Billy's back after making the mistake of letting Billy inspect his gun. Unbeknown to Grant, Billy had set the pin on an empty chamber in the cylinder. After Grant's failed attempt to fire, Billy whirled around and shot him dead (Page 144).
Although some sources claim that Billy's initial killings were in response to threats by bullies, not all historians agree. Some claim that Billy shot his victims either in ambush or under other unsuspecting circumstances: "A study of the murders Bonney was involved in or participated in shows his own personal lack of courage . . . There is not a single instance of Bonney ever going up against an armed individual or someone of equal or better reputation" (Cline 73). Nevertheless, modern society considers Billy somewhat of an anti-hero, a victim of circumstance. What else could account for the establishment of two Billy the Kid museums in the present-day town of Fort Sumner? (Newman 48).
Billy's continued criminal exploits as a fugitive led to Pat Garrett, the newly elected sheriff of Lincoln County, taking a person
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