Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Orlando Shooting Deadliest in History

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Again, we face unspeakable evil in Orlando - two senseless shootings just miles from each other in a city known as a playground for the world. And our useless elected officials want to pray and have "moments of silence" with no action.

The Lord helps those who help themselves. We need action now. #NotOneMore

From New York Times
As officials offered new details about the worst mass shooting in American history, which left 49 people dead and 53 wounded, Chief John Mina of the Orlando Police Department said that the gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, told police negotiators — falsely, they later discovered — that he had explosives and accomplices at Pulse nightclub.
Mr. Mateen eventually made comments persuading them that “there would be an imminent loss of life,” Chief Mina said, prompting the chief to end a three-hour standoff and order the assault that killed Mr. Mateen and freed dozens of people trapped in the club.
...Investigators were hunting for any indication that Mr. Mateen might have had help in planning or carrying out the slaughter, and they continued combing through the battered, blood-spattered wreckage of Pulse for clues.
“So far, we see no indication that this was part of a plot directed from outside the United States,” Mr. Comey said.

From CNN
Orlando, Florida (CNN)Florida authorities answered one of the major questions in the shooting death of Christina Grimmie, the 22-year-old singer who made her name on NBC's "The Voice."
The man who killed her was Kevin James Loibl, 27, of St. Petersburg, Florida, according to Orlando police.
. . . Grimmie was signing autographs late Friday after a show at The Plaza Live theater when a man approached and opened fire, police spokeswoman Wanda Miglio said.
She was rushed to a hospital, where she died.




















































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Monday, December 7, 2015

Tra-la-la Shoot Somebody for Christmas

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I have barely blogged at all since the Paris attacks, and then we had the Planned Parenthood attack in Colorado by some guy who yelled "No more baby parts!" (thanks, Carly Fiorina). Then just the other day we had these heavily-armed American dream ISIS wannabes shooting up a hospital in California just because it was there.

So who wants to read headlines anymore anyway? I just stare speechless at my Facebook and Twitter feed, wondering whether we are at the end of modern Civilization in the United States, or if we will finally reach a tipping point that will stop the madness. On any given day, I can't decide where we are.



It's Christmastime and half of the country wants to be cozy and safe and happy. The other half wants Baby Jesus to bring guns for the whole family, and Grandma to have gun pictures with Santa, and the NRA to save them from Evil Obama who is coming to get their precious guns on Christmas Day. And they think and pray about it in church, while sending shoeboxes full of religious stuff to poor children in other countries, but if those same kids come here, they are dirty immigrants with diseases. These faux-Christians wouldn't even let Mary and Joseph into the Manger - they send them back to the desert and who the hell cares what happens to their baby? Thus endeth the Christmas Story, brought to you by Donald Trump and the NRA deacons of the Gun Church.

My hero this week is Igor Volsky, a journalist with Think Progress, who started calling out politicians who took the easy road by sending "Thoughts and Prayers" to the victims of various shootings and their families. It's just not enough at this point! This lip service without any forward-thinking policy is a crime.











NRA: Demons at our Door









































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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Chattanooga Mourns Military Deaths

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On Thursday, July 16, 2015, a lone shooter went on a rampage in Chattanooga, Tennessee, targeting Military Recruitment offices. When it was over half the city and state was suddenly on lockdown, and the entire world was watching.

Four Marines died that day, while a wounded Navy Reservist succumbed to his wounds a few days later. A total of six people died, including the shooter, who was killed by police on the scene.

Chattanooga is my hometown, and it is no exaggeration that this crime put all Tennesseans in a state of shock. I had just been at Erlanger hospital that morning for short procedure. After that my husband and I drove home past the Lee Highway recruitment center, just remarking on what a pretty day it was and how green the trees were, and chatting about what to have for breakfast. After a leisurely meal we went home and five minutes later discovered that the shootings had occurred, the hospital was on lockdown, and police were in a manhunt for the killer on Amnicola Highway near our son's college, Chattanooga State. And people were possibly dead.















Later I would find out that the shooter, Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, attended my alma mater, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, just a few miles from where the four Marines were shot, and where my youngest is working towards a similar Engineering degree. He attended high school with my future son-in-law, who owns a copy of the Yearbook in which he wrote “My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do? -Hijabman.”

If this shooter had wanted just to kill citizens, he could have shot at cars on the highway, or shot at students and families on the Riverwalk, or shot through the windows of any restaurant. But he clearly targeted the military and the police. He had a plan - we could all see that. This wasn't a random crime, but an act of terrorism.

We still don't know everything about him, but we know that he lived among us as a Chattanoogan all his life and then one day, for whatever twisted reason, he woke up and decided to kill regular folks only because they wore military uniforms. For someone who didn't want to be judged by his own name, it is the ultimate act of selfish hypocrisy.

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From CNN
People who knew Abdulazeez were stunned to hear he was the man who sprayed a military recruiting center at a strip mall with bullets, then drove seven miles to assault Navy Operational Support Center Chattanooga. He killed a sailor and four Marines, and wounded two more people, before being killed by police.
Friends described Abdulazeez as a once-devoted, disciplined mixed-martial-arts fighter; a top student known for smarts, charm and humor; and a devout Muslim who kept in touch with his roots in the Middle East.
The FBI hasn't released much information on Abdulazeez, saying it doesn't yet know what motivated the bloodshed but it is working on an assumption. "We will treat this as a terrorism investigation until it can be determined that it is not," FBI Special Agent Edward Reinhold said.























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Thursday, April 9, 2015

The Murder of Walter Scott in Charleston SC



Walter Scott was murdered by police officer Michael Slager in Charleston, South Carolina. Like so many sad killings we've had this year, this is another white cop shooting a black man.

And he might have gotten away with it "Scott Free" if not for one brave soul, a young man named Feidin Santana, originally from the Dominican Republic, who stood filming with his camera while the policeman first tazed Scott on the ground, then shot him multiple times in the back as he fled.

In an interview Santana said he had considered deleting the video, fearful for his own life, then he decided to take it to the police. But when he got there and the police told him to wait while he went to get more officers, he got nervous and left to find a lawyer. After that, the video was released to the family and the media.

There are gruesome details gleaned from the video - the original police report said that CPR was given to Scott after the shooting, but the video showed none given by Slager or the assisting officer who arrives moments later. The taser was moved by Slager from where it was originally used and then thrown down beside the body, probably to justify the shooting. And the worst - Slager put handcuffs on Scott as he lay on the ground, probably after he died. Why do cops do that? I call that abuse of a dead body!

(Note: Cops in St. Louis also put cuffs on the dead body of Kajieme Powell.)

The only good thing out of this is that local Charleston officials immediately arrested Slager, then fired him. His own lawyer quit in the middle of the day. Good and good. Then tonight, the website GoFundMe shut down Slager's defense fund. Good for them too!

From the New York Times
The shooting unfolded after Officer Slager stopped the driver of a Mercedes-Benz with a broken taillight, according to police reports. Mr. Scott ran away, and Officer Slager chased him into a grassy lot that abuts a muffler shop. He fired his Taser, an electronic stun gun, but it did not stop Mr. Scott, according to police reports.

Moments after the struggle, Officer Slager reported on his radio: “Shots fired and the subject is down. He took my Taser,” according to police reports.

But the video, which was taken by a bystander and provided to The New York Times by the Scott family’s lawyer, presents a different account. The video begins in the vacant lot, apparently moments after Officer Slager fired his Taser. Wires, which carry the electrical current from the stun gun, appear to be extending from Mr. Scott’s body as the two men tussle and Mr. Scott turns to run.

Something — it is not clear whether it is the stun gun — is either tossed or knocked to the ground behind the two men, and Officer Slager draws his gun, the video shows. When the officer fires, Mr. Scott appears to be 15 to 20 feet away and fleeing. He falls after the last of eight shots.

The officer then runs back toward where the initial scuffle occurred and picks something up off the ground. Moments later, he drops an object near Mr. Scott’s body, the video shows.




















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Monday, January 12, 2015

#JeSuisCharlie ~ The Paris Attack on Charlie Hebdo

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From Agence France Presse
The immediate aftermath of the attack, which saw Islamist gunmen storm the offices of the satirical French weekly and leave 12 dead overall, saw countless posts on social media in which Twitter and Facebook users voiced solidarity with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, or "I am Charlie".
. . . The assault, the deadliest attack on France in half a century, has sparked a massive show of support, with more than 1.5 million people mourning the victims in the Paris march, including several world leaders.
In all, nearly four million people took to the streets of France nationwide, while thousands marched in European, US and Canadian cities.











The original attackers have been dealt with by Paris forces, but attacks have now happened in Germany and threatened elsewhere, whether by copycats, sympathizers, or sleeper cells.

From BBC News
Two brothers who killed 12 in an attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine on Wednesday were shot dead as they fled a warehouse north of Paris, firing at police.
Shortly afterwards in eastern Paris, anti-terrorist forces stormed a kosher supermarket where hostages were being held by a gunman with reported links to the brothers.
The gunman and four hostages died.
French police believe the captives were killed before the assault on the Hypercasher supermarket near Porte de Vincennes, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters late on Friday.
Four hostages were seriously injured and 15 were rescued unhurt. Two police officers were injured.





While most of the world marches and creates tribute to the lives lost, some on the right and far-left have lost it over the religious aspect, totally missing the point that this was terrorism.







So many cartoons and tributes to the dead and to freedom of speech. Here are just a few:
















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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Shades of Selma ~ A New Generation Marches for Justice

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The Eyes of Eric Garner During New York Protest

On Saturday December 13, 2014, there was a March for Justice in Washington DC, and another in New York City, that drew thousands to the streets, while millions watched on TV and computers worldwide. And the marching will continue all over the country because there needs to be Justice for Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin - the list is apparently endless. Society has to change. The Police need to police themselves. The scales of justice have to balance again so our country can survive.




















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Sunday, December 7, 2014

Protests Continue over Killer Cops

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Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho,
These Killer Cops
Have Got to Go"
~ Chant During Washington D.C. Die-In
Screencap Via Reuters Video

Protests are continuing night after night over the Eric Garner decision in New York, as well as the cumulative numbers of police shootings that continue each day.






New Video Shows a Lack of Medical Response
And NO CPR
For Eric Garner
According to CBS News, Two EMTs were Suspended



People are Blaming Everyone EXCEPT the Cops
























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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Is Assassination the New GOP Talking Point?

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The Right Wing is on an Assassination kick these days, and their favorite topic is shooting President Obama. I've seen two rants about it just today. I suspect this is a new Koch-approved and ALEC-funded GOP talking point.

Is that all they have? Or is it beginning to sink in that they may not win the Senate or the next Presidential race? They have to blame someone, and President Obama is always there to absorb all their hatred and bigotry.

This is scary since just recently a man with a knife recently stormed the White House, and another managed to shoot the Presidential residence several times while the Secret Service was out-of-order! So they have to take these threats seriously, maybe more seriously than in the past.
Keystone Cops from Hell: President Obama and the Secret Service

And some people who have called for assassination several times, and even been warned by the Secret Service need to be incarcerated. Like, yesterday.

Let's start with Ted Nugent. I've listed his threats before:
Ted Nugent Calls for Armed Revolution
Ted Nugent Wants Obama to "Suck His Machine Gun"
Nugent Threatens Mayhem Again

Here's what he wrote today on Facebook, via PoliticusUSA

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GUNRIGHTS HERO PROFESSOR JOHN LOTT blew the freedom haters & gungrabbers outta the water with his stats/facts broadside MORE GUNS = LESS CRIME suckerpunch truth bludgeon. Read the book, share the truth with your elected officials give away as many books to as many people as you can to de-sheeple the braindead masses with their peace&love disease. Make a donatoin [sic] to the CRIME PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER to destroy the Obama/Holder/Clinton/Schumer/Pilosi [sic]/Boxer/Feinstein/Durbin/Bloomburgh [sic] propaganda jihad against our right to self-defense TRTKABA. JOIN THE NRA! Be the best American you can be. Freedom or their evil carcasses for traction back to it.

Yeah, blow them away. With guns. All our elected official. Just shoot them dead. It's the American way, according to Ted Nugent. The Left on Twitter immediately began to contact the FBI and Secret Service, while calling for Nugent to be arrested:








This next one is from a public servant in Missouri named Debbie Dunnegan Waters. She wants to know why the Military can't just, you know, assassinate the President? I mean, isn't that legal? I guess she's never heard of a "military coup." Not the brightest light, and this is MISSOURI after all, where the cops shoot unarmed men multiple times no matter what the situation. At the least, she should lose her local government job over this, don't you think? She is up for re-election as Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds. Apparently an education in political science is not part of the requirements of her job, LOL.



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From St. Louis Public Radio:
“What she posted is really troubling,’’ said Sean Nicholson, executive director of Progress Missouri, a progressive activist group that is displaying Waters’ Facebook item on its website. “What in the world does she mean by ‘action against our domestic enemy...supposedly the commander in chief?’ "?
Braxton Payne, who works for a local Democratic consulting firm, is credited with first publicizing Waters’ comments. He said he posted the link several times on Twitter because he was outraged with her Facebook comments, especially since she is an elected official.

From Talking Points Memo
"Something innocent and simple got twisted into a disaster because it's an election," she said. "I meant no ill intent toward the president. I meant no ill intent toward anybody."
Her Facebook account is private, but Dunnegan said she has not deleted the post and doesn't seem worried how it might impact her re-election bid.
"I think it could hurt it as much as it could help it," she said.

Great comments about this:

I realize Dunnegan is slow, but surprised she is so cognitively challenged; how can she suggest a "Coup" against Obama and then say, "No ill intent toward The President." (A good anti-psychotic might help her.)
~ John DM on Huff Post

It is amazing how often people who like to call themselves American Patriots so often advocate behaviors that occur only in despotic non-democratic countries and seem to have no real understanding of the Constitution they say they love except for the 2nd Amendment -- and the First Amendment as long as it is only THEIR speech they want protected.
~ Karen D. on Huff Post

um, this is, well, an offense that lands most people in jail and under psychiatric evaluation and heavy guard immediately, with little likelihood of release. So, let's imagine that a black man had said this. Does anyone think he'd still be free, or even alive?
~ Lisa G. on Huff Post

But this is what they do. They get into small, local offices and wreck havoc. Liberals have got to start putting pressure on those city, county, district elections with fervor.
~ Eugene Krebs on Crooks and Liars

I served for 25 years on a active duty with the U.S. Navy. I retired in the mid-1990s. I can not believe the utter ignorance ignorance and stupidity of people like this woman. She writes that she can't understand why the military doesn't revolt and depose the President. I, like every other servicemember, took an oath to protect and defend the constitution. Overthrowing the fairly and duly elected President isn't part of the oath. I served under Presidents from Nixon to Clinton. I didn't like Nixon; I knew he was a liar and a crook. I didn't like how repair parts weren't always available to my techs because Carter had cut the DoD budget. I thought that Reagan was trigger-happy and practiced a bit of brinksmanship. Bush the ok was "eh, just ok" in my opinion. Clinton was a good President. But I never once, ever in any way, thought about overthrowing the President. I was dedicated to my shipmates and my ship. I served with pride, without politics.
~ Mark Zandrini on Crooks and Liars
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Keystone Cops from Hell ~ Obama and the Secret Service - UPDATE: Pierson Resigns

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Cling and Clang, the Useless Cops
 from the 70's kid series H.R.PufnStuf
(Jimmy was NEVER Safe on Living Island)



I'm speechless about all the stories about the Secret Service, who not only let an intruder into the White House last weekend, but who apparently have been asleep (or drunk) on the job for years. They are truly the Keystone Cops from Hell, and it just isn't funny.

For once in my life, I agree with Darrell Issa who raked the head of the Secret Service over the coals today in Congress.

For one thing, the Secret Service, and especially Director Julia Pierson, have been lying about every incident. Take the latest fence-jumper. All weekend the official story was that he didn't make it any further than the front hall of the White House - which was shocking enough. But actually, he ran through several rooms and nearly made it to the stairs that lead to the President's quarters!?! What. The. Hell?

UPDATE 10-1-2014

MSNBC: Secret Service Director Julia Pierson Resigns
Embattled Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned Wednesday following embarrassing missteps that placed the president and the first family at risk, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
“I salute her 30 years of distinguished service to the Secret Service and the nation,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement.
Joseph Clancy, a retired special agent, would return to the agency as interim acting director, Johnson announced.

From the Washington Post:
The man who jumped the White House fence this month and sprinted through the front door made it much farther into the building than previously known, overpowering one Secret Service officer and running through much of the main floor, according to three people familiar with the incident. An alarm box near the front entrance of the White House designed to alert guards to an intruder had been muted at what officers believed was a request of the usher’s office, said a Secret Service official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.



And look at this:











And remember that shooting at the White House in 2011? Well, they lied about that too, or didn't take it seriously enough. My God! They didn't bother to investigate a bunch of bullet-holes in the White House windows? Think of the consequences!





USA Today
. . . for nearly 3½ hours Tuesday, Pierson was the focus of lawmakers' ire. In addition to the Gonzalez breach, they pressed the director on recent disclosures about a 2011 shooting incident that the Secret Service failed to recognize as an attack on the White House until days later.
...In a tense exchange with Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., about the shooting, Pierson acknowledged that evidence of the gunfire was not discovered until three or four days after the attack.Ultimately, a White House housekeeper discovered broken glass -- damage left by multiple rounds from a high-powered rifle -- along the iconic Truman Balcony.
"Can you tell me why a housekeeper found the evidence and your agents did not?'' Gowdy asked. "Why not search every inch of the White House? This is just processing a crime scene; this is not high math. Why wasn't it done?''
"It was not as thorough as it needed to be,'' Pierson conceded. The director later said she was particularly "troubled'' by recent reports about a young Secret Service officer who was on duty during the 2011 shooting and heard the gunfire. The officer told investigators reviewing the incident that she did not challenge her supervisors' order to disregard the incident as a false alarm because she feared possible criticism.

And there's even more! Last week the President was allowed onto an elevator in Atlanta with a so-called "security contractor" who had NOT been cleared by the CIA, and who had a gun nobody knew about! And this was in Georgia, which has a "guns everywhere" law. So, hello? DANGER! Somebody has been asleep at the wheel, and this has to stop.

From Carol Leonnig in Washington Post
The private contractor first aroused the agents’ concerns when he acted oddly and did not comply with their orders to stop using a cellphone camera to record the president in the elevator, according to the people familiar with the incident.
When the elevator opened, Obama left with most of his Secret Service detail. Some agents stayed behind to question the man and then used a national database check that turned up his criminal history.



















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