Another Shooting!!

[EastSideRich]

4 Pittsburgh Police Officers Injured in Shooting and Standoff

Is it just me, or does it seem like this is happening a couple of times a week now?

I can't believe they're just getting more coverage, as these are all newsworthy events and would have made headlines in the past, no matter the political climate or the media bias.

Maybe the economy just has people kinda bummed out, so more people are deciding to go on murderous rampages.

Not to turn these tragedies into a political issue, but with every one of these I become more certain we are going to be loosing some of our rights very soon.
In fact, I'm actually surprised there hasn't been more public outcry for the banning of many or all firearms. We can only have so many of these before we reach a tipping point.

 

[EastSideRich]

Might as well update

from the current news reports (whatever that's worth):

Three officers were killed, said a police official at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Police spokeswoman Diane Richard would only say that at least five officers were wounded, but wouldn't give any other details.

Friends said he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

One friend, Edward Perkovic, said the gunman feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon." Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said he feared that President Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama."

Vire, 23, said the gunman once had an Internet talk show but that it wasn't successful. Vire said his friend had an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum.

 

[orchidhunter]

The shooter involved was known to own a AK47 assualt type rifle, if it was used in this Pittsburg thing, you can kiss your Assualt type rifles, good bye. orchidhuter.

 

[Invalid Zero]

Oh no! He had a 357 magnum??? Won't somebody thing of the children?

 

[guruatbol]

Though it is a tragic, and the children and parents/relatives of the dead will suffer, and that makes me very sad to see any of this, nobody from the media seem to care when a troubled guy drives a Corvette into a preschool playground running down kids.

People who are troubled and want to kill will kill somehow and with what ever they can get their hands on to do it with. The bad guys that shoot cops and such will always get firearms to use and they will not be legally obtained.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those that were affected in the tragic affair!

Mel

 

[jetsfan]

It has been a screwed up month or so. If a person wants to kill themselves then why not just do it and leave innocent people alone. I feel bad for the families of these victims from the attack by what should be considered a complete lunatic. Unfortunately, hobbyists such as myself will be demonized and associated with morons who do these things.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

The shooter involved was known to own a AK47 assualt type rifle, if it was used in this Pittsburg thing, you can kiss your Assualt type rifles, good bye. orchidhuter.

Um, no.

 

[olyinaz]

My thoughts/worries exactly Daryl!

Obviously our hearts go out to the innocent but cheese 'n rice I'm tired of this crap. Most of us here know dang well & good that outlawing guns in any way shape or form in this country wont stop any of this but ask just about any non-gun person you meet today what they think about all of thhis and they'll tell you that "guns are bad" and that these things happen because guns are so easy to get. Never mind the homicidal maniac in the equation or why we have so many of them these days...it's all about "guns"...

Disgusted,
Oly

 

[chemgirlie]

This guy in my neck of the woods just used a sword to kill a guy. I say we rally on DC for sword control!!
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/445676

Oh I am so sick of hearing about these murders on the morning news. Let's concentrate on how to stop these crazies from snapping, not on the tools they use.

 

[fast200]

I agree with Jetsfan.

If you are so upset about the potential Obama gun bans that you cannot stand it anymore, please do us all a favor and shoot yourself! Those of us who are responsible, law abiding gun owners wish to retain our rights, and the actions of those nutjobs who do crap like this are jeopardizing them.

 

[247pro]

this is bull****. I don't want to sound like an ignorant d^ck but I am starting to think the new government has some influence on the current events. After several shootings and the crap in mexico. Then to find out the DEA called BS on 90% guns are coming from the US, which helps our cause. Now this happens which the suspect stated fearing Obamas gun ban. I think that was added. Obviously the guy had no business owning a gun if he was going to and did unlawfully use it in this officer shooting. The thing that really gets me is that most LEO's are for gun rights, their the ones shooting next to us on the weekends at the local range. This ass painted a pretty picture for the media and anyone with concerns about gun owners, killed 3 officers and now more of a reason to ban weapons in general. Im worried about the new administration, does that mean im going to go postal, no. I have no doubt in my mind that they will eventually pass the ban if this crap keeps going on. This is one more reason for those who havent to join the NRA, at this point they are our only hope. As stated many times before, "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns", Good Luck All

 

[Dave_Shotgun]

We have very strict gun control up here in Canada, and in my opinion, it does nothing to prevent criminals from illegally importing firearms from the USA and shooting innocent people. I agree that there should be some degree of gun control in both Canada and USA, but guns should never be banned.

In Toronto, the mayor David Miller wants handguns to be prohibited or banned instead of restricted! In his warped mind, he thinks that taking guns away from law abiding citizens will somehow prevent criminals from illegally obtaining guns. I hope they never ban guns in Canada or the USA.

What both countries need is a system to effectively prevent criminals from getting guns. And it needs to be a cooperative effort from both the Canadian and US government to be effective.

 

[247pro]

sorry to post again negating from the thread, but the only way we will stop gun crimes is to completely eliminate the guns, including police, military and citizens, eventually guns will be scarce. Then the criminals will import them so whats the point. I agree with Dave_Shotgun, guns need to be restricted not banned. If it were up to me john wayne would be president and we all would ride around with six shooters on our belt, but thats not reality Obama and these insane assclowns killing are a rreality. What Can We Do?

 

[Flumph]

I'm not worried about my RTBA. After all, it's in the freakin' Bill of Rights. The only amendment that infringed upon another amendment to the constitution was #21 repealing #18 (prohibition of alcohol). I seriously doubt congress would go so far as to outlaw all firearms in all their wonderful forms.

After all, wars are, and have been, fought over this exact kind of thing; namely the Civil War. I'm not advocating slavery or rallying for war, but this is the same kind of situation that brought about that enormous conflict. God forbid that it comes to that.

And I'm with a lot of people when i say that i too am sick and tired of yoohoos waking up, taking their crazy pills, loading up their assault rifles and mowing down dozens of innocent people. There's just no situation that i can mentally fathom that would warrant such activity.

The media isn't helping either. Massacres happen every day, i'm sure, but i only ever hear about them when they're gun related.

Dear god, I'm turning into Glenn Beck .

 

[EastSideRich]

Let's concentrate on how to stop these crazies from snapping, not on the tools they use.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is even remotely possible (stopping people from snapping). I also can understand the knee-jerk reaction that we should ban guns - after all, if there were no guns this wouldn't happen.

I will probably get ripped for saying this, but in all honesty, if there was an all-out ban, some of these would probably be prevented.
But, I think before people allow sweeping legislation like that to happen, the bigger picture needs to be considered.

There are basically two ways to look at the problem that are illustrated by two quotes from two people who look (or looked) at freedom quite differently:

One view, as expressed by former President William Jefferson Clinton:

When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans ... And so a lot of people say there's too much personal freedom. When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we're going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities.

:barf:


The other view, as stated by Benjamin Franklin:

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security

I tend to agree with the latter.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

What both countries need is a system to effectively prevent criminals from getting guns.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to do that. Prohibition from the 30's is the perfect example.

There will always be more ways for the bad guys to get guns than there are to prevent it.

To prevent violence from a fairly rationale people, typical criminals, we must make sure that the consequences are severe enough to dissuade the event.

In the case of mad men, nothing will stop them. We can only hope that a legal gun owner is around to quell the rampage.

 

[OLNfan]

That is horrible. ALL because of a man who lost his job. At 23 your still EASILY young enough to find a new career or something. I have a real hate on for this guy, and any like them who figure the best thing to do is take out as many people as possible even people who we pay to protect us. Sometimes I wish we were back in the wild wild west days. I would pay to see this guy hung.

 

[KSFreeman]

db, it's April. The month that causes the mad dogs to awake from their slumber.

April is for killing.

 

[Wagonman]

I will probably get ripped for saying this, but in all honesty, if there was an all-out ban, some of these would probably be prevented.
But, I think before people allow sweeping legislation like that to happen, the bigger picture needs to be considered.

Let me be the first

It is not the tools fault it is the user's fault. I find it odd that someone on a gun forum would be advocating a gun ban.

Crazy is as crazy does----if he had ran over three Cops in his car would you think about banning cars?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I will probably get ripped for saying this, but in all honesty, if there was an all-out ban, some of these would probably be prevented.
But, I think before people allow sweeping legislation like that to happen, the bigger picture needs to be considered.

How about the Law of Unintended Consequences?

The presence of guns could not be eliminated by spending ANY amount of money. Therefore, some people will still have guns, regardless.

Some of these shootings would undoubtedly be prevented.

How many more deaths would be caused because the criminals, who are the only ones with guns, can do whatever they want, knowing that everyone else is unarmed and vulnerable.

Sure, maybe the "mass shooting" would largely be prevented but I can't imagine how many more singular homicides there would be. I can guarantee that it would far out pace the death toll of mass killings.