Grass Roots North Carolina
Forum for Firearms Education
P.O. Box 10684, Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 664-8565, http://www.grnc.org
GRNC Alert Hotline: (919) 562-4137

In the incident, a man depressed over a recent marital separation, stole a rifle from his father and goaded the police into shooting him. His family believes it to be a "suicide by cop" incident.

NCGV says of this incident, "A fatal shooting in Roanoke Rapids this past weekend in which a mentally ill man was in possession of firearms demonstrates that we need to modernize our background check system to insure that the dangerous mentally ill cannot obtain firearms."

There are several problems with their argument:

1. There is no evidence that he had ever been involuntarily committed to an institution as would be required for HB 1744 to apply.
   According to WNVN TV 20: "Family members say he was in a state of depression from a recent separation from his wife."
   This would seem to indicate that this was a situational depression rather than an ongoing mental illness for which he would have been previously involuntarily committed.
2. The firearm he was in possession of was stolen from another individual. THE GUN WASN'T EVEN HIS!
   WNVN TV 20: "It all started when his mother called 9-1-1 to alert them that Bennett had taken a bottle of painkillers and was armed with his father's rifle."
3. There is no way that any background check system could have prevented this act of suicide!
   WNVN TV 20: "I think he wanted this...he wanted police to shoot him to put him at peace." said Bennett's father Roy Thomas.

Tell the NC General Assembly that NCGV is lying to them and you know it!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

At a minimum, contact the following leaders in the NC House and Senate:

Deliver this message: (or go to the AutoEmail)

Dear Representative:

Do not be drawn in by the falsehoods being promoted by North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (NCGV) concerning the death of Tommy Bennett in Roanoke Rapids. HB 1744 and SB 1434, the Medical Records Disclosure Act, would not have prevented him from stealing his father's rifle and goading police into shooting him.

NCGV and their parent organization, Americans for Gun Safety, are lying to you. Show them that you are not as gullible as they take you to be. Do NOT give a committee hearing to HB 1744 or SB 1434.

Respectfully,

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