Again, no specifics. If there were any, they would have been stated by now.

gazettefan yes mr.botsford is a combat veteran he was in the navy for 16 years and was honorably discharged for those of you that are wondering.

marge, to be eligible for membership in the VFW does not require combat veteran status. Very few of all veterans of a theater of war are actual combat veterans.

top...., our combat mission in Vietnam ended in January of 1973 at which time he would have been 16 years-old (he was born in November of 1956. 1975 was the fall of Saigon by the South Vietnamese. Even with our other war missions since then, the odds of his being a combat veteran are very, very slim. This is consistent with my statement that his age (and therefor his time of service) works against him. Possible and probable are not synonyms.

Belief on this blog, by some people, that he is a combat vet originated with posts by people who seem to know something about him. However, none of those posts are specific about what military action and what branch of service and what his military occupation was that would warrant a description of him as a combat veteran. Even if they chime in now with something more specific, their credibility has been damaged by a lack of earlier specificity.

Ironically, his actions the other night also work against the claim that he is a combat veteran. Contrary to how the public mind has been poisoned by certain elements in this country, combat veteran status does not cause or contribute to someone firing a weapon out of a window at other houses. To wrongly attribute combat status to him disparages all true combat veterans.

If all of this isn't enough for you, is the the other shooter (who is in thirties) a combat veteran too? I doubt it.

Probably drinking that fire water, rather than smoking any of that devil grass....=P

Sorry, forgot about Beruit, Lebanon in 82-83 (for all the Marines out there) and Panama in 88. I'm sure there are more that I am missing.

On a side note: Happy Birthday to any Marines in the audience!

Sorry combat_vet but at his age he turned 17 in 1974. We pulled out of Viet Nam in 75. He could be old enough to have served. Granada was in 83. Desert Storm in 91. All by the time he was 35. I am currently in Iraq and one the soldiers in my unit is only 2 years younger than Mr. Botsford (age 50). Our Brigade CSM is 61. Not trying to validate Mr. Botsford's idiotic decision, but you're attempt to claim that his age works against him for combat service is laughable.

well he is a member of the vet's club (Veterans of foreign wars) Congress sets the rules of who gets in--so he is a combat veteran

No one here has supplied any reason to believe this guy is a combat veteran. His age works against him for any such claim.

Also, despite the stereotypes created by and promoted by psychiatry, psychology, the hardleft, TV, movies, and some books, his behavior the other night does not follow from being a combat veteran.

fatty: I will not be ashamed for what i said about someone who could have killed many that night, you should be ashamed. As we saw from Texas last week not everyone in the military serves our country well and even if this Paul guy did good in the service it doesn't give hime a pass on shooting a gun out a window wildly. My life and everyother person's life that may have passed that house that night was in danger. From what I'm hearing in these blogs this guy has problems, who's to say he wasn't like this in the military also, I hold the highest respects for our Men and Women in the service but there also some bad apples that join the military also. I will not give this guy a pass for shooting a gun out the window just for the fact he was in the military. He and the other guys are nothing but morons if they did as accused.

In what way was he actually in military combat?

fatty: Paul was born in 1956 and you said “…instead of digging for dirt on whether or not he drank when he was younger…” ok these things that people are bringing up happened 2-3 years ago when he was 49 years old instead of his current 52. People are stating facts from his past, facts. Sorry but that was not when he was a young man like you are trying to make it out to seem. That is still relatively current information for the age of the individual. That being said the incidents ended in 2007 until this one the other night. That means up until shooting a firearm in Janesville it would appear from court records that this man had already hit bottom and hopefully was doing better. It sounds like he has declined again and you as his friends should encourage him to seek help. From your statements it sounds like this man was in the armed services and as long as he was not dishonorably discharged he should have access to people to talk to at the VA for free. Please as his friends encourage him to talk to someone and get the help that he obviously needs, he made a extremely stupid lapse in judgment and is very lucky that no one was harmed, I hope and pray that he gets the help that he needs (whether he needs help from something that happened when he was in the military or from something that happened outside of that I think it is obvious that he needs help), however I also hope that there are severe consequences for his actions, he endangered the safety of many and he must take responsibility for that and work again to turn his life around. He is very lucky that he did not hurt anyone and I hope that this is a wakeup call for him to make some changes in his life.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/war-...

What has he been through?

Sannio well put. i have known paul for a long long time. something is definitely awry with him. As for all of you who are mocking him after hearing that he would put your safety and well being before his own, that man has done more for you, your family and this entire country than you will ever dream of accomplishing. When you wake up tomorrow and see your family and they are all safe and sound, and enjoy your morning coffee before you run off to work, maybe you should thank him for fighting for your freedom and protecting you and this country. and how about instead of digging for dirt on whether or not he drank when he was younger, why don't you dig up the heroic things he has done for you and this country. he dedicated his life to all of you and when he has fallen to a time of need you are all there to kick him while he is down. shame on all of you! is what he did inexcusable?? absolutely! there is no reason for him to have been done something so reckless, one might almost say no one in their right mind would do such a thing...maybe paul and his friend needed some help that they will now get. if you all knew half of what he has been through maybe you would understand, but you'll never know. so sit back, drink your coffee and mock what you can't understand.

"Paul will put your safety and well being before his own" REALLY?? Did you know that above the blogs are articles? If you look for it you might find it. The article above this blog says Paul shot at houses, doesn't sound like he was putting others safety before his own.

I don't care if either were drinking, anyone walking or driving by could have been killed, both are morons.

I know this will only inflame some people, and it's not meant to, but I stand by my opinion of Paul Botsford. Regardless of his past, or the current issue, he's a man of honor and integrity. He loves his country, too. Paul will put your safety and well being before his own. If he did something wrong last night I'm sure he will do what is required of him to make things right.

Paul Botsford was arrested in 2007 for DWI. Maybe he went on a binge.
This doesn't sound like sober behaviour to me.

These two are in my thoughts and prayers....

napalm I guess it shouldn't bother me if a bullet comes through my walls. You won the prize for the dumbest comment.

Does this mean that GM is not coming back to Janesville?

Parker- I guess I was answering a question in my head of why there were all the police cars at the house across the river and figured it had something to do with this story. I am sincerely hoping it isn't because a bullet made it through the wall. Or something else similar that is unrelated to this story.
And yes, they are extremely lucky the bullets did not penetrate the house and strike someone inside. This would have easily turned into something worse!

Not a brain between the two of them. (IMO)

krsmith01, I was NOT presenting this as something NOT serious. Although I was using sarcasm before the update to the story, it turns out I was correct. Alcohol was involved and I also believe I am correct to say poor judgement was used. And, if they were trying to hurt someone they would have pointed the gun in a different direction so I am correct about that too. But again, do I think this is no big deal? Not hardly.... it is a big deal.

It stated in the article that one house WAS hit, I am saying that if it did hit a house, he is very lucky it didnt continue thru and hit someone inside.

"If they hit those houses across the river,"
Maybe that is why there are a bunch of police vehicles at the house across the river at the end of Blackbridge Rd?

maybe he just quit for today?

Botsford doen't drink!!? He must have been set up by the cops when he got those two OWI's that show up on CCAP.

Sannio, No dis-respect to Paul's Military service at all, but He IS quite a drinker and this time it has got him into quite a bit of trouble. If they hit those houses across the river, it could have easilly gone thru a window and hit a sleeping neighbor. Hopefully he will get some help and consider this a second chance. It could have turned out much different.

Paul must have quit drinking after his second DUI, check the court records.

I think they would have to be under the influence of something to do that.
I am looking forward to hearing why they thought shooting up the neighborhood was a good idea.
Seems like an act of ignorance.

Dumb & Dumber

your rite sannio,im jumping just like others do,but i just text my friend, to tell her about the the not drinking part,she is still laughing,she said he drank like a fish,but your rite i wont say anymore until the whole story comes out.

melstew47 - Maybe we should wait for the rest of the story.

well if mr. botsford doesnt drink,then that must have been koolaid he was pouring down his throat when he used to be at my friends house everyday,and the next thing your going to say he doesnt do drugs either,right?that man wears a decorated military uniform for every military occassion,so maybe he does have some problems that we all dont know about,from when he was in the military,but dont sit and tell me he doesnt drink unless he recently quit,either way they need to go to jail,but they wont,they will walk away with a slap on the wrist like the rest do.

Parker - No it wasn't sarcasm, and he's one of the few people I know I'd want to have in a foxhole with me during a firefight.

Sannio...was that sarcasm???

They probably were not trying to hurt anyone, good observation. You know a good place to fire a weapon if you really don't want to hurt anyone? A shooting range. Want to know another good suggestion? OUTSIDE OF THE CITY!
Napalm,
Shooting out your window, in the city, after you've been drinking, for recreational purposes, is definitely bad.
Virg isn't being paranoid. It's really tough to find bullets for hand guns right now, and they're very expensive. I would argue, though, that when it comes to gun control, stats show that this is a rare case where it's not the few who spoil it for the many... or at least that there is an abnormally large number of "the few" compared to the many.
Sannio,
There were only two people arrested, at least so far... if you know that one doesn't drink, can't you answer your own question by use of deduction?

And lakennedy - I'm with you. Thanks for the heads up Sannio, I'm scared of Paul Botsford because he pulled this stunt SOBER . . .and I don't even know him!

Frusion - You're kidding right? Your post implies that a possible combination of alcohol and poor judgement and the fact that they probably weren't trying to hurt anyone makes all of this "mmmmm???, . . .not such a big deal." . . .please, tell me you're kidding.

He doesn't drink? That's probably a good thing. If he thought that shooting a gun in a neighborhood was a good idea while sober, I wonder what this genius will come up with while drunk?

I'd like to know who got arrested for intoxicated use of firearm because Paul Botsford doesn't drink.

Well at least they were not drinking and driving and shooting. That could have been really dangerous. Like texting and driving and eating.

stupid is as stupid does...

Shooting out a window is not a smart choice let alone the JPD having to waste time on these idiots and by the way where are the idiots names?

frusion said " I really doubt they were trying to hurt anyone. This was probably caused by a combination of alcohol and poor judgement."

Alcohol and poor judgement is all it takes to kill someone!

Endless supply is right. The shots were on and off for a good 15 minutes it was very strange to hear in the middle of the night and not know why it kept going.

Hey virg - Paranoid much?

I can't find bullets to buy and they are shooting like there is an endless supply. I suppose this will come to gun control !!!!!!(THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY)

I really doubt they were trying to hurt anyone. This was probably caused by a combination of alcohol and poor judgement. =\