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For Freedom and Also Good Grades

For Freedom and Also Good Grades

In aftermath of the Newtown shooting, 52 year old Kirill Bartashevitch of St. Paul, Minnesota decided he should probably stock up on assault weapons “due to fears that such weapons would be banned under President Obama’s push for gun control legislation.” Possibly also to defend against tyranny, though that latter part is only my speculation. Unfortunately for Bartashevitch’s daughter, the gun ended up being aimed at her.

Back in mid-January, Bartashevitch and his high school age daughter got into an argument about her grades. She apparently got Bs and not As. As sometimes happens in these cases, things degenerated and the daughter, 15, told her father she “hated” him, at which point he grabbed his assault rifle and pointed it at her.

From the local Fox News station

St. Paul police learned of the Jan. 13 incident after Bartashevitch’s daughter sent a text message to a Central High School classmate, saying her father pointed an AK-47 at her. The message was seen by the classmate’s mother, who reported it to a school social worker.

The girl’s mother said she stepped between the two, and that Bartashevitch pushed her to the ground and pointed the gun at both of them. The daughter said she wasn’t scared because she didn’t think the gun was loaded.

Bartashevitch admitted having a physical confrontation with his wife and daughter, and admitted to pointing the gun at both of them. He said the gun was not loaded and that he checked the chamber before pointing it at them.

Josh Marshall

Josh Marshall is editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo.com.

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