British scientist visiting Atlanta suburb killed by stray bullet while lying in bed

A British astrophysicist visiting his girlfriend just outside Atlanta was killed by a stray bullet on Jan. 16 that struck him while he was lying in bed. Matthew Willson, 31, died of a single gunshot wound to the head after being transported to a hospital, local law enforcement said Thursday.

Willson, who was from Chertsey, a London suburb, was next to his girlfriend when he was shot in Brookhaven, Ga., around 2 a.m. The couple heard a heavy round of gunshots when she suggested calling the police, she told British media, which reported they had met when he worked as a researcher at Georgia State University.

“His last words were, ‘Sure, I’m sure they are just messing around,’ ” said his partner, Katherine Shepard, who saw him slumping over in the dark, only to realize he had been hit. She recalled trying to stop the bleeding from his head with a towel, urging him to “stay with me” as his eyes closed and he struggled to breathe.

The Briton’s killing made headlines in Britain, which has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world and some of the strictest firearms laws, including comprehensive background checks.

BBC
The Independent

Great going, ammosexual freaks, and fuck you, Wayne LaPierre.