NationStates Jolt Archive

Like house-breaking, mugging and Drug/Gang Wars... not book-deals gone bad. :confused:

Fri, 3 June, 2005, 17:44 GMT 18:44 UK

Gunfire over 'stolen Potter book'

Two men are being held after shots were fired during what was thought to have been a newspaper deal to buy a stolen copy of the new Harry Potter novel.

Police were called to Tresham Street in Kettering, Northants, on Friday morning after reports a weapon had been fired.

Police said a person "in possession of firearms" had tried to sell a copy of the new Potter novel, but no weapon had yet been found despite a search.

The Sun newspaper said it had intended to obtain the book and inform police.
Surrounding streets were shut as armed officers looked for the gun involved following the incident, a Northamptonshire Police spokesman said.

Two men aged 37 and 19 from Kettering were held, and two books were recovered.

The police spokesman said: "A firearms operation was launched at a residential address in Kettering town centre which resulted in two men being arrested on suspicion of theft and firearms offences."

A spokesman for The Sun said the paper had been approached by someone claiming to have a copy of JK Rowling's latest novel.

He said: "A reporter and photographer met with two men with the intention of obtaining the book so it could be returned to the publisher and the police could be informed."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Rowling's sixth book, is published on 16 July.

It has sparked huge interest because of Rowling's revelation that a major character would be killed off.

Bookmakers were forced to suspend betting on the victim's identity late last month amid fears that the manuscript had been leaked.

Suspicions were aroused because of a string of bets on the death of the Hogwarts head teacher, Professor Dumbledore.

The flurry of bets came from the town of Bungay in Suffolk, where it is thought the book is being printed.

BBC News Online is on the web at bbc.co.uk/news

Edit: Because I've confused some people... The Title is an example of the use of Irony.
In the US, people do not tend to shoot at each other over a book.

Shoes, yes. (Thank you, John Nike) Books, no. :rolleyes:

Lol :d

Doesn't that article talk about events in England not United States?

Doesn't that article talk about events in England not United States?

Yes, and that's the point.

One might also ask where booksellers get pistols in the UK, since they're completely illegal. Ah, but I guess someone willing to commit another crime (selling illicit copies of books) is also willing to commit the crime of gun possession.

Doesn't that article talk about events in England not United States?

I thought so, too, actually...

I thought so, too, actually...


The original poster was being sarcastic...

So those are the kind of people who have guns in the UK...

Wow, just wow.

Thats why we need more guns. Send some over there, they need protection from Readers of Harry potter. I hate that book and its against my religion to read it or something so its good, but seriously, this is just over a lil book?

A lil book caused the death of x people for the reason of y (I forgot most of the article)? That is why a human made something called a computer, tv, movies and videogames.

Yes, and that's the point.

One might also ask where booksellers get pistols in the UK, since they're completely illegal. Ah, but I guess someone willing to commit another crime (selling illicit copies of books) is also willing to commit the crime of gun possession.
Oh right, sorry I misunderstood.

Just because you make something illegal does not mean it will cut out all instances of it. After all, murder is illegal - murders still occur.

However, to me it seems very sensible to remove as many guns as humanly possible from society - whilst some will of course still fall into the wrong hands, at least it's less likely to occur.

However, to me it seems very sensible to remove as many guns as humanly possible from society - whilst some will of course still fall into the wrong hands, at least it's less likely to occur.

Replace 'guns' with 'drugs'. How well does that statement hold up then? I realize that drugs are easier to smuggle then guns, at least in small quantities, but I think some parallels can be found between drug control and gun control.

Before we fall into the tired old debate on gun-control.

Am I the only one who considers it a pity the Sun didn't get hold of the book and spill it all? Because I would love for that to happen. (partly I admit because the Sun would be annihilated by all the lawsuits).

Before we fall into the tired old debate on gun-control.

Am I the only one who considers it a pity the Sun didn't get hold of the book and spill it all? Because I would love for that to happen. (partly I admit because the Sun would be annihilated by all the lawsuits).

Nah, I don't like it when someone ruins the endings of stories that I'm going to read.

Replace 'guns' with 'drugs'. How well does that statement hold up then? I realize that drugs are easier to smuggle then guns, at least in small quantities, but I think some parallels can be found between drug control and gun control.
The problem (maybe not a problem - but issue) that must be recognised is the cultural differences between countries as well as differences in quality of respect for law and policing standards which make comparisons in regulations re guns "challenging" between nations.

For instance, drugs are not anywhere near such a significant problem in Sweden as in USA or Great Britain.

its an odd concept, this gun-control business. Because governments worry about crime they take away the guns, then crimes scare people, and they want more guns. Kinda a see-saw on that regards, but then one thinks, when has gun restrictions stopped the sell of illeagal weapons. Don't think I've ever seen any organized crime members out pushing for less guns laws and the such, maybe its because the back doors are always there, and its only the simple person that the government wants to control anyway.

Governments like the US don't want to control the people, they want to make it look like they do. Then, while the general populace sits there either 'damning the man' or 'praiseing the good' the people in charge get to do what ever the hell they want, when they want. If the populace gets upset by it, then they toss out something for them to chew on instead, and they use the President as a target. Who runs the CIA or FBI or IRS or all these other branches of the government that really do everything, what are their morals, and what personal incentives do they have? Oh wait, the government keeps that from us so no one really knows, they get tossed out names, faces, and files, all collected by the government mind you, and then the press prints it, and people go, ahhh now we know....but what if the government wanted to keep it a secret, wouldn't they just toss out a faked document?

Thats why we need more guns. Send some over there, they need protection from Readers of Harry potter. I hate that book and its against my religion to read it or something so its good, but seriously, this is just over a lil book?

A lil book caused the death of x people for the reason of y (I forgot most of the article)? That is why a human made something called a computer, tv, movies and videogames.

Dammit, I knew that literacy was frowned upon by the religous types.

Before we fall into the tired old debate on gun-control.
Am I the only one who considers it a pity the Sun didn't get hold of the book and spill it all? Because I would love for that to happen. (partly I admit because the Sun would be annihilated by all the lawsuits).

But, but... what about the Page 3 Girls.... WAAAHHHHHH!

Oh right, sorry I misunderstood.

Just because you make something illegal does not mean it will cut out all instances of it. After all, murder is illegal - murders still occur.

However, to me it seems very sensible to remove as many guns as humanly possible from society - whilst some will of course still fall into the wrong hands, at least it's less likely to occur.

Well it's a time honored practice in America that if you want change then you just change the standards and change will happen on its own.

Too many drugs? Up the penalty.
Too many failing school children? Raise the passing grade from 65 to 85.
Is the weather too cold? Put up more thermometers.

And it works. I hung up 3 extra wall thermometers in my house just a few months ago and already the temprature's gone up about 30 degrees.

No one shoots each other for sensible reasons.

No one shoots each other for sensible reasons.

what if you have a drugged out crack head with a knife come running at you, and all you have to keep them away from you and your children is a 9mm, is it sensible to shoot them then? Or should you try to reason with them first?