Old Story About Men Arrested For Shooting Each Other While Wearing Bulletproof Vests Resurfaces As People Jokingly Moan About Safety Laws

Yesterday, as many Americans celebrated the "Land of the Free" on the country's birthday, some were wondering how America could really be "free" if it won't let two dudes shoot consensually shoot each other while wearing bulletproof vests.

In case you're already lost, the tale dates back to a 2019 story from Newsweek that's had a second go-round on Twitter over the past two days, with users cracking jokes centered around America being "too sensitive" to let two guys shoot each other with bulletproof vests on.

The men in question were Charles Eugene Ferris and Christopher Hicks, two Arkansas neighbors who, according to police, got drunk and were playing with a bulletproof vest. Ferris asked Hicks to shoot him while the vest was on, and after Hicks did with a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle, Ferris was ticked off.

In retaliation, Ferris then unloaded five rounds into Hicks after he put the vest on. Luckily, despite the pair being drunk, the shots all hit the vest, and the vest was not pierced, leaving both men with only minor injuries.

Many took the surface headline about two men apparently consensually shooting each other in good humor, using memes like "I'm Sorry, I Thought This Was America" to joke about the story.

Apparently at the time, Ferris concocted an elaborate story to try and keep his friend out of trouble when he was approached by cops, but they didn't buy it. Ferris was ultimately sentenced to 27 days in prison for the incident.

Coincidentally, one month ago, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for shooting his neighbor's dog with a crossbow.