CA Skater Declared Brain Dead

[AGD]

To the Paintball World,

This appeared in the Associated Press Newswire today. Be prepaired for an onslaught of bad press.

Our condolences go out to the Holdren family with a promise to try and make sure this never happens again.

I you are aware of ANYONE doing drive by shootings with paintballs you are endangering peoples lives by not reporting them. Please donate to the Gary Holdren Fund setup at Spplat.com.

AGD


SoCal skater struck by paintball pellets declared brain dead

04/07/2002
Associated Press Newswires
Copyright 2002. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) - A 54-year-old skater, comatose for nearly two weeks since falling after being struck by paintball pellets, has been declared brain dead, friends said.

Gary Michael Holdren of Newport Beach is an organ donor and will remain on life support machines until his organs are harvested, his friend and colleague Ronda DiVerde said Saturday. Holdren's fiancee, Bonita Young, has been visiting Holdren at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo and confirmed the prognosis.

Holdren has been in a coma since March 24 when a shower of red paintball pellets from 50-foot bluffs along Back Bay Road in Newport Beach struck him as he skated. He fell back and hit his head.

Holdren wasn't wearing a helmet.

No arrests have been made but police are searching for three youths.

Pellets can travel up to 280 feet per second.

Holdren was the manager at Sulzer Medics, where DiVerde also worked.

People seemingly loved Holdren, even if they didn't know him. Once, after an evening of eating and dancing with his fiancee at an expensive restaurant, Holdren went to pay the bill. He was told that a couple who had been watching Holdren and Young dance had already paid the tab, Young said.

[ShooterJM]

Just so everyone knows.

Magic37220
Good news concerning the paintball attack
From http://www.fox11la.com/home/

(Newport Beach-AP) -- An autopsy report has cast doubt on what led to the death of a 54-year-old inline skater who authorities initially thought was the victim of a paintball attack.

Gary Holdren was declared dead this weekend at a Mission Viejo hospital. He had been in a coma for two weeks.

Authorities initially thought it was a paintball attack that caused the Newport Beach man to fall and suffer a head injury. But police say a coroner's report and statements from doctors who treated Holdren found no direct evidence that he was struck by paintball pellets.

A witness did tell police that three boys were firing paintball guns in the area where Holdren was skating. Police still would like to interview them to see if they can aid in the investigation.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Webmaster]

I deleted all the other posts but the two most relivant ones - lets try again and this time be civil.

[cphilip]

Yes, Shooter that seems to be sgnifigant new development. Seems It may have been a incorrect assumption of placing two seperate incidents into the same place at the same time and relating them together. One can only hope that it will get the same press as the earlier assumption did.

However it is still sad that the results are the same. A person was fataly injured. My condolences to his family.

[AllAmericanMag]

I found this on PBreview.com...
In Memory of Gary Michael Holdren Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Andrew @ 11:00 am PST

On Sunday April 7, at least 50 people walked down the Back Bay in memory of Gary Michael Holdren, who passed away on April 6. Officials said Monday that they are no longer sure that paintballs played a role in the death of the 54-year-old, who was in-line skating down Back Bay Drive on March 24.

The family has asked that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Brain Trauma Center at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.

Please make sure to read the following news stories for...

[nutz]

i hate that this has to happen this way, but i am glad that the police and anyone else investigating is interested in more than just finding the suspects, but also looking into other things that happend. I am extremely sorry for his family but atleast skating with out a helmet is being brought up in the spot light, so that more people can be informed of the dangers of skating with no helmet

[OldSchoolMag]

It sucks that he's brain dead, and now DEAD dead, so I feel for his family. I'm glad that they've been looking into paintball as a cause, but it strikes me as odd that they didn't notice this SOONER. To me, if a man came in with no paintball welts, marks, or even PAINT on him, I'd question it right there... you've got to wonder why they didn't try to rule that out before. Oh well.

OSM

[RTMAGBOY13]

c paintball is fun and all but people who do drive bys and shoot people that don't want to be shot are just....BAD

My sypathy goes to all who were killed and injured from irrisposable people who think its funny to hurt and kill inocent people

[billmi]

I have both sympathy and respect for Mr. Holdren's fiancee.

The press and police both initially said that Holdren was the victim of a paintball attack.

From what I have learned, people being assaulted with rocks, bottles, and other thrown items is somewhat common in that area. Instead of coming out against paintball as many people would in that situation, Mr. Holdren's fiancee has begun rallying the community to solve the problem of violence in that area. She has pointed out the problem not of paintguns existing, but of minors using them without supervision or guidance from their parents.

See you on the field,
-Bill Mills

[HarryM]

our deepest sympathy goes out to the Holdren Family.
Team_AGD (Lions)

[ShooterJM]

Originally posted by cphilip
Yes, Shooter that seems to be sgnifigant new development. Seems It may have been a incorrect assumption of placing two seperate incidents into the same place at the same time and relating them together. One can only hope that it will get the same press as the earlier assumption did.

However it is still sad that the results are the same. A person was fataly injured. My condolences to his family.

Yeah, one can only hope.

My condolences as well, losing a family memeber and friend will change a person forever.

Bill Mills - I agree. When I heard that that was the stance she was taking, I was floored. A person who, in the midst of a tragedy, can still wade through emotions to find the logical truth deserves respect. I commend her for that.

[cphilip]

Sounds like a great Lady. I sure would like to meet her some day and thank her for being so wise and understanding.

[Panzerr]

He should have been wearing a helmet.

[pbR2k2]

I just hate hearing about it when someone dies. Whoever does drive-bys with paintball guns, or anything like that is just stupid. He's only 54, seems like every should at least live till there 100... I hope that his family is at least ok...

-† î [\/]

[irbodden]

Originally posted by OldSchoolMag
To me, if a man came in with no paintball welts, marks, or even PAINT on him, I'd question it right there... you've got to wonder why they didn't try to rule that out before. Oh well.

The idea was he fell down and got hurt- what if he was seeing paintball flying his way and splatting on the ground? He tried to skate off, feel hurt himself.

Thats why they didnt rule out paintball guns even though he had no welts..

[KAPP667]

That is really sad. WEAR A HELMET !
I haven't heard anything about paintball being attacked. Only time that usually happens is if there is a state wide proposition to ban paintball or a bunch of kids film themselves doing drivebys and the news has nothing better to air and some ignorant reporter spins it out of proportion.
No one has ever died from anything paintball related, hopefully it stays that way. And if anyone thinks of banning paint markers, tell them baseball bats, hockey sticks, hockey pucks, baseballs, and sports cars must be banned also. I njuries and deaths due to those equipment account for more deaths than any paintball.

Play smart, don't be stupid, paintball will get to where we want it sometime soon.

[slayer]

Well, well it seems like someone in the press may have jumped the gun. Paintball or no paintball if he wore a helmet, I doubt he would have died.