Hey DrakeMaiden,
I lived in WA state a year ago and read a lot of their laws about homicides. And just as a note, any killing of a human being is a homicide while an illegal homicide is often called a murder. There is such a thing as "justifiable homicide."
First things first: Safety
You've got to be safe. If you don't have much experience with a gun, try and go to a class that teaches it. They are in the area, your local gun range or sheriff's office may be able to point you to one. Storage is important if you've got kids around (you said you don't have that). Developing good habits early will reduce the chance for a negligent discharge.
So, when is it legal to shoot someone?
Chapter 9.41 in the Revised Code of Washington talks a lot about dangerous weapons (firearms) and some regulations on them.
Here's an excerpt:
RCW 9A.16.050
Homicide By other person When justifiable.
Homicide is also justifiable when committed either:
(1) In the lawful defense of the slayer, or his or her husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister, or of any other person in his presence or company, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design on the part of the person slain to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury to the slayer or to any such person, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or
(2) In the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, in his presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which he is.
Here's another bit:
RCW 9A.16.020
Use of force When lawful.
The use, attempt, or offer to use force upon or toward the person of another is not unlawful in the following cases:
(1) Whenever necessarily used by a public officer in the performance of a legal duty, or a person assisting the officer and acting under the officer's direction;
(2) Whenever necessarily used by a person arresting one who has committed a felony and delivering him or her to a public officer competent to receive him or her into custody;
(3) Whenever used by a party about to be injured, or by another lawfully aiding him or her, in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against his or her person, or a malicious trespass, or other malicious interference with real or personal property lawfully in his or her possession, in case the force is not more than is necessary;
(4) Whenever reasonably used by a person to detain someone who enters or remains unlawfully in a building or on real property lawfully in the possession of such person, so long as such detention is reasonable in duration and manner to investigate the reason for the detained person's presence on the premises, and so long as the premises in question did not reasonably appear to be intended to be open to members of the public;
(5) Whenever used by a carrier of passengers or the carrier's authorized agent or servant, or other person assisting them at their request in expelling from a carriage, railway car, vessel, or other vehicle, a passenger who refuses to obey a lawful and reasonable regulation prescribed for the conduct of passengers, if such vehicle has first been stopped and the force used is not more than is necessary to expel the offender with reasonable regard to the offender's personal safety;
(6) Whenever used by any person to prevent a mentally ill, mentally incompetent, or mentally disabled person from committing an act dangerous to any person, or in enforcing necessary restraint for the protection or restoration to health of the person, during such period only as is necessary to obtain legal authority for the restraint or custody of the person.
There's a lot of law on this, and if you are in a situation, it is important to know whether or not the law will protect you.
More importantly though, is how comfortable is an individual with it. That's a question you have to ask yourself.
And if you do decide to get one, training is very important! You'd be surprised how hard it is to shoot a gun accurately and fast, and how bad it gets when you are nervous, much less in fear for your life.
I also second reading the book my Massad Ayoob.
Hopefully that is helpful for you. If you are interested in the concealed carry permit for WA state, I can tell you about that too.
Note that you can only carry a gun in your place of residence or business, but if you step out into the street with it concealed on your person, that is illegal. If you want to carry out and about in your daily life, you MUST get a permit to do so (they are not hard to get).
ETA: For a handgun in WA state, there is a 5 business day wait. For long arms, I do not believe there is a wait. Not sure though since I never bought a long arm in WA.
I lived in WA state a year ago and read a lot of their laws about homicides. And just as a note, any killing of a human being is a homicide while an illegal homicide is often called a murder. There is such a thing as "justifiable homicide."
First things first: Safety
You've got to be safe. If you don't have much experience with a gun, try and go to a class that teaches it. They are in the area, your local gun range or sheriff's office may be able to point you to one. Storage is important if you've got kids around (you said you don't have that). Developing good habits early will reduce the chance for a negligent discharge.
So, when is it legal to shoot someone?
Chapter 9.41 in the Revised Code of Washington talks a lot about dangerous weapons (firearms) and some regulations on them.
Here's an excerpt:
RCW 9A.16.050
Homicide By other person When justifiable.
Homicide is also justifiable when committed either:
(1) In the lawful defense of the slayer, or his or her husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister, or of any other person in his presence or company, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design on the part of the person slain to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury to the slayer or to any such person, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or
(2) In the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, in his presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which he is.
Here's another bit:
RCW 9A.16.020
Use of force When lawful.
The use, attempt, or offer to use force upon or toward the person of another is not unlawful in the following cases:
(1) Whenever necessarily used by a public officer in the performance of a legal duty, or a person assisting the officer and acting under the officer's direction;
(2) Whenever necessarily used by a person arresting one who has committed a felony and delivering him or her to a public officer competent to receive him or her into custody;
(3) Whenever used by a party about to be injured, or by another lawfully aiding him or her, in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against his or her person, or a malicious trespass, or other malicious interference with real or personal property lawfully in his or her possession, in case the force is not more than is necessary;
(4) Whenever reasonably used by a person to detain someone who enters or remains unlawfully in a building or on real property lawfully in the possession of such person, so long as such detention is reasonable in duration and manner to investigate the reason for the detained person's presence on the premises, and so long as the premises in question did not reasonably appear to be intended to be open to members of the public;
(5) Whenever used by a carrier of passengers or the carrier's authorized agent or servant, or other person assisting them at their request in expelling from a carriage, railway car, vessel, or other vehicle, a passenger who refuses to obey a lawful and reasonable regulation prescribed for the conduct of passengers, if such vehicle has first been stopped and the force used is not more than is necessary to expel the offender with reasonable regard to the offender's personal safety;
(6) Whenever used by any person to prevent a mentally ill, mentally incompetent, or mentally disabled person from committing an act dangerous to any person, or in enforcing necessary restraint for the protection or restoration to health of the person, during such period only as is necessary to obtain legal authority for the restraint or custody of the person.
There's a lot of law on this, and if you are in a situation, it is important to know whether or not the law will protect you.
More importantly though, is how comfortable is an individual with it. That's a question you have to ask yourself.
And if you do decide to get one, training is very important! You'd be surprised how hard it is to shoot a gun accurately and fast, and how bad it gets when you are nervous, much less in fear for your life.
I also second reading the book my Massad Ayoob.
Hopefully that is helpful for you. If you are interested in the concealed carry permit for WA state, I can tell you about that too.
Note that you can only carry a gun in your place of residence or business, but if you step out into the street with it concealed on your person, that is illegal. If you want to carry out and about in your daily life, you MUST get a permit to do so (they are not hard to get).
ETA: For a handgun in WA state, there is a 5 business day wait. For long arms, I do not believe there is a wait. Not sure though since I never bought a long arm in WA.
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