Dog poisoner dies after shooting himself with toxic dart

Karma was exceptionally cruel to one dog meat vendor in Hunan province, who was killed after accidentally shooting himself with the same kind of poisoned dart he used to take down dogs.

The unidentified man ran a lucrative dog meat-selling operation along with five others, who'd later admitted to killing more than 1,000 canines to be sold to restaurants. The ringleader had reportedly been demonstrating how to use a crossbow when it suddenly went off, shooting a poisonous dart into his leg. He died on his way to the hospital, according to SCMP.

The other members of the operation were later arrested, and confessed to freezing the canine carcasses with the intention of selling the meat to restaurants.

The lethal darts, when not in the hands of the hopelessly incompetent (may he rest in peace), are apparently very effective when it comes to hunting down strays. In December, we reported that dog thieves in a Hubei village were killing up to eight dogs per day using 15-centimeter-long winged darts. As you might expect, however, this isn't the first time the illegal business of poisoning dogs has resulted in human casualties. Last year, a man in Guangdong province who'd gotten in a scuffle with a local villager ended up using one of his toxic syringes to kill him. Two years before, an animal-lover who'd stepped in to stop a dog-meat dealer became the target of a poisoned needle. Most recently, in Shanghai, a man strangled a dog thief to death after discovering that his pet had been poisoned.

For those of you adventurous enough to taste dog meat in China—keep in mind how much of the toxic meatdoes end up making it to restaurants. 

Via: http://shanghaiist.com/2015/05/27/dog-poisoner-dies-shooting-self-toxic-dart.php

Teacher Who Taught Class on Depression Dead by Suicide

The 31-year-old teacher who hanged herself in a Placentia high school classroom earlier this week had previously taught a class unit on suicide and depression.

Jillian Jacobson, a photography teacher at El Dorado High School, experienced a similarly tragic death in her family before she took her own life. Her father, Richard Prisbrey, committed suicide at the age of 55 in 2011. He had gone missing, and was found in his car in the desert with a bullet wound to his head, according to AP. Jacobson openly talked about her father's death to her students, and even did a week-long session on depression. She encouraged students to get help if they ever felt sad, and told them that they should never resort to suicide.

When students arrived for their first period class around 8:40 a.m. on Monday, they found that the classroom door was locked. After asking another teacher to unlock the door, they discovered Jacobson hanging from the ceiling. Paramedics arrived and tried to revive Jacobson, but she was declared dead at the scene.

“It’s sad for the students and fellow teachers who witnessed that,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi told the L.A. Times.

Even though Jacobson didn't leave a suicide note, authorities believe she had taken her own life. However, they do not know the motive behind her suicide and are interviewing her family to gain more insight. Authorities have scheduled an autopsy for her this week.
Jacobson was well-liked by her students and colleagues, and they described her as someone who seemed happy, according to the OC Register. Records showed that she lived in Anaheim with her 34-year-old husband.

Grief counselors have been speaking to students about Jacobson's death. “Everyone is still crying,” freshman Madelyn Pippin, one of Jacobson’s students, told the OC Register. “It’s just so sad walking past her door, knowing what happened inside.”

Students tweeted out photos of themselves with Jacobson, sending their condolences.

Via: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-teacher-dead-at-el-dorado-high-school-20150302-story.html

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.