The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Hazcat on November 09, 2009, 06:19:21 AM
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By Letitia Stein and Dong-Phuong Nguyen, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Monday, November 9, 2009
TAMPA — A 32-year-old investigator, a rising star in the federal public defender's office, was accidentally shot and killed Saturday by her father while they were cleaning guns together.
Melissa Kupferberg spent the morning shooting pistols at a local range with her father, who was visiting from Maryland. They returned to her Seminole Heights home and began to clean the weapons.
But Kupferberg was having difficulty disassembling one of the pistols, Tampa police said. So she handed off a Glock Model 34 to her father, Stephen P. Kupferberg, 65.
Glock pistols require the trigger to be depressed to be cleaned. And as Stephen Kupferberg tried to tear down the pistol in his daughter's home around noon on Saturday, something went wrong.
A single shot was fired, striking Melissa in the upper body.
She initially remained conscious and breathing, police say, but died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Her father, who had planned to fly back to Maryland that afternoon, cooperated fully with the police investigation that found "no sign this was anything but a tragic accident."
The Kupferberg family could not be reached Sunday, when stunned co-workers gathered in her office to mourn the loss of a devoted young investigator whose career was already gaining national prominence.
Melissa Kupferberg was writing a book about approaches to investigations that drew on her background in mental health, said Donna Elm, the federal defender for the middle district of Florida in the Tampa office.
She excelled at her job, a coveted position in the federal public defender's office, and was being invited to speak at national conferences. She was involved with the National Defender Investigator Association.
"At 32, this is all very remarkable," Elm said, adding that she was also beloved by her co-workers.
"She's one of those really optimistic, positive souls who always smiles and loves a joke and is very cheery."
And in the world of public defense, that's not easy.
"This is a very hard field to practice. We don't win most; we're not supposed to. Our clients often don't appreciate us much," Elm said. "We've had clients who have been very abusive and difficult, especially if they're mentally ill, and she has just been very understanding, very kind and very effective at working with them."
Kupferberg worked long hours, but was close to family and a small group of intimate friends, said Elm, who previously worked with her in Arizona. She had been working in the Tampa office for several years.
Kupferberg enjoyed biking and range shooting, her boss said. She also had been working out and losing weight and was talking about running a 5K race, said a neighbor, Carla Gormon, 37, who cared for Kupferberg's dog when she was traveling for work.
"She was a hardworking person," Gormon said. "And she was just a good person."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/tampa-woman-accidentally-killed-by-father-while-cleaning-guns/1050337
Comments at link
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FTA;
Glock pistols require the trigger to be depressed to be cleaned. And as Stephen Kupferberg tried to tear down the pistol in his daughter's home around noon on Saturday, something went wrong.
What went wrong was he neglected basic safety rules, NEVER let the muzzle point at anything you are not willing to destroy.
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Glock pistols require the trigger to be depressed to be cleaned.
And that, friends and neighbors, is my major complaint about Glocks.
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And that, friends and neighbors, is my major complaint about Glocks.
I definitely think it is a design flaw. But the father should have been paying more attention to where he was pointing the muzzle when he pulled the trigger! >:(
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It was not accidential it was negligent. Condition zero weather cleaning, storing, handling between people, demistrations or empty gun practice known as "dryfire" is the responsibility of each and every person in the area. Glocks are not flawed until you account for the users who claim it , so they do not have to unload the gun.
You shoot yourself with a modern pistol and YOU and only YOU are to BLAME!
Should of took time a read the WHOLE manual!
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I will also add:
He along with his Daughter, may she rest in peace, are the only persons to blame.
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And that, friends and neighbors, is my major complaint about Glocks.
Its one of mine as well. Thats why I like the xdm. you don't have to do that. Yes, we all know that if he had fallowed all the safety rules, the gun would not have went bang. all it takes is a 1 second lapse.
I do agree this was a ND. Glock is still some what to blame, this is a design flaw. It would be like having a car with out a neutral safety switch. Yeah we all know you should start it in P or N, but sooner or later some one is going to start it in gear.
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Its one of mine as well. Thats why I like the xdm. you don't have to do that. Yes, we all know that if he had fallowed all the safety rules, the gun would not have went bang. all it takes is a 1 second lapse.
I do agree this was a ND. Glock is still some what to blame, this is a design flaw. It would be like having a car with out a neutral safety switch. Yeah we all know you should start it in P or N, but sooner or later some one is going to start it in gear.
Actually that happened fairly frequently back in the days of standard transmissions. Leave the car in gear so it doesn't roll away, then neglect to push in the clutch before hitting the starter.
Holy crap!! I just outed myself as an official old fart!!
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Holy crap!! I just outed myself as an official old fart!!
tt, you've been out for a long time.
;D
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Actually that happened fairly frequently back in the days of standard transmissions. Leave the car in gear so it doesn't roll away, then neglect to push in the clutch before hitting the starter.
Holy crap!! I just outed myself as an official old fart!!
Welcome to the club! ;D
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Actually that happened fairly frequently back in the days of standard transmissions. Leave the car in gear so it doesn't roll away, then neglect to push in the clutch before hitting the starter.
Holy crap!! I just outed myself as an official old fart!!
My Fiat does not have a clutch intrupt. It would be very easy to do, I always have to remind myself to check.
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My Fiat does not have a clutch intrupt. It would be very easy to do, I always have to remind myself to check.
You're married to a woman, right?
Just askin. ;D
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FTA:
Melissa Kupferberg spent the morning shooting pistols at a local range with her father, who was visiting from Maryland. They returned to her Seminole Heights home and began to clean the weapons.
But Kupferberg was having difficulty disassembling one of the pistols, Tampa police said. So she handed off a Glock Model 34 to her father, Stephen P. Kupferberg, 65.
Glock pistols require the trigger to be depressed to be cleaned. And as Stephen Kupferberg tried to tear down the pistol in his daughter's home around noon on Saturday, something went wrong.
A single shot was fired, striking Melissa in the upper body.
Damn, Damn, Damn........ Damn...DAMN.
Senseless..... I know we are all human and thus subject to mistakes.............but so senseless.
Man this type of thing gets to me...............
Regardless of the circumstances, a life was lost and a family is grieving...........
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You're married to a woman, right?
Just askin. ;D
I wuz gonna make a remark about him driving some 'nancy boy' car but ya beat me to it. ;D
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You're married to a woman, right?
Just askin. ;D
yes...
do you have a prob with vintage italian sports cars? the really sad thing is it has a better power to wieght raito then a mustang GT
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why was there ammo anywhere near the gun? never mind in the barrel. >:(