. I was merely asking a question.
The “threatening message” may or may not even be a crime, but if it is, would be a misdemeanor, which, with certain exceptions, requires the person making the arrest to have observed the crime. The text messge by itself is, at best, hearsay.
Confront the sender and imagine the stories “i didn’t send it — someone must have been playing a joke using my phone” or variations of the above.
Agree. But you also have to know how to use it and have the WILL to use it.
Given the victims relatively ages and how people are taught to deal with crisis these days in public schools, they probably had not handled a gun much (or ever) and were still discussing how to keep things legal when murder arrived for a visit.
In all honesty, hubby initially wanted to by pass most of the steps we ended up taking. The rest of the family had to convince him that SIL was not worth doing time. We were all in agreement that whatever it took my daughter would not end up dead.
We did make contact with LE, and also battered women’s shelter as part of the overall plan. Being realistic though we knew WE had to solve the problem- LEOs are too restricted in what they can actually do to ever think any other way.
Condescending much?
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