Footage shows Shumey suicidal in police car

January 30, 2013
Christopher Shumey

Christopher Shumey

Christopher Shumey slumped in his courtroom chair Tuesday as he watched a video recording of himself after he killed his mother saying he should have committed suicide instead.

Shumey said he should have shot himself, video footage from inside a San Luis Obispo police car shows. Shumey also said he was feeling suicidal.

After arresting Shumey, Officer Eric Lincoln questioned him in the back of a patrol car outside his San Luis Obispo apartment. Shumey pleaded Lincoln to take him away from the crime scene because people were gathering to observe him.

“Hey Lincoln, let’s go,” Shumey said.

The footage showed Shumey becoming frustrated and shoulder checking the car door as onlookers arrived.

Shumey, 36, shot his mother to death at his upstairs apartment on the corner of Beach and Buchon streets on September 17, 2011. After killing his mother, Shumey fired a shot at police officers before dropping his shotgun off his balcony into the yard below.

Defense attorney Pierre Blahnik is arguing that Shumey, who has been mentally ill for more than a decade, is not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Deputy District Attorney Karen Gray says Shumey killed his mother with intent.

 


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I’d seen this guy around for years. Felt bad for him. Sad story.


I think it was a shotgun so…. Walmart? Big 5? Not hard to do.


ok, so assume it was 5 years ago, we had background checks, and he had a history of mental illness. would a background check have caught this?


Not according to the Justice Department who testified this week that there are over 19,000 Californians that should not have passed the background check when purchasing their guns but did, and still, today, have their guns. We don’t need more laws when the current laws are not even imposed. This is all a scam to again, have this administration divide Americans. You have all heard the “divide and conquer” theory and this administration is the best at doing this. We have them doing it with guns, abortion, women rights, immigration, health are, etc. and we are allowing it. Very sad!


One could argue that a law increasing the penalty for attempting to unlawfully purchase a gun, as well as unlawfully selling one, could help. It is a broken system if someone can keep trying to purchase a gun over and over again without suffering any legal penalty until someone screws up and sells them one.


The law is on the books, the checks are submitted by the seller to the government and AGAIN, the goverment has failed to follow through. There are penalties for lying on an application. The problem is the government not doing their job! PERIOD…


It’s pretty near impossible to enforce laws when the agency responsible has been cut back and stymied at every turn by the Republicans and the NRA:http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-01-16/world/36384376_1_atf-director-kenneth-melson-gun-lobby


i’m ‘noid enough to think that that the gun issue is a red herring distracting us from the real issues we face….start with the budget


oh, btw, Big Five stopped running their rifle ads recently (bb’s and pellets ok)


uh, hmm, hate to ask; where did he get the weapon?


According to the story in the Tribune, he stole it from his parents storage unit. A reminder that all guns should be well secured, especially if you have a mentally ill family member.