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  • MONDAY AUGUST 15 2005 7:00 PM

"Marine of the Year" Charged With Attempted Murder

Submitted by MissTyrios

Edited by MissTyrios

Last month, Sgt. Daniel Cotnoir was named "Marine of the Year" for his service in Iraq. But today, he faced charges of attempted murder after opening fire on a nightclub crowd outside his apartment in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Early Saturday morning, police said, he pointed a 12-gauge shotgun out the window of his second-floor apartment and fired a single shot at a noisy crowd leaving nearby nightclubs. Lissette Cumba, 15, and Kelvin Castro, 20, were both struck in the leg by fragments. They were treated at local hospitals and released.

Cotnoir, a married father of two daughters, told police he feared for the safety of his family after someone threw an empty juice bottle through his bedroom window.


Cotnoir pled not guilty, saying publicly that his job as a mortician preparing the bodies of dead U.S. soldiers took a severe psychological toll on him during his 10 months in Iraq. He claims he meant to only fire a warning shot.

[Victim Lissette] Cumba's uncle, James Rodriquez, was visibly angry after Cotnoir's arraignment.

"She's been crying all night," he said of his niece. "If this man is sick, why was he holding weapons in his house?"

James Stokes, a retired minister who went to school with Cotnoir's father, said he does not believe Daniel Cotnoir was trying to kill anyone.

"This man is a wonderful person," he said. "Something might have happened when he came back from Iraq. ... He's out there picking up body parts," he said.


Cotnoir will undergo psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. He is charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.

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Comments
Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

AUG 15, 2005 09:33 PM

Clearly, the folks he shot at hate freedom.

Volkov

Volkov

San Antonio, TX
OLD SKOOL

AUG 15, 2005 09:35 PM

I was going off the second story window makes for about 15 feet up at least and out the window across a street. figure...100 feet for across the street to that parking lot. that's out of lethal range given a typical spread pattern. I'm trying to look up the information. the link to the article from the original post is no good.

here's an article

it doesn't really list the distances or the ammo used.

it does mention


Cotnoir has frequently called police to complain about noise and fights outside the Punto Finale nightclub. Last year, police said, he claimed someone leaving the club had fired a gunshot at his apartment.



and



The job took a heavy psychological toll, he told the Eagle-Tribune in an interview last month after the Marine Corps Times named Cotnoir its "Marine of the Year," an award presented to him at a ceremony in Washington. At the time, he was getting counseling at a veterans hospital.



which points makes me wonder why things were ignored until he snapped like that.

also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



another article says he called the police before the shooting to complain again and he was also drinking and arguing with his wife. not sure how much those things contributed to his state of mind.




[Edited on Aug 15, 2005 by Volkov]

life_returns

life_returns

Oakland, CA
April 2003

AUG 15, 2005 09:39 PM

Bummer Bro.

Vathek

vathek

Los Angeles, CA
January 2005

AUG 15, 2005 09:41 PM

Goodnight ladies...

[Edited on Aug 15, 2005 10:30PM]

Thistle

Thistle

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

AUG 15, 2005 09:43 PM

Volkov said:
I was going off the second story window makes for about 15 feet up at least and out the window across a street. figure...100 feet for across the street to that parking lot. that's out of lethal range given a typical spread pattern. I'm trying to look up the information. the link to the article from the original post is no good.



It's kind of hard to judge the distance when we're just going off our interpretations of "second story window, parking lot across the street."

But I think if we're going on the basis of intent, firing a shotgun at a crowd of people is pretty homicidal, even if the gun could not actually have killed them at that range.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

AUG 15, 2005 09:46 PM

Remember the good old days when people didnt try to defend someone shooting into a crowd?

He shot into a crowd. With a shotgun. Jesus people.

GramNegative

GramNegative

I'm lost
October 2004

AUG 15, 2005 09:48 PM

Volkov said:
I was going off the second story window makes for about 15 feet up at least and out the window across a street. figure...100 feet for across the street to that parking lot. that's out of lethal range given a typical spread pattern.



Look, there are clearly lots of extenuating circumstances to be taken into account by the judge. So hopefully there is no manditory minimum sentance of 20 years involved here.

But if a crack dealer took a 100 foot shotgun shot at a cop, I don't think I'd hear you talking about typical spread patterns.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

AUG 15, 2005 09:48 PM

Volkov said:
also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



Oh, I'm sorry, are my editorial duties not up to your exacting standards? And where exactly do I express an opinion on the issue in the story? And where are those things mentioned in the article that I linked to, which happens to be from the most reliable Boston newspaper there is? I posted a telling of an article, I didn't go out and do my own field research.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

AUG 15, 2005 09:50 PM

Additionally, I would like to point out that in many states - though not Massachusetts - shooting a gun into a crowd qualifies as manifesting "extreme indifference to human life," which often counts as an "aggravating factor" in homicides and attempted homicides. So if this guy had done the same thing in, for example, Alabama, he could be facing a hell of a lot more serious charges.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

AUG 15, 2005 09:50 PM

MissTyrios said:

Volkov said:
also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



Oh, I'm sorry, are my editorial duties not up to your exacting standards? And where exactly do I express an opinion on the issue in the story? And where are those things mentioned in the article that I linked to, which happens to be from the most reliable Boston newspaper there is? I posted a telling of an article, I didn't go out and do my own field research.


Yes, why didn't you include the spread pattern of the shotgun? Just what are you trying to hide?!?!?!

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

AUG 15, 2005 09:54 PM

MissTyrios said:
Additionally, I would like to point out that in many states - though not Massachusetts - shooting a gun into a crowd qualifies as manifesting "extreme indifference to human life," which often counts as an "aggravating factor" in homicides and attempted homicides. So if this guy had done the same thing in, for example, Alabama, he could be facing a hell of a lot more serious charges.


You know why its not against the law here? Because we dont have as many guns. So you dont have many instances of people shooting into crowds to begin with.


So to recap, he shouldn't of done it, no one got seriously hurt (lucky kids I might add), and the guy needs some help, which I am all for him getting, the poor bastard.

Volkov

Volkov

San Antonio, TX
OLD SKOOL

AUG 15, 2005 09:55 PM

GramNegative said:

Volkov said:
I was going off the second story window makes for about 15 feet up at least and out the window across a street. figure...100 feet for across the street to that parking lot. that's out of lethal range given a typical spread pattern.



Look, there are clearly lots of extenuating circumstances to be taken into account by the judge. So hopefully there is no manditory minimum sentance of 20 years involved here.

But if a crack dealer took a 100 foot shotgun shot at a cop, I don't think I'd hear you talking about typical spread patterns.



actually if he specifically targeted that cop. I still would. as in "what a moron. he's trying to kill a cop with a shotgun at that range?"

unless they can prove that was actually aiming at a particular person to kill what you have is a guy firing in the direction of a crowd of people. and given that he hit only two people out of however many would indicate that he wasn't aiming center mass...or maybe he's just a shitty shot.

the guy committed a crime. a serious one. I'm just saying I don't see where the grounds for attempted murder come into play.

please do not presume to know my mind on completly unrelated hypothetical events and extrapolate them to my arguments on this one, thanks.

Volkov

Volkov

San Antonio, TX
OLD SKOOL

AUG 15, 2005 09:59 PM

MissTyrios said:

Volkov said:
also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



Oh, I'm sorry, are my editorial duties not up to your exacting standards? And where exactly do I express an opinion on the issue in the story? And where are those things mentioned in the article that I linked to, which happens to be from the most reliable Boston newspaper there is? I posted a telling of an article, I didn't go out and do my own field research.




you're right, it's not.
it's called "framing the issue".
and just because I don't agree with you on it doesn't mean you have to take offense. we see most issues not eye to eye I imagine.

also the link to the article provided took me to a "page not found" message. not saying you did that purposefully, just letting you know.

the article was taken from a stock AP report which is also deseminated to other news outlets. I found it on cnn and a couple others. googling "Marine of the Year, shotgun" brought up a few pages..all with the same AP newswire report.

Volkov

Volkov

San Antonio, TX
OLD SKOOL

AUG 15, 2005 10:01 PM

TheBastard said:

MissTyrios said:

Volkov said:
also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



Oh, I'm sorry, are my editorial duties not up to your exacting standards? And where exactly do I express an opinion on the issue in the story? And where are those things mentioned in the article that I linked to, which happens to be from the most reliable Boston newspaper there is? I posted a telling of an article, I didn't go out and do my own field research.


Yes, why didn't you include the spread pattern of the shotgun? Just what are you trying to hide?!?!?!



the spread pattern wasn't mentioned in the article and wasn't what I was talking about.

I was talking about the prior events leading up to this and the fact that the guy was already having (and known to be) seeking counseling.

and on those counts it was the Boston paper's editing apparantly.

edit: I misread you I think. I don't know. I'm tired and I'm going to sleep.



[Edited on Aug 15, 2005 by Volkov]

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

AUG 15, 2005 10:02 PM

Volkov said:

MissTyrios said:

Volkov said:
also makes me wonder why neither of those things were considered salient enough to be mentioned in the original post about the event.



Oh, I'm sorry, are my editorial duties not up to your exacting standards? And where exactly do I express an opinion on the issue in the story? And where are those things mentioned in the article that I linked to, which happens to be from the most reliable Boston newspaper there is? I posted a telling of an article, I didn't go out and do my own field research.




you're right, it's not.
it's called "framing the issue".
and just because I don't agree with you on it doesn't mean you have to take offense. we see most issues not eye to eye I imagine.

also the link to the article provided took me to a "page not found" message. not saying you did that purposefully, just letting you know.

the article was taken from a stock AP report which is also deseminated to other news outlets. I found it on cnn and a couple others. googling "Marine of the Year, shotgun" brought up a few pages..all with the same AP newswire report.



The link changed since I originally posted it, so I replaced it with the new one.

And when you say that you wonder why issues weren't considered salient enough to include in the original post...it's real easy to see that as a dig of the author. Perhaps better is to say, "In this other article I found, there was evidence that he had called the police..."

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