I’ve been holding back on commenting on the terrible shooting at the Washington Navy Yard today. We’re finally getting some information on one alleged shooter —
The suspected shooter, identified by three law enforcement offcials as Aaron Alexis, a man in his 30s from Texas, is among the dozen dead. . . .
. . . Two law enforcement officials said the shooter is among the 12 dead. The dead shooter had an assault rifle and a handgun, two law enforcement officials said. One said he also had a shotgun.
The first, sketchy details about the suspect give no hints about what may have gone wrong.
Aaron Alexis, 34, grew up in Brooklyn with his mother Sarah and father Anthony Alexis, according to his aunt Helen Weeks.
“We haven’t seen him for years,†Weeks said of her nephew in a telephone interview. “I know he was in the military. He served abroad. I think he was doing some kind of computer work.â€
A 2007 Navy Times feature cites an Aaron Alexis as having graduated from Navy boot camp that year from the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Its unclear if this is the same Alexis, but the newspaper listed his occupational specialty as an Airman Recruit. A deleted web profile of an Aaron Alexis listed him as being stationed at Naval Air Station, Fort Worth, Tex.
NRA POV:
It was a Naval Yard!
Did all of the good guys forget their weapons, this Monday morning?
See, if Sailors and Marines can’t defend against the bad guys, all the more reason ALL OF YOU, need a gun or two.
Oh, and what a koinky-dink!
We’ve got manufacturers sales right now!!!
Come to our website, and register your name and address, and the rest of your vital statistics.
Oh, and while you’re there, sign our petition against the government getting their hands on your name and address, and the rest of your vital statistics.
And remember our new motto:
“The person with the gun, always has the last word!”
Nice, huh?
Horrible. Many killed, that’s all I know so far. I suppose some genius is going to say they should have rushed the shooter(s).
ThingProgress as a blurb about a gun study that is very interesting. Check it out at http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/09/13/2619941/gun-injuries-630-million/
One interesting point: Victims of gun violence are almost exclusively men aged 15 years and older, with American males between the ages of 15 and 34 comprising 69 percent of firearm assault injuries. Women constituted just nine percent of gun injuries across all ages.
Another interesting point: Researchers found that the average emergency room visit for a gun injury ran $1,126, while an inpatient visit cost $23,497 — $14,000 more than the average cost of all inpatient stays in 2010.
I think we need to reopen gun control discussions again with a seriousness to achieve it.
I hate to seem insensitive, but I am. This will be just one incidence in a long line of many to come. These mass shooting are becoming as American as apple pie. Just keep pumping those guns into society with the idea that you are empowering people with some sort of virtue by doing so, and this is the result.
A chicken in every pot and an assault weapon in every household.
Well we can’t discuss guns or any safety regulations(too soon) … we can’t discuss the mental health crisis .. We can’t discuss bullets or even how security is handled at military installations. So all that is left to say at this point is I BLAME TEXAS!
Q: What is the difference between Syria and the United States?
A: In Syria the mass murders are done by their government.
I’m with justme277. After all, Texas also gave us George W. Bush.
Ok so I think I got my avatar to change… so here is my new ride! This is the photo they take of new bike owners in front of the dealership. Please don’t look at ME…(look at the bike instead) I had just said a VERY emotional goodbye to Ole blue and I was crying after our last ride together.. Spend a few years with a bike and you’ll understand. In the week and 3 days since I am ready for my 1000 mile oil change! (I would have more miles but life keeps interrupting) and we are bonding nicely. I would , however , pay a person with a larger behind then mine to come and break in the seat for me..It’s tougher than you think.
Sorry to hijack the thread..I just thought some happy news might be a good thing, plus I have been dying to show off the bad ass machine!
Lookin’ good, justme.. I have a friend who sold his bike but kept the windshield because he didn’t want to part with his Sturgis decals. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye, but even the Lone Ranger and Tonto had to say goodbye at some point.
Not to be anal, but if Alexis graduated from the Naval Training Center in the Great Lakes he should be a seaman and not an airman. I’m sure some of you old shellbacks picked up on that.
What’s long and hard and full of seamen? 🙂
It looks like this guy had anger issues and had been involved in scary shooting related incidents before, both when he lived in Seattle in 2004, where he shot out the tires of a parked vehicle in front of his apartment, and in Ft. Worth in 2010, where he shot into a neighbors apartment. Long before walking in and shooting a bunch of people dead today. If our system can’t pick up on a guy like this and prevent something like today, it is well and truly broken.
Aslo Too – NRA POV:
It’s too soon to talk about gun control, after a senseless tragedy like this.
And that’s a real shame, because it was just about getting soon enough, after Sandy Hook, and then this lone nut with a gun, comes and commit’s a senseless act of violence.
We were THIS CLOSE, but now, it’s too soon.
Again.
Swami,
Things may have changed since I went thru Boot Camp at GLakes, but the designation of Seaman, Airman, Constructionman or Fireman was based on the training you were to attend next. And after or when graduating from Boot Camp, each sailor was advanced to Seaman Apprentice or Fireman Apprentice et al which is paygrade E-2.
“Just keep pumping those guns into society with the idea that you are empowering people with some sort of virtue by doing so, and this is the result”
I think the right wingers, NRA and the gun makers know full well that they are not empowering anyone, they are making lots of money on gun and ammo sales period. It is only the dimwitted teabagger low IQ types that really believe that bullshit.
I blame the gun manufacturers! But of course there’s a law against that.
Chief …I didn’t know that.. my assumption was that they had confused it with the Air Force designation where the basic title given to all recruits is airman. I’m an old Navy man myself, but I never went to naval basic training so I’m not exactly up on naval tradition.. I was a BU3 in the Seabees.
Back in 1979 the Naval Reserve was offering enlistment at ranks up to E-5 based on any previous military experience. I qualified for an E-4 rating so I took a 2 year enlistment. The standard weekends and 2 weeks a year. I got 90 bucks for a weekend which helped feed the family in those days. Not much of a naval career, but I do have an honorable discharge from the United States Navy. Not like John Boehner who was sent home from the Great Lakes with an inadaptability discharge…. probably for incessant crying in his bunk or gaping at fellow recruits in the shower.
Swami,
My oldest son-in-law was a BU1 when he got out after 12 years.
“It looks like this guy had anger issues and had been involved in scary shooting related incidents before…”
Remind you of anyone?