one day in history June 14, 1988

some of you may remember carl rowan

stateman, ambassador to finland, delegate to the united nations, first african american to become a member of the national security council

and columnist

he was a finalist for the pulitzer prize for his columns in the chicago sun-times

madeleine albright dedicated the press briefing room at the state dept to carl rowan, and hence forth it was the carl t. rowan briefing room

in his columns he often called for the confiscation of guns

then on on june 14, 1988

carl rowan shot a teenager with an unregistered gun, thus an illegal gun

the teenager was swimming in rowans pool with some friends

yes they were trespassing

the stories of the participants differed greatly

the kid said he was in the pool, in his underwear, then was climbing out, rowan opened his back door and shot him, then rowan closed the door and went back into hiding in his house

rowan claimed the kid was advancing on him and despite warnings and telling him to "freeze", the kid made a lunge for him and he shot

you decide what makes more sense for teen skinny dippers to have done

wikipedia:

Rowan was charged for firing a gun that he did not legally own. Rowan was arrested and tried.

During the trial, he argued that he had the right to use whatever means necessary to protect himself and his family.

He also said the pistol he used was exempt from the District's handgun prohibition law because it belonged to his older son, a former FBI agent.

He was called out for hypocrisy, since Rowan was a strict gun control advocate.

In a 1981 column, he advocated "a law that says anyone found in possession of a handgun except a legitimate officer of the law goes to jail—period."

In 1985, he called for "A complete and universal federal ban on the sale, manufacture, importation and possession of handguns (except for authorized police and military personnel).

non wikipedia:

there were cries of racism for even trying rowan, of course had the participants color been reversed, the same racism charges likely would have occurred, only the other way around