re: #154 HappyWarrior

Tragic. Heard about this one. Gun on top of the fridge. What the fuck was he thinking?

From the article:

Michael Santiago told police he was a former member of the Spanish Cobras gang and that he had bought the gun from another gang member for protection after Santiago was a witness in a murder trial.

“The gun was purchased off the street. It was kept loaded, and it was wrapped in pajama pants on top of the refrigerator,” Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph DiBella said. “The defendant previously showed the 6-year-old where the gun was kept, and in a videotape statement the defendant said he kept the gun for protection because he was a former gang member who snitched on a gang member in a murder trial.

“About a week prior to the shooting, he showed his older son where he kept the gun. … (Santiago) took the gun from on top of the refrigerator, unwrapped the pajama pants and explained to the 6-year-old that the gun was only to be used by adults,” DiBella said.

DiBella said Santiago put the firearm back on top of the refrigerator. Court records show the gun was a .32-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. Authorities said Santiago does not have a firearm owner’s identification card or concealed carry license.

Critical points: The gun in question was not legally owned and Michael Santiago had not had any training on it, which would have explained to him what “safe storage” means.

Result: Another fucked up gang-related death in a city that has seen too many of them.