What is clear is that Daniel Brian Blackwell, 55, really, really likes grilled cheese sandwiches and is not big on that sharing thing.
Blackwell allegedly became irate when his wife took a bite out of his grilled cheese sandwich and shot repeatedly through the floor. She was in the kitchen on the other side of that floor. The wife went down to check on him and found him surrounded by guns and ammunition — and presumably a partially eaten grilled cheese sandwich. The Baltimore police alleged that “Soon after, the wife heard three more gunshots, the projectiles of which came through the kitchen floor near where she was standing.”
Police soon arrived and a three-hour standoff followed. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation even though a trip to the cafeteria might defuse the situation.
He has been charged with attempted first degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and multiple other charges. The attempted first degree murder charge is interesting since he fired through the floor. Yet, he likely knew where she was and may have incriminated himself in statements to the police. Notably, he is not supposed to have firearms due to prior assault convictions.
This guy looks like a guy who served in Nam many years ago.
Music
One, two, three, four.
Well, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
Yeah, he’s got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
Gonna have a whole lotta fun.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it’s five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain’t no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die.
Yeah, come on Wall Street, don’t be slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There’s plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it’s five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain’t no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die.
Well, come on generals, let’s move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Now you can go out and get those reds
‘Cause the only good commie is the one that’s dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we’ve blown ’em all to kingdom come.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it’s five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain’t no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die.
Come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, and don’t hesitate
To send your sons off before it’s too late.
You can be the first ones in your block
To have your boy come home in a box.
And it’s one, two, three
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it’s five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain’t no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die.
I used to go to Baltimore during the 70s in the summertime to visit relatives. I thought everyone did that….
When I worked in Baltimore, 15 years ago, it had the highest rate of syphilis in the nation. Probably this guy got it, didn’t get treated and it’s in his brain. So the spirochete made him do it.
“Notably, he is not supposed to have firearms due to prior assault convictions.” This is yet another example of criminals, by definition, not abiding by firearm laws. Only law abiding citizens, who are no threat, do so.
This story is apropos of your concurrent article regarding efforts to make divorce more difficult and expensive in Texas. Sometimes, a couple just needs to separate before they get to the point where the husband fires at his wife for taking a bite out of his grilled cheese sandwich.
He was responsible for the path that every single bullet took. If he fired in her general direction, notwithstanding having a wall or a floor between them, then he was making an attempt on her life. Unless it’s a hollow point, many caliber bullets can pierce a wall. I’m a bit confused as to if he fired at the floor, and she was in the room next to him in the kitchen, or if he was in a basement, and fired up into the ceiling, which was the floor of the kitchen she was in. I think I need a diagram, because his lunacy was so erratic.
I am curious how he got the black eye. Did she sock him on his walk of shame to the cruiser, or did that 3 hour standoff have a spicy ending?
No matter how much someone is difficult to get along with, you can always vote with your feet. It sounds like she’s lucky to be alive. Regardless of the criminal outcome or mental health evaluation, this couple needs to go their separate ways. Likely one of them will be shuffling towards the direction of a cage.
I have a friend who does that for her husband’s packed lunches. She always takes a tiny bite out of each sandwich. I call it her love bite. It makes him think of her every day when he opens his lunch. I thought it was a sweet idea of hers. Clearly this couple went in the other direction.
If I found a piece missing from my sandwich, I would think “We have mice !”
Never underestimate the allure of a sandwich, an affirmative defense.
I blame it on shoddy construction in the house. Bullets should not be coming up through the floor even in Baltimore.
Depends on the caliber of the gun, I suppose.
This is legal in Wisconsin.
Only during hunting season, I think.
Nick – LOL!
Whenever you are charged and go to court the deck is stacked against you. Prosecutors and police promotions are in part based on arrest and convictions. They have multi million dollor budgets while the ” public defenders office ” gets bye on far far less. If you are working and hire your own attorney And are found not guilty it has cost you a thousand or more just to fight a simple traffic ticket. Even the judge is biased. He often sees the same police and prosecutors on a regular basis. He knows them. You are a stranger. If there is any doubt/ human nature says the judge will rule in favor of the people he sees every week. This man is. Screwed. It has Nothing to do with guilt or innocence. Just an inherently bad system. How about making the prosecutors office pay loss wages an legal fees of people they don’t convict.
So, what should happen to this guy? Pin a medal on him? Give him a gift certificate to a gun store? Make him install plate steel in his floors/ceilings to contain the gunfire?
Jay S.
– He needs to be sent to the Barney Fife School for Firearm Safety.
Barney was only allowed one bullet.
Jay S – And Barney had to keep his bullet in his shirt pocket.
Notably, he is not supposed to have firearms due to prior assault convictions.
Of course instead of punishing him, officials will instead attempt to punish all gun owners…. 🙁
Do you really think that is what is going to happen ?
Trouble in kitchen with the wife. Don’t mess with big mama. That might explain the black eye hubby got.
Distorted sentences leave me confused. Over, under, around or through? The gun went off by mistake. What does she know and how can she be trusted? Who gave him the bruised eye?
The gun went off by mistake — at least three times ? The trigger mechanism must need some adjustment!