Posted by Lenny, Hialeah, Fl. on May 5, 2010:

Mr Giovanini was very lucky. Most people would not survive a crossbow bolt to the back. Upon hitting a target, the bolt has more energy than a bullet. Lucky, indeed.

Posted by Dano, Illinois on May 6, 2010:

Arrows? Hell I didn't even see the Indians!

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Thank you Starsky and Hutch. -rc

Posted by Joan, Henderson, NV on May 7, 2010:

Did Mr. Wood seriously believe he could shoot his neighbor with a crossbow and get away with it? If Mr. Giovannini had been killed, how long do you think it would have taken the police to home in on the neighbor he had problems with? I truly hope Mr. Wood isn't a member of the S.C.A.

Posted by Andrew, Maine on May 8, 2010:

Joan, people who resort to violence the way this guy did usually don't think about the consequences (that's one of the reasons Randy's websites and newsletters are so successful). As far as being a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, or medieval history buffs, for those not familiar with the group), a lot of hunters, rednecks, ninja wannabes, and other assorted losers also have crossbows. The area around Trenton does have a lot of SCA members, so anything's possible.

Posted by bandit, albuquerque on May 9, 2010:

Since the SCA came up ... In roughly 2002, San Jose, CA, cops were called to an apartment building where a guy in full (plate or chain) armor and sword was beating on cars with the sword. The cops hit him with a Bean Bag gun. His first words when he came to were "Don't they give you guys real bullets anymore?"

He was *not* SCA - he was Ren Fair. For several months afterwards, folks showing up up at SCA fighting practice were assured that the guy was Ren Fair, not SCA. Of course, most cops have *no clue* on the difference.

However, I doubt Mr. Woods was a member of the SCA - but this is just a guess. I would hope an SCA member in good standing would have better aim.

A point of terminology: crossbows shoot bolts, bows shoot arrows. A quarrel is a square headed bolt.

The guy who was hit with the bolt was lucky it only went in 4 inches. I assume the cops had a confession it was a crossbow, not the normal bow, because I would assume a greater penetration from a crossbow vs a bow, all other things equal. The string is under a consistent tension with a cocked crossbow, where a bow string tension depends in the user.

A normal bow, in the hands of a skilled user, can be very deadly. My father and his buddies (mainly Texans and Oakies) used to hunt wild pigs with bows. The wild pigs have a tendency to be upset if you just wound them. Of course, there was always a guy with a .45 with the bow hunters....

Posted by Robert in Missouri on May 10, 2010:

I wonder if Wood knew he could be locked up for murder when he decided to use a crossbow to begin with. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't locked up for attempted murder.

Posted by Bob in Illinois on May 11, 2010:

To: Andrew, Maine Your comment "As far as being a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, or medieval history buffs, for those not familiar with the group), a lot of hunters, rednecks, ninja wannabes, and other assorted losers also have crossbows." is insulting to say the least, just because a person own a crossbow does not make them a loser. The real losers are people like you that think so high and mighty about yourself that you have to call everyone else a loser. You might want to be careful you never know who is in one of your loser groups and you know we're all looking to put a bolt in your back.

Posted by Lenore in New Jersey on May 12, 2010:

I think Bob in Illinois' comment was inappropriate. While I agree that Andrew in Maine was out of line in using the term "losers", that doesn't justify Bob's threat of violence against him.

Posted by eileen in san jose, ca on May 13, 2010:

I'm a member of a reenactment group. I own both longbows and a crossbow, used for target shooting (lots of fun...). An ethical reenactor would never use these weapons against a person except in self-defense.

Posted by Mike from Dallas on June 3, 2010:

Sure is a good thing NJ passed that 1-handgun-purchase-per-month law. Definitely has reduced the weapons violence and made the state a safer place. (But I'm still not walking through Newark at night.)