Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Most Armed Church in America

The History of Dueling

Etching of the famous Burr-Hamilton duel.

Famous duels

Dueling was amazingly popular in the United States from the country’s birth until about the 1860s. Before taking office, Andrew Jackson is thought to have fought in more than one hundred duels, almost all with pistols, and lived to tell the tale. One book, British Dueling Pistols, by John Atkinson, details that only some 6% of pistol duels ended in fatalities. However, the practice of firing away was not universally accepted.

National anthem composer Francis Scott Key, naval hero Steven Decatur, and the first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton all died from pistol shots received in duels. Hamilton, who had fought in 11 previous honor trials, fired first and into the air while then-Vice President Aaron Burr returned fire and mortally wounded the man who now graces the $10 bill. Celebrated Russian author Alexander Pushkin, survivor of 29 previous duels before being killed in his 30th, is another example of how the practice of ‘shooting away’ was not universally followed.

By the 1860s, dueling had largely been regulated away but this did not stop it from becoming a sport in the 1906 and 1912 Olympics—with the shooters firing at mannequins dressed in frock coats. In most cases, the ‘high-noon’ gunfights of the Wild West were more Hollywood than the real deal although notable exceptions would have absolutely shattered the gentlemen of the 1700s sensibilities.

Whitey Bulger's Gun Collection

WhiteyWhitey2

 Guns.com

Jurors in the James “Whitey” Bulger trial were presented with photos of the notorious gangster’s massive collection of firearms that included six machineguns.

File booking photo of former mob boss and fugitive James "Whitey" Bulger, who was arrested in Santa Monica in 2011
James “Whitey” Bulger

Bugler, now 83, was a leading organized crime figure in Boston, Massachusetts. Known for his Robin-Hood-style of social banditry, he was also the mastermind of numerous protection rackets, alleged murders and even a stoolie for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But “Whitey” fled Boston in 1994 after receiving a tip from his former FBI handler and had been on the run until his 2011 capture in Santa Monica, California.

After Bulger’s arrest, authorities said they found about $800,000 in cash and more than 30 guns in his apartment. Retired state police Col. Thomas Foley identified weapons found during a 2000 investigation that included six machineguns and multiple revolvers and automatic pistols.

America Is Breeding A New Generation Of Criminals By Sending Too Many Teenagers To Jail

maximum security prison cell

Business Insider

Sending teenage offenders to juvenile hall makes them 13 percentage points less likely to finish high school and 22 percentage points more likely to be imprisoned as adults.

That's the finding of a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper by Anna Aizer and Joseph Doyle.

The authors looked at defendants in Chicago juvenile courts between 1991 and 2006. Offenders were randomly placed in front of different judges, some of whom were more likely to send defendants to jail than others. 
The authors suggest sending fewer teenagers to jail and subjecting more to non-custodial punishments, such as curfews and electronic monitoring, that won't interfere with them attending school and becoming productive adults.

Jailing teenagers is expensive — $88,000 a year on average, with total national expenditure of $6 billion annually. If this study is right, cutting those costs would save taxpayers money, reduce crime, and allow more teenagers to grow up into productive and well-adjusted adults.

Joe Scarborough Accuses the NRA of Race Baiting

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Texas Dad Charged with a Misdemeanor


Local news reports


Killeen police Thursday arrested and charged the father of a 2-year-old child injured in an accidental shooting May 31.

Stephan Lemar Hicks, 24, turned himself in to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest Thursday on a charge of making a firearm accessible to a child, a misdemeanor.
Hicks, an Army specialist, is assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade.

Hicks remains in Killeen City Jail. He will be arraigned today, with bond suggested at $5,000.

The child suffered serious injury after being shot with a .40-caliber pistol left loaded and within reach, Killeen police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said. 

“She’s going to be OK, but she has some pretty bad injuries,” Smith said.

At night, Hicks would leave the weapon accessible to him, according to police. In the morning, he would typically place it in a secure place in his home.

However, on the day of the shooting, he forgot to replace the weapon, Smith said.

He forgot.  Anybody could do that. Certainly, a misdemeanor is all that merits.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment. 


Friday, June 14, 2013

Four Killed in Murder-Suicide in St. Louis

Four dead on Cherokee Street
Family members arrive after four people were found dead inside A K  Home Health Care, located inside the Cherokee Place Business Incubator, on Thursday, June 13, 2013. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

STL Today

The operator of a home health care business gunned down three people who worked there — including his business partner — Thursday afternoon before taking his own life, police and others said.

The shots were fired about 1:40 p.m. at A K Home Health Care in the Cherokee Place Business Incubator at 2715 Cherokee Street, police say.

Officers recovered a semiautomatic handgun at the crime scene.

Police identified the gunman as Ahmed Dirir, 59, of the 900 block of Carr Avenue.
The victims were Khadra Muse, 44, of Indian Circle Drive in Olivette; Seaeed Abdulla, 29, of the 700 block of Cole Street; and Bernice Solomon-Redd, 54, of the 2400 block of Ridge Avenue in East St. Louis.

St. Louis Police Capt. Michael Sack said surveillance video showed the shooter opened fire after having a brief argument with others inside the business.

“We don’t know if this is a prior thing that carried over,” Sack said.

Sack said the victims all appeared to have connections to the health care business. Dirir and Muse are listed in public records as owners.

Police sources and relatives at the scene said Abdulla was married to Dirir’s step-daughter and that Muse and Abdulla were also related by marriage.

Campus Police Officer Shoots Himself in the Foot - Literally - at the Gun Range

 Local news reports

An Assumption College campus police official accidentally shot himself in the foot this morning while at a shooting range in Holden.

Deputy Chief Keith S. Hough, 55, received a bullet wound to his right foot when his handgun went off as he was placing it in his holster, according to District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office, which investigated the 8 a.m. shooting.

It makes you wonder about the La Pierre theory - the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

George Zimmerman



There are a number of odd things about the various pictures of George Z.  These were supposedly taken the day after the famous killing.  Is it reasonable to think the blood on the back of his head would still be there the day after?

And how about the difference between the nose in that photo on the left and the one I posted the other day - you know the one the gun-rights commenters all defended as being unenhanced?

But, naturally, the pot smoking of Trayvon Martin makes him a dangerous drug addict.  This according to the gun-rights fanatics who usually support marijuana reform.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Gun Owners Still Overwhelmingly (Fat) White Males

Gun rights activists hold signs during a Second Amendment rally on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, in Albany, N.Y.
Gun rights activists hold signs during a Second Amendment rally on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, in Albany, N.Y.

USA Today

The Pew Research Center's latest survey on gun control this week provided a familiar profile of the typical gun owner in the United States: adult, white and male. That profile differs greatly from the makeup of the country, according to Pew. White men represent just a third of the U.S. population, but about 60 percent of adults with guns in America today are white men.

This is where we get those carefully worded responses that Kurt likes so much.  Gun-rights supporters, in an attempt to give legitimacy to their fanatical obsession, often say, "we're seeing more women," or "we're seeing more minorities."

Some people go further.

And despite Pew's findings, gun groups today say that the demographics of gun owners are finally starting to change. Dudley Brown, the executive director of both the National Association for Gun Rights and the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a local gun rights group, says he has recently seen an uptick in membership among Hispanic communities and among women. In concealed-carry classes hosted by the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, he says the male-female split has become 50-50.

Now that's the spirit. Claim there's now a 50-50 gender balance.  That means with all the blacks and Hispanics, white males are actually in the minority.

What's your opinion?  Why do you think gun-rights folks are trying so hard to obscure the fact that it's still a man's world, as depicted in the photo above?

Please leave a comment.


Chris Matthews Explains the Difference between Gun Nuts and Reasonable People

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Sean Hannity on the NSA Surveillance Program Then and Now

Fox Discussion on the Trayvon Martin - I Mean the George Zimmerman Trial



Is it true that Trayvon would be alive today if he hadn't had a "street attitude?"

Is asking that kind of question an attempt to blame the victim for his own death and thereby exonerate George Z?

15-Year-old Dead from a Pellet Gun Shot

SF Gate

A 15-year-old boy is dead after being shot with a pellet gun at a friend's house in central Pennsylvania.

Investigators say the shooting of Ty Yonkin in Clinton County on Tuesday afternoon appears to be an accident and isn't considered suspicious. An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday in State College.

Yonkin was at a friend's home in Porter Township when the shooting happened. It wasn't immediately clear how he was shot and the death is under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police and the coroner's office.

This brings up a question.  Do pellet-gun and BB-gun and air-soft gun deaths and injuries count? Greg loves to quote statistics when attempting to downplay the situation by limiting the number to deaths by firearms only.  I pointed out that the injuries should count too as well as the cases in which a kid does the shooting and is not injured himself.

Now it seems there's another whole category we've been overlooking.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Misleading, Photoshopped Image of the Victim George Zimmerman



Ammoland
The family of a charming young teenage boy had pictures of their adorable young child circulated by the “news” media after he was brutally shot to death by a ruthless wannabe vigilante.

Then it came out that the teenager was actually a 6-foot-two-inch football player with a history of violence and gang connections who had pounded the block-watch captain’s head into the pavement until he was bleeding and nearly unconscious.

The survivor, on trial for his life, caught a tough break from a circuit-court judge in pre-trial motions the other day.

It turns out that prosecutors seeking to convict George Zimmerman for (the merciless cold-hearted vigilante murder of poor little Trayvon) (defending himself against the brutal life-threatening assault by Trayvon Martin) (you pick), will be able to suppress all evidence showing the attacker’s controversial school records, previous drug use, history of prior fights, ownership of removable gold-tooth caps, or any text messages and photos found on Martin’s cell phone, which defense attorney Mark O’Mara has seen. A delay in the proceedings was also denied. Trial is set for June 10 2013.

If you think the nation’s diligent media turned the Jody Arias thing into a circus, you ain’t seen nothin’.
What do you think about the suppression of that "evidence?"  Is it right for the judge to have ruled so? 

What about the sarcastic bias of the writing by Alan Korwin? Doesn't that and the incredible photo more than make up for the media's protrayal of Trayvon as an innocent youth?

What's your opinion?  Please leave  a comment.

Bloody Night in St. Louis

Precious Little Things

Pinned Image

Lawful Gun Ownership on the Rise in NSW Australia

NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge says new gun permits have more than doubled in the past decade.

Yahoo News reports

Firearms ownership is on the rise in NSW with the number of new gun permits more than doubling in the past decade, the Greens say.

In 2002, 29,618 permits were issued by the NSW firearms registry, and had jumped to 66,460 in 2012, figures released by NSW Greens justice spokesman David Shoebridge show.

He says the government and opposition are part of the problem due to their political binds to the Shooters Party, which holds the balance of power in the state's upper house.

"The former Labor government created the pro-gun Game Council in a 2002 deal with Shooters MPs and Barry O'Farrell has continued the deals with hunting in National Parks," Mr Shoebridge said in a statement.

"Unless we start tightening up the rules to get a firearm, we risk losing the gun control advances achieved in the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy."

People across NSW wanted politicians to "stand up to the gun lobby and work to control gun numbers" as more legal firearms in the state provides greater opportunity for criminals to steal guns, Mr Shoebridge said.

Oh, I wish I had an Australian Dollar for every time one of the gun-rights fanatics told us guns were banned in Australia.  What is it that makes the pro-gun folks think they can make up stuff like that?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

More Questions than Answers about John Zawahri

Los Angeles Times reports with video

The only think certain is he was a gun nut.

The Daily Show with John Oliver



What do you think about that data collection scandal? Is that a real problem? Is it a particular problem for gun-rights activists?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Prisoner Gary Bornman Thanks NRA, Promises to ‘Stop at a Gun Show' When Released

 Opposing Views

In his letter, Bornman thanked members of Congress for following the NRA's lobbying efforts against the background check bill.

“I, along with tens of thousands of other criminals, couldn’t do what we do without you," Bornman wrote.

In a letter published in The Courant last Thursday, Bornman also wrote:

As a lifelong career criminal, although I no longer enjoy the right to keep and bear arms, I’d like to take a moment to express my appreciation to the National Rifle Association for nonetheless protecting my ability to easily obtain them through its opposition to universal background checks.

Upon release in a few years from my current federal sentence on bank robbery and weapons charges, I fully anticipate being able to stop at a gun show on my way home to Connecticut — where new laws have made it nearly impossible for a felon to readily purchase guns or ammunition — in order to buy some with which to resume my criminal activities.

Justin Bieber's Bodyguard Threatened a Photographer with a Gun

Atlanta Teen Gets Probation for Accidentally Killing his Friend

CBS Atlanta 46

The victim's family's reaction reminds me of those revenge seeking death penalty proponents. And my reaction is the same, vengeance should have no place in the administration of justice.

Probation and a serious felony conviction is perfectly right for an accidental shooting death.

I just hope Georgia is one of those states that  considers juvenile records when issuing adult background checks and concealed carry permits.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Mississippi Man Kills Girlfriend Calls it an Accident

Local news reports

MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Anyone who posts pictures of himself with guns on the internet should be considered a gun nut. Let's make that the first rule.

Second rule: when someone who is a product of the Mississippi school system says the girfriend shot herself in the back of the head, he has to stick with that story.

The thing you have to wonder is how many lawful gun owners are just like this guy.

Too many is my guess.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Santa Monica Shooting Update - 6 Dead Including the Shooter John Zawahri



Local news reports

The death toll from a mass shooting in California rose to five on Sunday after a 26-year-old woman seriously wounded during the gun rampage died in hospital, authorities said.

Marcela Franco was caught in a hail of bullets that also claimed the life of her father Carlos during the shooting on Friday in the upmarket beach resort of Santa Monica carried out by a gunman clad in black and wearing body armour.

Local media reports have identified the gunman as John Zawahri, who was due to turn 24 on Saturday. The gunman was shot and killed by police after being cornered in the library of Santa Monica College.

Police have still not pinpointed a motive for the killings. The carnage began on Friday when a house was set on fire in Santa Monica. Police later found the bodies of Zawahri's father and brother inside.

The heavily armed gunman, carrying some 1,300 rounds of ammunition, then headed to Santa Monica College, where he fired indiscriminately at students before eventually being shot dead by police.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Gun Build Parties

The Trayvon Martin Killing Goes to Trial



Mother Jones

Ever since George Zimmerman was charged in April 2012 with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a story that sparked a firestorm of debate over racial tensions, law enforcement, and >gun regulations has mostly faded from the headlines. Now it returns, with Zimmerman's trial opening on Monday in Sanford, Florida. The case hinges on some complex and controversial questions; below are several key aspects worth considering. Also see our collection of primary documents and videos from the case for additional background.

Does Zimmerman's story add up? A written statement and police video released last June, in which Zimmerman reenacts the deadly altercation for investigators at the scene, raised questions about Zimmerman's story in more ways than one. He seemed to suffer from some peculiar memory loss that night regarding a street in his neighborhood of many years, and his description of the confrontation did not jibe with a prior written statement that he'd given police. More details here.


New Jersey Police Officer Held on $1M Bail in Alleged Road Rage Shooting

Officer Held on $1M Bail in Alleged Road Rage Shooting
Joseph Walker (inset) has been charged in the shooting death of 36-year-old Joseph Harvey Jr. on a Maryland highway.

Local news reports

A New Jersey police officer is being held on $1 million bail after he was charged with shooting and killing a man on a Maryland highway in an alleged road rage incident.

Forty-year-old Joseph Walker, a sworn officer with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, was charged with second degree murder and manslaughter after a shooting 36-year-old Joseph Harvey, Jr. Saturday on an off-ramp on Interstate 97 near Millersville, according to Maryland State Police.

Police say the off-duty officer reportedly got into an argument with Harvey shortly after 8:30 p.m. while both men were driving on the interstate in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Investigators say both men pulled over on the shoulder of the highway. Harvey got out of his car, along with his passenger, and starting walking towards Walker’s minivan.

Maryland State Police say Walker fired a .45 caliber Glock at Harvey and hit him. Harvey was pronounced dead at Baltimore Washington Medical Center.

Police say the officer’s wife and three children were in his car at the time of the shooting. Walker is being held at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center.

Police are investigating the shooting.

Now wait a minute, I thought someone approaching you in a threatening manner was considered lethal threat.  Does that only count in Florida and other Stand-your-ground states?

Regardless, this is simply another example of a good guy with a gun acting very badly. It's a lot more common than the pro-gun folks would have us believe.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

NSA Whistleblower Revealed as Edward Snowden, 29-year-old ex-CIA Employee

Edward Snowden (Guardian)

Yahoo News reports 

The source of the intelligence leaks that revealed the National Security Agency's massive domestic surveillance program last week was identified on Sunday by the Guardian and Washington Post as Edward Snowden, a soft-spoken 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of NSA defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

Snowden, a Hawaii resident who was interviewed by the U.K. newspaper in his hotel room in Hong Kong where he is hiding, said he has no regrets about going public—even if he never sees his family again.

"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things," Snowden said. "I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under ... I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."

In a statement, Booz Allen confirmed Snowden "has been an employee of our firm for less than 3 months":
News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm. We will work closely with our clients and authorities in their investigation of this matter.
The White House declined to comment on the identification of the NSA leaker, according to a press pool report.

Snowden said he decided to leave his family, girlfriend and a comfortable, $200,000-a-year salary behind, and flew to Hong Kong on May 20. He said he chose China because "they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent."

Now that's a helluva statement.  China?  What do you think about that?

Please leave a comment.

Santa Monica Shooter Named: John Zawahri

This undated photo provided on Sunday, June 9, 2013, by the Santa Monica Police Department shows John Zawahri, 23, who police have identified as the shooter in Friday's deadly rampage at Santa Monica College. The suspect was shot and killed by authorities Friday after a violent spree that claimed the lives of five people and wounded several others. (AP Photo/Santa Monica Police Department) 


Investigators trying to determine why Zawahri planned the shooting spree focused on a deadly act of domestic violence that touched off the mayhem.

Police said he fatally shot his father and older brother at a home that went up in flames before taking the violence to the streets, which lasted just a matter of minutes until he was shot to death in a chaotic scene at the Santa Monica College library by police.

Authorities did not immediately name the shooter or the two men found dead in the house because next of kin was out of the country and hadn't been notified. That changed Sunday after Zawahri's mother cut her trip short and came back to the country.

Sgt. Richard Lewis, a police spokesman, said she was being interviewed by investigators, who were hoping she could help provide clues about what triggered the violence.

"A big piece of the puzzle just came home," he said.

The killing began as a domestic violence incident when Zawahri killed his father, Samir, 55, and brother, Christopher, 24, in their home near Interstate 10 in a working-class part of town a few miles from the beachside attractions that draw tourists year-round.

The gunman, carrying a duffel back with him with 1,300 rounds of ammo, set the house ablaze, fired shots in the neighborhood and took his rampage on the road.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

The Amazing Story of Blaec Lammer and his Family

Guns.com

The Ricin Letters



Guns.com

It turns out the ricin-laced letters mailed to President Barrack Obama, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his gun control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns last month had nothing to do with guns or gun control after all. It appears instead that the motive was something which sounds like the plot of a made for TV movie featured on Lifetime. Apparently the tainted letters were part of one woman’s elaborate scheme to ruin her husband’s life. And apparently someone has let the cat out of the bag.

Shannon Guess Richardson, a fiery red-head who had a small role in the series "The Walking Dead,” was arrested Friday and charged with mailing a threatening communication to the President of the United States. According to a report by KSLA 12, she is being held in a Texarkana, Texas, jail under the custody of U.S. Marshals, where she is scheduled for a detention hearing next Friday afternoon. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Las Vegas 13-Year-old Dead - No One is Responsible - Not the Gun Owner, Not the Parents, Not the Teen Shooter



Local news reports with video

An emotional vigil was held Friday evening at Desert Bloom Park, for a young girl whose life was taken too soon. 

On Tuesday, 13-year-old Brooklyn Mohler was killed when she was accidentally shot by another teen girl.

Her accidental death happened just one day before the last day of school.

Mohler's close family members were in the crowd on Friday, but were understandably too devastated to talk on camera.


Kyle Coplen Begins his Shotgun Giveaway in Houston Neighborhood

In this Sunday, May 19, 2013, photo, Dan Blackford, right, shows Rory Strain, 12, how to hold a shotgun at a shooting range Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Houston. Strain lives in the northwest Houston community of Oak Forest, the first residential area being trained and equipped by a nonprofit that is giving away free shotguns to single women and neighborhoods with high crime rates. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Associated Press/Pat Sullivan - In this Sunday, May 19, 2013, photo, Dan Blackford, right, shows Rory Strain, 12, how to hold a shotgun at a shooting range Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Houston. Strain lives in the northwest Houston community of Oak Forest, the first residential area being trained and equipped by a nonprofit that is giving away free shotguns to single women and neighborhoods with high crime rates. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)


Kyle Coplen, the project's 29-year-old founder said his group expects to train at least 50 Oak Forest residents and put up signs saying the neighborhood is armed.

"When we have a crime wave, we don't just say let's just increase police and that's all we do. We do multiple things. I see this as one aspect of what we can do," said Coplen, who graduated from the University of Houston with a master's degree in public administration.

It costs the organization about $300 to arm and train an individual and about $20,000 for an entire neighborhood. All costs are paid through donations, said Coplen, though he declined to say how much his organization has raised so far.

While some residents in the neighborhood are supportive, several officials have mixed feelings about it.

Pro-gun folks don't seem to consider the downside of more guns in homes.  Not only will accidents go up, but so will theft.  Some of these guns will end up in criminal hands.

Plus, when these shotguns start protecting their owners and the owners' property, unnecessary DGUs will take place. People will be hurt and killed who don't deserve it.

David Hemenway, a professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health who has written about firearms and health, said studies suggesting gun ownership deters crime have been refuted by many others that say the opposite.

"Mostly what guns seem to do is make situations more lethal because most crime has nothing to do with guns," he said. "When there is a gun in the mix, there is much more likely to be somebody dying or somebody incredibly hurt."

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Update on the Santa Monica Mass Shooting - 5 Dead 5 Wounded

A firefighter walks past a car with bullet holes across a home that caught fire in Santa Monica, Calif. Friday, June 7, 2013. Two people were found dead Friday in a burned home near the school, where someone sprayed a street corner with gunfire, wounding at least three people, authorities said. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Associated Press/Damian Dovarganes - A firefighter walks past a car with bullet holes across a home that caught fire in Santa Monica, Calif. Friday, June 7, 2013. Two people were found dead Friday in a burned home near the school, where someone sprayed a street corner with gunfire, wounding at least three people, authorities said. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) 

Yahoo News 

The gunman, dressed all in black and carrying a semi-automatic rifle, walked calmly through the Santa Monica College campus after killing his father, brother at their home and another man near the school, authorities said. He would kill a woman outside the library moments later, before dying from police gunfire.

Trena Johnson, a longtime administrative assistant working in the dean's office, heard gunfire and looked out the window around noon Friday. Students were jumping out of windows of nearby buildings to get away. A man in black with a "very large gun" shot a woman in the head outside the library.


The violence, which lasted little more than 10 minutes, started about a mile away when the gunman began shooting at a house, and it caught on fire. Two bodies were later found inside, police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.

Two officials told The Associated Press that the killings began as a domestic violence incident and the victims in the home were the gunman's father and brother. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

The gunman also fired on police cars, bystanders and pedestrians, police said.

College employee Joe Orcutt was in the lot and said the gunman looked calm and composed as he fired at him. Orcutt jumped out of the way.

"He's just standing there, like he's modeling for some ammo magazine," Orcutt said, "seeing who he could shoot, one bullet at a time, like target practice."