Xavius

'Smiling' driver runs over 3 toddlers, 2 adults
Witnesses: Man backed up after first impact, hit victims again

Wednesday, May 24, 2006; Posted: 1:14 a.m. EDT (05:14 GMT)


'Smiling' man runs down 5 (1:16)
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Manage Alerts | What Is This? COVINGTON, Georgia (AP) -- A driver ran over three young children and two women in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant Tuesday, police said. One witness described the man as having a smile on his face.

A 2-year-old girl was in critical condition Tuesday night; two other children and a pair of adult sisters were in stable condition, authorities said.

Lanny Barnes, 36, was in custody at the Newton County Sheriff's Office and faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault, said Covington Assistant Police Chief Almond Turner.

"All indications are that he intentionally hit them," Turner said. (Watch witnesses describe a "berserk" driver -- 1:16)

There was no apparent connection between Barnes and the victims, police said.

Witnesses said the car went over a curb as the victims left the restaurant, hit them and the building before backing up and hitting them again, police said.

Barnes' mother, Mary, told The Associated Press that her son has battled mental illness.

"He's been suffering with depression for years," she said, her voice shaking after being contacted by telephone and told by a reporter what happened. "Lord have mercy."

Ryan Boldman-Snyder, 20, an employee at the restaurant, was on a break outside when he heard screaming, and said Barnes was "smiling the whole time."

Witnesses tried to pull Barnes out of his car. Police officers finally pulled him out of the car from the passenger-side front door, Boldman-Snyder said.

The victims were identified as Anita King, 36, of North Carolina and 2-year-old daughter Avery Nicole King; and Stephanie Casola, 33, of Covington and her children, Jacob Paul, 4, and Isaac Raymond, 3.

McDonald's area franchise manager Bill Hall said the company was deeply saddened.

"Our prayers are with the victims, the children, and their families," Hall said. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities as they investigate."

Hall said that the restaurant, about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta, would remain closed for the rest of the day and that counseling was being provided for employees.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/23/mc...h.ap/index.html
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Talk about the joker sheesh. What a psychopath. Then again it amazes me that this doesn't happen more often considering the type of people we issue driver's licenses to.

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Dawson

I see no reason why this guy should be allowed to live.

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alextastic

seriously.

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Ragnar Danneskjöld

Lynch that mofo.

Paul Weller

I laughed when I read the title.

It's just so unrealistic sounding.

But really, I'm with Dawson.

Execute the bastard.

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We're all just hapless victims of knowledge and learning and such
The man you thought you licked 'em but you choked in the clutch
Brent Black, you said it yourself it's an ethereal kind of flu
A Mac virus reveals the plot of the fiendish Fu Man Chu

Razor Blade

Ditto

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Game Guru

What's with the calls for excecutions! Damn! People are idiots!


















































































Let's let the kid's dads tie his ass up on a post and punch the sh!t out of him for about two hours for everyday for the rest of his life. Seems like an adequate punishment.

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Xavius

Almost seems like the Joker had something to do with it hmm.

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Dark Aerow

Wtf, lets hang this guy by his testicles, then gouge his eyes out and throw him in the middle of a very large body of water and leave him there to drown after hours of hopeless swimming.

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"If one rejects laissez faire on account of mans fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reason also reject every kind of government action." -Mises

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right." - MLK

Game Guru

Well, I used to live in GA last year. Maybe I plotted the attack!

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Machine Knight

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Dark Aerow

I'd rather just throw him in the ocean. Seems a lot cheaper if we avoid all the legal bs and whatnots.

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"If one rejects laissez faire on account of mans fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reason also reject every kind of government action." -Mises

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right." - MLK

Machine Knight

Thats right violence is the answer

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Xavius

What if the guy proves to be mentally ill or flat out retarded?

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Dolphin

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Knight of Cydonia

Indeed, it sickens me to see the majority of people here actually advocating the death sentence for this, capital punishment should only be used as a means of prevention, not as a means of vengeance, a civilised society should be above such things, even thoughit's members perhaps can never be above it, since it remains a rather primal instinct, we cannot allow it to be institutionalised. And since imprisoning him for life will clearly prevent him from ever committing such a crime again, it should suffice. Not to forget Xavius point, what if he is mentally ill?

And for those who may argue that life imprisonment isn't severe enough a punishment, what would you chose when offered the choice: life without any privileges or a bullet to the brain? My choice would be rather easily made...

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Kuriboo

More crazy people.....

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Mario's Bitch

chowdy

you start off implying that execution is too harsh a punishment and that he should get life in prison... and then imply that life in prison is worse than death.

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steamid: chowdy

Knight of Cydonia

Execution isn't too harsh a punishment, I said it was a unnecessary punishment, one that degradates the moral standards of a society... Plus I only used the latter argument in an attempt to disprove those who argue that life in prison isn't severe enough, by saying that some would even prefer death over it, perhaps not me in the end but...

Anyways, my two arguments do not contradict.

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