Teen blinded by 'potato gun' misfire

SlowwHand · April 15, 2003, 23:11

In the continuing saga of "truth is stranger than fiction"...

04/15/2003

By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle

A Denton teenager was in critical condition Monday after he was shot in the face with a frog that exploded from a "potato gun."

Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth early Sunday after he looked down the gun's PVC pipe barrel and was struck in the face by the frog.

"He is going to be blind in both eyes," Daniel's mother, Lisa Berry, said in the hospital's critical-care waiting room.

A potato gun is usually made with a PVC pipe with one end sealed. A potato or another object is wedged into the open end. Flammable liquid such as hairspray is put into a sealed chamber in the device and ignited.

Sunday's accident occurred about 1 a.m. in the Copper Canyon area. Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said three teenagers took the gun and potatoes to the bridge.

"At some point, someone decided to fire frogs from the gun," he said. "And at some point, the gun misfired."

A crowd of teenagers had gathered to watch, the sheriff's spokesman said.

"Mr. Berry was a spectator. He walked over to try to help with the misfire," Mr. Patton said. "He looked down the barrel, and the gun fired on a delayed reaction."

He was taken to a hospital emergency room and was later transferred to the Fort Worth hospital, Mr. Patton said.

Mrs. Berry said she couldn't understand why the illegal weapons are available on the Internet.

"Some other kid ordered one over the Internet," she said. "They thought it was a toy. It's not a toy; it's a dangerous weapon."

Daniel's mother said her son had broken bones in his face and would require surgery. He told her he didn't think there was a frog in the gun and looked to try to see it.

"He said it just went off. It was a misfire. It hit him square in the face," she said.

Mr. Patton said no charges would be filed.

"This is the first incident involving a potato gun that we have had to deal with," Mr. Patton said. "We had six teenagers in possession of a potato gun, and one of them was critically injured.

"What are you going to do? This was an accident."

Mrs. Berry said she didn't blame the other boys. They did not know the power of the gun, she said.

Daniel had wanted to join the Air Force but she would not give her permission, she said. She encouraged him to attend college until he was old enough to join without parental consent.

"All he ever wanted to do was be an Air Force pilot," she said. "That isn't going to happen now."

http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/...ded.d18cb.html

SlowwHand · April 15, 2003, 23:12

No information was released on the frog, pending notification of relatives.

MRT144 · April 15, 2003, 23:23

Karmatic justice

Skanky Burns · April 15, 2003, 23:23

Poor frog.

Kramerman · April 15, 2003, 23:53

tho i laughed when i first read the thread title, it is reather depressing now... poor kid

ixnay · April 16, 2003, 00:01

Darwin at work!

Everybody knows not to look down the barrel of a loaded gun. He got what he deserved for being a moron.

The other kids should have quickly reloaded the gun with another frog and fired it into his crotch so he couldn't reproduce.

Felch · April 16, 2003, 00:32

Remind me never to do anything stupid around Ixnay.

Timexwatch · April 16, 2003, 00:32

Oh Jesus, who looks down the barrel of a potato gun while it's loaded? I've built several, and I know well enough not to look and load. I just don't hope there's some kneejerk reaction to ban them.

As a side note, who buys these things on the Internet? They cost no more than $30 in materials and about an hour of labor. These kids must be spoiled or dopey.

Skanky Burns · April 16, 2003, 00:34

Or both, from the sounds of it.

MRT144 · April 16, 2003, 00:37

imagine this kid as an airforce pilot...standing in front of the engine intake on an f-16 and getting sucked in...

Kramerman · April 16, 2003, 00:42

chequita guevara · April 16, 2003, 01:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
I just don't hope there's some kneejerk reaction to ban them.

They're already illegal in many places. Since they're easy enough to construct, however . . .

I should build one and shoot potatoes into the river.

DarthVeda · April 16, 2003, 01:36

Just another reason why we need potato gun control in the U.S.

Skanky Burns · April 16, 2003, 03:31

Inverse Icarus · April 16, 2003, 03:35

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

They're already illegal in many places. Since they're easy enough to construct, however . . .

I should build one and shoot potatoes into the river.

some of your comrades need those potatoes to live

Gatekeeper · April 16, 2003, 04:36

Stupid or not, life isn't going to be easy for this young man. Perhaps he will eventually grow used to not having sight — his other senses will compensate somewhat — but it will take time.

Gatekeeper

Skanky Burns · April 16, 2003, 05:07

Well, it was better than looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. Most people can't compensate for having their brain scattered over the road.

Jack the Bodiless · April 16, 2003, 05:39

Guns don't hurt people, frogs do.

SlowwHand · April 16, 2003, 09:34

I'm glad you recognize that fact.

Following that line-of-thought, I've begun working with local authorities to accomplish two goals.

1) The banning of PVC pipe.

2) A mimimum age of 21 for frog possession .

Sava · April 16, 2003, 09:52

Quote:

Originally posted by ixnay
Darwin at work!

I've made potato guns before. They are only dangerous in the hands of morons. (whether or not I fit in that category is another topic though)

SlowwHand · April 16, 2003, 09:59

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

They're already illegal in many places. Since they're easy enough to construct, however . . .

I should build one and shoot potatoes into the river.

That brings up another idea.
Arming Border Patrol along both the Rio Grande and Red River with potato guns.
Ammunition, in the form of frogs, would be readily available.

Sava · April 16, 2003, 10:06

I understand why they are illegal. I once put a whole in the metal door of my high school with a potato.

DarthVeda · April 16, 2003, 10:28

How about a technical with a potato gun on the back?

April 16, 2003, 10:56

They can be powerful. A few om my friends hand-built a couple and you can do holes through pretty thick wood at least, though Ive never seen them try on metal.
On a related note, I play paint ball, and once practicing with a friend, we stopped to talk, we had just removed our helmets, and I had a trouble with my gun. It had safety off, no plug, was loaded and I looked in the barrel. Of course my friend quickly insulted me and hit my gun down so I didnt accidently blind myself ... Its funny how sort the action you do by reflex is the stupidest one. Now of course Im very careful...

korn469 · April 16, 2003, 12:40

SlowwHand

Quote:

2) A mimimum age of 21 for frog possession

that is the funniest thing i've ever seen from you

between you and ming today i've bursted out laughing in my class twice so far

SlowwHand · April 16, 2003, 15:10

Well, thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

Kramerman · April 16, 2003, 16:51

Quote:

Originally posted by korn469
SlowwHand

that is the funniest thing i've ever seen from you

between you and ming today i've bursted out laughing in my class twice so far

I hate it when i do that!

Its one of the things that keeps me coming back to this bog they call a forum

Lawrence of Arabia · April 16, 2003, 17:07

Poor frog. He didnt deserve to die.

Q Classic · April 16, 2003, 17:09

if you soak the potato in gasoline, launch it at night, out in the direction of water, it's pretty cool.

not that i've done this...

KrazyHorse · April 16, 2003, 17:14

When I was 14 or 15 the teens who lived in the house which adjoined my backyard managed to blow off some of their fingers while building a pipe bomb. They had filled the pipe with light-anywhere match heads, and were banging on the cap with a hammer to fix it in place.

These were the same numbskulls who (a year or two before) got a hold of their father's shotgun and filled the aluminum siding at the back of my house with buckshot.