Bad News in Benson

Prior to our arrival in Benson I had seen an ad in the Workamper News for a couple needed to work in a local campground. What caught my eye was not the employment but the name of the managers--a couple we had worked with at a campground in Virginia a couple years ago. Denny and I decided to stop by and see how they were doing.

G, the wife, was in the office but her husband was in Tucson that morning. G went on to explain that there had been an incident at the campground the night before--their neighbor shot his wife.

It seems that the wife got up sometime after 11 PM to use the bathroom and when she was returning to bed, her husband woke up, saw her shadow in the doorway, reached for
his gun on the nightstand and shot her.

For those that don't own a RV (recreational vehicle) I should explain its physical
characteristics. Every RV I've ever seen has two locks on the entry door, one of which is a fairly sturdy deadbolt. All RVs are on wheels, which raises it above street level, meaning the windows are not easily accessible. Windows in a RV can be jalousie (crank out) style or sliding windows, which also have good locks and many window are much too small for a burglar to gain entry. What I'm trying to explain is that it would be difficult for someone to break into a RV without a great deal of effort and making a significant amount of noise. Added to that is the fact that one rarely hears of any crimeoccurring in a private campground.

My point is, if Denny or I woke up and saw a shadow we would automatically assume it was our spouse. The idea of waking up and grabbing a gun and firing it towards a shadow is appalling and contrary to every bit of training that a police officer receives. If you are so intimidated or so afraid in your RV in a quiet, peaceful campground then perhaps you really shouldn't be living the lifestyle. This man carries two guns in his RV and told G's husband prior tosurrendering his weapons to the police that it was probably a good thing he didn't have his Uzi with him. (!!!!)

The wife is currently recuperating at a hospital in Tucson. She had 15 holes in her intestines (she had been shot in the abdomen) and had been placed on a respirator and temporarily placed in a medical coma. She and her husband both say it was an accident. I hope so, but what a tragic and unnecessary one.