Murder Suspect Still At Large

I wish it weren't so easy to get a gun.

I called the Montclair Police on Wednesday evening when a woman pushing a young child in a carriage on Walnut Street was being harrased by a man in a car. The man was stalking her, harassing her, and she was screaming back at him. There were two children in the back seat of his car, one
a small boy appearing to be about 6 to 7 years old looking out the backseat side window. I was concerned for this woman and the children in the back of the car, and police were dispatched.
The picture you have posted was the man driving the car.

I wish folks-- usually men-- did not find that killing others was the answer to their "domestic" problems- gun or otherwise.

My mom's reaction was simple: I wish he had the good sense to turn the gun on himself......

Instead, if convicted: jail for the rest of his life (complete with cable TV, friends, visits, books, magazines, meals, healthcare......) paid by US!

How many times have we read about men with restraining orders killing their spouses/girlfriends etc. Why is it so easy for a guy to get a gun when he has a history of violence and there is a restraining order against him?

amen, mama prof.

jersey,

Your answer is easy: illegal guns.

It's not like this creep went to a gun store. He went "down the street" and got one.

And I don't think the seller of illegal guns does background checks.

(But this isn't really about guns. If there were no guns, he would have found some other way to do his deed. As I've said before, you cannot stop a crazy person from doing crazy things.)

I wish it weren't so easy to get an illegal gun...

It is illegal to own/purchase a gun if you have a history of domestic violence... Of all the crazy gun ownership laws, that is once that makes a lot of sense to me.

OccasionallyHere:

supposedly there was a restraining order against this guy; if thats true, and what you're saying is true, all of this is at the feet of the police... he should have been locked up yesterday afternoon...

If there were fewer legal guns, there would be fewer illegal guns as well.

And if there were more legal guns than one of the 50 people standing around the Y could have shot him... What's your point?

Before somebody jumps down my throat for that, I was trying to illustrate was the ignorance expressed by that argument as to why there should be no guns at all... There will always be guns, and there will always be illegal guns... There are no legal guns in England (except some cops/the military), and guess what? People still have them...

All that being said... This story wouldn't be as bad if somebody blew him away as he was running to his getaway car.

There are so many "should'a, could'a, would'a" scenarios here. Yes, the Y should ALWAYS check IDs, especially since this is basically a children's center. Yes, the cops should be more vigilent about enforcing things like restraining orders. Having said that, this is a guy who was going to do what he did regardless. Hopefully they catch this creep and beat him within an inch of his life, and then a little more. Ooops... I'm sorry, did I just advocate police brutality?

There are so many "should'a, could'a, would'a" scenarios here. Yes, the Y should ALWAYS check IDs, especially since this is basically a children's center. Yes, the cops should be more vigilent about enforcing things like restraining orders. Having said that, this is a guy who was going to do what he did regardless. Hopefully they catch this creep and beat him within an inch of his life, and then a little more. Ooops... I'm sorry, did I just advocate police brutality? Certainly not, shame on me.

Brendan, you wrote: All that being said... This story wouldn't be as bad if somebody blew him away as he was running to his getaway car.

Wow, man. How on earth do you figure??

Monica would still be dead.

Her kids would still be orphaned, and still would have seen their mother shot by their father before their eyes.

All the kids in that room at the Y would still have experienced the same trauma.

Revenge does nothing to lessen pain and loss. I can't imagine what this is going to do to her two kids, and I hope they have a loving extended family that will help them live through this.

Here here Kate! I sbsolutely agree. Having saud that, I still hope they hang this guy by his you-know-what!

Here here Kate! I sbsolutely agree. Having saud that, I still hope they hang this guy by his you-know-what!

I was parked on the east side of Walnut waiting for my daughter to get off the bus at Grove St when this incident happened.
The man never got out of his car, just slowly drove along the road stalking this poor woman pushing this child, screaming at her. She would stop walking, scream back at him, obviously hoping he would take off, but he didn't. When she realized he was not leaving, she turned around and walked back towards Grove Street. THEN, he whipped his car around in a U turn and as he passed me again, I saw he had children in the back seat. I called the Police when I saw he was still following her, but she turned the corner on Grove, he turned at the light, still stalking her, and they were out of my sight.
The Dispatcher asked me if I thought it was a domestic dispute, and I told them I didn't know what it was, but obviously a dangerous situation for her and the kids in the back seat with this out of control man driving.
Two Police cars went down Grove St in the direction she walked, so I don't know if they found her and I was never called back.
This morning I saw this suspects picture, and it was the same man who glared at me when I was on the phone to the police.

"Revenge does nothing to lessen pain and loss."

I'm pretty sure thats exactly what revenge does... What it doesn't do is change the situation, it *does* generally make somebody "feel better" (read: lessen pain)

Actually, the dictionary agrees with me too ('7. an opportunity to retaliate or gain satisfaction.'), imagine that...

You are right, all the horrible things that happened yesterday would still have happened... Except the cops wouldn't be looking for this guy now...

That combined with all the wonderful things this guy may do in the rest of his life (get into a shootout with the cops, sit in a cell and watch cable tv you're paying for, etc.) wouldn't happen. So yes, I do think this whole situation would be better if somebody shot him as he was running out of the building...

There are illegal guns in England, brendan, but many fewer than in the US. And many fewer murders.

The photo comes from the Department of Corrections web site.

You can type in his name at

https://www6.state.nj.us/DOC_Inmate/inmatesearch.jsp

Kenneth Duckett has two prior convictions.

Lot of people have been blaming guns, but why is accepted that criminals like him are out on the streets?

brendan, firearms were used in 0.5% of crimes committed in the UK in 2005. Figures have risen in the years following, but in 2007 it was still below 3% of total. Most people in the UK DO NOT have guns, and it is very difficult to lay hands on one. I am not suggesting that this fact alone accounts for the lower rates, but to suggest that making guns difficult to obtain will have NO impact on the rate of violent crime with firearms flies in the face of the evidence.
That being said, this individual would clearly have found a way to kill this woman, with or without a gun ban. But I'd venture to say that many other types of deaths from guns could be prevented if it were more difficult to obtain firearms. Of course, the Supreme Court has weighed in on this, and it seems we're going in the opposite direction.

Yes Walleroo, but there are far fewer "legal" guns in England as well. I don't know the numbers, but certainly a great percentage of gun crimes (everywhere) are committed with "legal" firearms. Also, the lunatics are going to get their hands on weapons regardless of the law, and regardless of what country they live in, so I'm not sure I see your point here.

I dont know about anybody else; my point was "illegal or not, there will be guns"

if we're going to throw around statistics lets include the states with lenient concealed carry laws and how that affected local violent crime rates...

if new jersey had more lenient carry laws, and somebody shot this guy, would anybody be sad about it? (if you were one of the people hoping for some police brutality, that counts as a no)

Brendan,
May you never get caught in the crossfire.

And may you never get in a car, visit mcdonalds, or do any of the billion other things which make life unsafe...

Brendan,

No, I don't think anyone would have been upset if someone had blown this guy away, myself included, but I don't know anyone other than right wing loons who would advocate lenient carry laws, esspecially in such a densly populated area. That's simply irresponsible, because people, for the most part are irresponsible. You can't possibly think a more heavily armed public is going to have a positive effect on anything?

Brendan, anyone who shot this guy when he was running away would be a vigilante and subject to a murder charge himself. Your solution just compounds the problem.

Subject to a murder charge?

Are you for real? The guy shot the mother of his children in cold blood... Assuming that you were licensed to carry, there is nothing they could do to you even if they wanted to.

Take a look at the justifiable homicide laws and how they are worded... If you yelled at the guy to stop and drop his gun, and he turned toward you... guess what? You can shoot him.

Vigilanteism would be if you decided to track him down instead of the cops... Doing something in the moment to protect yourself or others is a very different thing...

Brendan needs an anger management class.

Everything about this is upsetting. I went to school with the shooter, the same classrooms all through middle school and a few classes together at MHS. My heart goes out to the children and I prey the victim rests in peace. I have no sympathy or understanding toward my old classmate. But he should be processed per our system of justice, however that plays out, not some system of street justice, or vigilante justice.

Brendan: I'm pretty sure thats exactly what revenge does... What it doesn't do is change the situation, it *does* generally make somebody "feel better" (read: lessen pain). Actually, the dictionary agrees with me too ('7. an opportunity to retaliate or gain satisfaction.'), imagine that...

Oddly enough, I don't take pointers on moral issues from dictionary definitions.

In saying "however that plays out," I do not mean he walks post trial - I was considering the idea that he continues to run and is shot down by law enforcement - aka someone licensed to carry. I realized after posting that I may have seemed insensitive.

I can't sit here while everyone bashes Brendan. The way i see his point is that if Duckett was killed, he would not pose a further threat or burden to society.

If he is caught, he will probably put up a fight. That always carries the possibility of a police injury.

If he flees from police, the possibility of a hostage situation is always a possibility.

If he used his street purchased gun before, he will probably use it again. That puts everyone of us on here, right now, at risk of being there when he decides to use it again.

Don't look too far into the thought of him being killed on his way out of the Y. Maybe if he slipped and fell into the pool and drowned, it would have helped.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Brendan,
Who said life is safe? It never has been. Security is pretty much an illusion. I just don't see the need to make it more unsafe.

No, but three lefts do!

Actually, I'm with Brendan on this one. Despite the fact that I hate guns, it would have been nice if someone had been there with a pistol to put a nice, quick, period on this story!

hrhppg,

For this creep, I'd settle for some "jailhouse" justice.....

Yes prof, but that would follow our court system doing it's thing. Just like Jeffrey Dahmer ? he got his day in court then he got true justice.

I think our prisons are much too nice. Cable tv? Cigarettes? Mattresses?

There are many times when I think no cruel and unusual punishment protects the dregs and prevents punishment being any real deterrent to crime.

"For this creep, I'd settle for some "jailhouse" justice....."

This "creep" has already had about 2 years of "jailhouse justice". Didn't seem to be bad enough to dissuade him from wanting to go back. I have a feeling the threat of (more) jail time isn't that big of a deal to him.

If he had the "jailhouse justice" I'm talking about, he never would have been out.......

(Obviously, I'm not talking about doing his time, watching tv.........)

Yep, but he's probably not getting that treatment in jail. He's probably just killing time with his boys.

A few related headlines for today in New Jersey (where it's actually hard to get a legal gun):

? Police hunt for Kenneth Duckett, above, in shooting death of ex-wife during 4-year-old son's swim lesson

? Two teenage girls are shot, one fatally, at Newark graduation party 1:05 p.m. ET

? Road remains closed in Denville due to shooting inquiry 9:58 a.m. ET

? Police say Camden slaying victim was bystander 8:45 a.m. ET

What I wouldn't want to see in any of these cases is a citizen responding with more gunfire.

If you saw him running out with a knife instead of a gun, and you were driving down the street, would you have sped up and tried to hit him with the car?

What's the difference?

Oh, by the way, one of those shootings you're talking about was a cop shooting somebody...

I hope the $5000 entices one of his friends to turn him in.

"I hope the $5000 entices one of his friends to turn him in."

That's assuming the loser actually has friends. I wouldn't bet on it.

The what if game is pointless.

What if someone licensed, armed, etc was there - and in their attempt to fire on a fleeing suspect among children running in a panic aross a room someone else got hurt?

What if I see a knife weilding moron while I'm drving my dented heap and I miss my target and someone else gets hurt?

There is a reason guns laws vary by state - the need/want aspect varies.

I'd never ever own a gun in NJ, but it bothers me that in VT where we are isloted that we aren't armed to the teeth. Of course here the average police responce time in 4 minutes where in VT it is 15 minutes.

I guess that means I too went to high school with the evil disgusting shooter man. Though I can't say I have any recollection of him.

I like the Goodbye Earl form of justice myself which is what I'd dole out because last time I checked those restraining orders aren't carrying.

Excuse me, but did anyone actually see Duckett running down the street & carrying a gun after the shooting?

The only reports I've seen had someone, not necessarily Duckett, "walking oddly" down a street & throwing a ski mask into a bush, & Duckett himself jumping into a white Jeep driven by another person.

Assuming for a moment that the armed-citizens scenario were in play, what exactly would be the means & justification for identifying & shooting Duckett? Is someone on the sidewalk supposed to intuit that there was a murder in the Y & magically know that a certain guy is the perp?

Get real. Some people just live in a fantasy world.

I think you missed the part about seeing a person running away from a shooting carrying a gun, somebody tries to stop them and they turn on you with the gun.....

Way to read...

He proabaly felt "dissed" in some way, and thinks (no, feels) in some twisted way that shooting a defenseless woman adds to his "street cred." His life is over at this point, and I hope heis as tortured as that poor wpman's children are, after which he is ocnsigned to a bad place in the afterlife.

He proabaly felt "dissed" in some way, and thinks (no, feels) in some twisted way that shooting a defenseless woman adds to his "street cred." His life is over at this point, and I hope he is as tortured as that poor wpman's children are, after which he is consigned to a bad place in the afterlife.

I apologize for the duplication.

Have they not found this scum yet?