Man pardoned by Barbour in fatal shooting

JACKSON, Miss. A Mississippi sheriff says one of the ex-prisoners who received a pardon last year from the state's then-governor was involved in exchange of gunfire that killed another man.

Calhoun County Sheriff Greg Pollan said Wayne Thurman Harris of Slate Springs and Chris McGonagill of Calhoun City got into an argument at a cookout and both of them fired guns. Both were wounded, McGonagill fatally.

Pollan said no charges have been filed because he has not had a chance to interview Harris.

Harris received a full and unconditional pardon from Barbour on Jan. 10, 2012, after serving a sentence for selling marijuana.

Barbour, a Republican, sparked an uproar when he pardoned nearly 200 people as his second term was ending last year. Barbour has said he's at peace with the pardons.

[bobjones2013]

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[modeloman]

the only thing anyione can take from this incident is that you are in favor of shootouts over an on the spot arguments or you are not.

Everyone here knows by now that I am not a friend of the far right. Having said that, I don't have a problem with Haley Barbour's pardon in this instance. Selling pot is something that is rapidly becoming legal in a number of these places and is a victimless crime. If you are going to pardon anyone this falls into that catagory.

Based on this perp's past, no one could have forseen this incident.
so
once again
the only thing anyione can take from this incident is that you are in favor of shootouts over an on the spot arguments or you are not.

[Montana5]

Yeah, sure. I'm certain you've dome the research to know that all of the other recent numerous barbecue shootings involved people with no criminal records who just lost their temper. Sounds reasonable to me.

[modeloman]

Sometimes I leave the door open for people to think about something but most of the time I always seem to get an off the wall response like this one

[nirak2-2009]

That blood is on Barbours hands.

[askagain]

How many chances do some people need to clean their act up? Sounds like a waste of a pardon. Some people just lack good judgment and are destined for trouble. Harris sounds like one of those people.

[tsigili]

The family of the man killed, should file a wrongful death lawsuit against Barbour.

[askagain]

So you make this statement without knowing who started the fight or shot first. The article states that both men had guns. What if the dead man pulled a gun first or shot first? Think a little.

[judymar14]

Gun-control would not stop a criminal from getting a gun. Gun-control would stop law-abiding citizens protecting themselves from scum like this.

[modeloman]

manure
gun control insures only people capably of handling a gun responsibly will own guns. Anyone else gets hard felony time

[amartinez377]

Did you not read the article? The law abiding citizen supposedly is the one that was killed by the scum. And the law abiding citizen was killed.

Gun nuts are not just emotionally stunted they are intellectually stunted too.

[dannysteele]

The important thing is that both of these idiots had easy access to firearms. This proves it's never a good idea to go to a cookout unarmed!

[modeloman]

I have a fully loaded semi auto pistol behind every toilet in my house. A 12 gauge strapped to the side of my bed and ARs located in enough places that I dont have to take more than 3 steps to grab one. I haver all the doors booby trapped and armed before I go to sleep.Any monute now someone's going to break in....I just know it....or some federal agent isd going to handcuff me and frog march me off to a concentration camp.....you know one of those dozen or so that are already holding hundreds of thousands of us patriots....if everyone in this country actually knew....oh no.....OH NO....help me!! there are bugs crawilng all over my body....aaaaiiieeeee

[modeloman]

you choose to ignore my underlying point routan
i was simply reaffirming Dannysteel's point that it is a good idea never to go anywhere, let alone a cookout unarmed
who is an airhead?

[jmn122736]

7lucky_seven replies:
All with the highest black and hispanic populations except perhaps West Virginia.---------------

Good to see all those racial bigots having to choke on their hate for another 4 years

[6543mike]

The man was pardoned for a felony. Fatboy Haley also removed all impairments that might have prevented him from owning a firearm. Plus Fatboy's wife bought him ( and others ) a car so he could start his new life of crime.

[st247]

6543Mike,
You may have a good point there, and there are broader implications. About the sale of marijuana conviction. Who knows what Barbour's motivation was to grant the pardon for Harris' conviction for selling marijuana, but maybe Barbour felt it was a minor crime or the sentence was too harsh for the crime - whatever. But it's probably a safe assumption Harris was also a user. Any user of illegal substances is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. Seems like Barbour got caught in, or created, a Catch 22 situation. He pardons Harris - again, don't know what his rationale was - and in the process clears the illegal substance abuse off his record. The thing is, Harris was still a known seller and likely user regardless of the status of his crime. Barbour should have made sure that Harris' standing re firearms possession was not erased.
The broader implication of this situation is with various states that have legalized and others that yet will legalize marijuana use. It may be legal in your state to use marijuana, but it's not legal to own or possess a firearm if you do, according to federal law. Any gun owner who doesn't want to surrender his rights might want to think about that before he tokes up.

[canislupus16]

6543MIKE and ST247,
Interesting take.

[unclebernies]

Barbour said he is at peace with his pardon. And now the person that was killed is resting in peace thanks to Barbour.

[twmat311]

Seven: Suggest YOU try reading the entire article. Even the headline would clue you in.

"Wayne Thurman Harris of Slate Springs and Chris McGonagill of Calhoun City got into an argument at a cookout and both of them fired guns. Both were wounded, McGonagill fatally."

Harris sold marijuana, Barbour pardoned Harris.