Chris Harper-MercerNew York Post
A 26-year-old gunman singled out Christians for slaughter during a rampage at an Oregon community college Thursday, leaving at least 9 people dead and many more wounded, survivors and authorities said.
“The shooter was lining people up and asking if they were Christian,” tweeted “@bodhilooney,” who said her grandmother was inside the Umpqua Community College classroom that was the scene of the 10:40 a.m. carnage.
“If they said yes, then they were shot in the head. If they said no, or didn’t answer, they were shot in the legs.”
Student Kortney Moore, 18, said she was attending a Writing 115 class inside the Roseburg college’s Snyder Hall when a bullet pierced a window, the southwestern Oregon city’s News-Review newspaper reported.
She saw her teacher get shot in the head and said the gunman asked people to state their religion before he opened fire.
The gunman, identified as Chris Harper-Mercer, was killed during a shootout with police outside one of the classrooms, according Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin.
"President Obama issued a plea for greater gun control and bemoaned that America is “the only advanced country on Earth who sees these kind of mass shooting every few months.”
ReplyDeleteAt present, no one has presented any details about the source of the firearms, so it's just a guess as to whether any of the recently proposed gun laws would have had an effect on this event.
In fact, I think the President made a similar comment in regards not long before it was discovered that he purchased his firearm from a dealer and underwent the required background check.
So it appears that he isn't a prohibited person. So none of the current proposed "common sense" gun laws wouldn't have affected this event.
Delete"Sean Harper-Mercer, who died during a shootout with police, wore a flak jacket and brought at least six guns and five ammunition magazines to the school. Investigators found another seven guns at the apartment he shared with his mother.
The weapons had all been purchased legally over the past three years, some by him, others by relatives, said Celinez Nunez, assistant field agent for the Seattle division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms."
Onr thing Obama got wrong is mass shootings don't happen "every few months." They happen almost daily.
DeleteQuote from Sheriff John Hanlin:
ReplyDeleteWe have information that leads us to believe we know who the shooter is. The official ID will come from the medical examiner's office.
Let me be very clear: I will not name the shooter. I will not give him credit for this horrific act of cowardice. Media will get the name confirmed in time... but you will never hear us use it.
We would encourage media and the community to avoid using it, repeating it, or engaging in any glorification and sensationalization of him. He in no way deserves it. Focus your attention on the victims and their families and helping them to recover.
Good. Kudos to you, Sheriff. It would be good if this mentality takes off.
He has also been very up-front with his views on other issues,
Delete“Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,” Hanlin wrote. “Any actions against, or in disregard for our U.S. Constitution and 2nd Amendment rights by the current administration would be irresponsible and an indisputable insult to the American people.”
Hanlin also told the vice president that as sheriff he would not enforce any gun control laws or executive orders coming from the Obama administration."
"Hanlin also spoke out earlier this year against legislation in Oregon — Senate Bill 941 — that would require criminal background checks on private gun sales. Hanlin said the measure wouldn’t keep guns out of the hands of criminals and his department didn’t have the resources to properly enforce it."
http://kdvr.com/2015/10/02/oregon-sheriff-who-will-never-say-shooters-name-is-no-fan-of-gun-control/
That's one of the biggest lies you guys have, gun control laws are not the answer. You know damn well that proper gun control laws, as I define them, certainly would save lives. You just don't like the restrictions they would entail - you're presious freedom would be curtailed. Lives would be saved, however.
Delete. . . gun control laws are not the answer.
DeleteWell, I suppose that depends on the question. If the question is, "What's the most effective way to undermine the people's ability to resist genocidal tyranny, then "gun control" laws are certainly the answer.
Yeah, Kurt, the genocidal tyranny that's right around the corner, held at bay by all the civilian gun owners. Hahahahahaha
DeleteYeah, Kurt, the genocidal tyranny that's right around the corner, held at bay by all the civilian gun owners.
DeleteHmm . . . don't remember saying--or even implying--that the potential is "right around the corner." That you felt the need to so radically distort what I said is instructive, though. I can only conclude that you deem what I actually said too plausible to ridicule, and therefore "put words into my mouth (keyboard?)" to make it sound ridiculous.
I won't hammer you over the fact that you incessantly call me a "liar" for vastly less--I know how much you value your credentials as a Hypocrite First Class.
You said " the people's ability to resist genocidal tyranny." What the fuck are you talking about then, Mr. Sensitive.
DeleteI was talking about just what I said, the people's ability to resist genocidal tyranny, you obscenity-spewing, baddest-7-year-old-on-the-playground of a buffoon. Nothing about anything being "right around the corner."
DeleteSo immigrant, atheist, 4chan dick-bags should be on the no guns for you list, cool I can work with that.
ReplyDeleteSad. Oregon has a universal background check law and it failed to save the day.
ReplyDeleteWell Kurt, in most of the recent events the firearms have been purchased from a licensed dealer with the mandatory NICS background check.
DeleteAllow me to quote Obama: “We know that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths. So the notion that gun laws don’t work … is not borne out by the evidence.”
ReplyDeleteorrlin sellers
Amazing to watch these gun loons defend the loose gun laws as if stiffer gun laws would do nothing HA HA HA HA HA
ReplyDeleteWell Anon, could you point out exactly which gun law that's been promoted recently that would have prevented this miscreant from acquiring the firearms he used?
Delete13 guns and all legal.
ReplyDeleteThat should put the stupid claim by these gun loons that legal gun owners are not the problem, but SS and the rest will find some convolution to claim it's not so. On with your BS gun loons.
Well Anon, we have this silly supposition in this country that people may do things that are legal. Possessing firearms is legal. Committing crimes with guns is illegal.
DeleteI laugh every time you lying kill crazy gun loons claim law abiding gun owners aren't the problem. This guy was a law abiding gun owner, until the other day. One of your crowd SS. In fact a good representation of you gun loons. No doubt you trained him how to kill. You are so happy about this shooting, you have multiple comments, none of which mention the dead, because you don't care about the dead from gun shot. Now off to view your films of flame throwers burning alive, enjoy.
Delete"This guy was a law abiding gun owner, until the other day."
DeleteThat appears to be the case Anon. That's how it works with people. They are law abiding till they aren't. How would you suggest we solve that?
"No doubt you trained him how to kill."
No Anon, I only trained soldiers prior to them deploying into combat. From what I've read, this guy couldn't even make it through basic training.
I agree TS. But fat chance given the media hysteria of today.
ReplyDeleteI was working at the nursing home a few years ago, and John Lennon's assassin came up as a trivia question during a dull point in the group music therapy activity. I politely asked the music therapist to skip that question citing the same reason that the sheriff did. She understood and moved on.
I guess the real story here other than the mayhem is the guy who got shot in both legs charging this monster.
This is the comment I dropped over at a favorite liberal blog after our discussion here of the tragic shooting at the AME church in Charleston.
ReplyDeleteOregon does have universal background checks. But as we saw in the Charleston shooting at the African Methodist Church, there are still holes in this system. Dylan Roof, the right-wing, lone wolf face of the new American terrorist actually "passed" a background check. Well, he didn't actually pass. His arrest for a controlled substance, (in this case a narcotic), would not have been enough to disqualify him as a gun owner, but his confession to the police that he was indeed in possession of this drug actually would have prohibited him from purchasing a gun. What happened is that there is a three day period for the background check to clear with the FBI. If the investigation is not completed in this time, the sale is allowed to go through. Law enforcement should still have been able to recall or confiscate his weapon when the check had been completed, no matter what the time frame.
The background check for Dylan Roof did just this. It timed out. The FBI agent assigned to the check was unable to retrieve the arrest report due to confusion about the exact county in which to search. But instead of simply prohibiting the sale late and demanding the return of the gun, the matter was dropped.
Maybe the gun enthusiasts are right. We do need better enforcement of existing laws.
"The background check for Dylan Roof did just this. It timed out. "
DeleteHowdy FJ,
But the NICS check didn't time out. Their policy is that if they can't come to a conclusion, they keep investigating till they do, even if the buyer takes possession after the mandatory three day wait. If they eventually come to a determination that he was a prohibited person, they then inform ATF who go to track down the person to retrieve the weapon.
In the case of the Charleston shooting, over sixty days passed between taking possession and the shooting. I haven't heard when during that time, if at all when they determined he was a prohibited person.
If you've heard something regarding this I'd appreciate you pointing me to it. Currently the number of prohibited persons who are prosecuted for trying to buy an illegal firearms is abysmal in my opinion. Mike has said before that he isn't terribly concerned, but in each case, that person is committing a felony by lying on the form 4473 and attempting to committing a felony by trying to illegally possess a firearm.
Recently, the Chicago PD made a decision to actually try to prosecute those guilty of illegal possession of a firearm. A shame the ATF didn't get that idea instead of letting firearms be smuggled to Mexico.
"They include assigning detectives to every illegal gun possession case. The police department will use the information from those investigations to arrest and prosecute anyone who illegally transferred or sold the gun at any point in its history."
http://wgntv.com/2015/10/01/chicago-police-announce-new-strategies-against-rise-in-gun-violence/
I think we all agree the background check system needs some tweaking, those of us who want no additional gun control laws and those of us who do.
DeleteJust as I described the other day SS; 3 days isn't enough, so go ahead and make the sale anyways and not care if someone ends up dead. And of course, according to you kill crazy gun loons, it's unconstitutional to wait more than 3 days even if the check isn't finished. Right SS, law abiding gun owners don't break the law, except this lawful gun owner.
Delete"3 days isn't enough, so go ahead and make the sale anyways and not care if someone ends up dead."
DeleteAnon, the original bill sponsored by Handgun Control Inc. which grew into the Brady Campaign was calling for a five day wait until it was amended to three.
And we don't really know what the final determination was of the investigation was. If he eventually got a proceed, its moot.
This is rich coming from a sheriff that said other mass shootings were a hoax. Like the gun loons here, just deny.
ReplyDeleteNow we find out that this kid was a black, white supremacist.
ReplyDeleteorlin sellers
No worries about that FJ, I'm already aware of Roof's misdeeds that made him a prohibited person. I think it was also mentioned in the statement from the Director of the FBI, which the NICS system falls under. I do commend the Director for the initial transparency.
ReplyDeleteAll I'm wondering is what the final determination of Roof's NICS background check was. Here is the policy of the NICS,
"Firearm Retrieval Referrals
Because of the NICS Section's commitment to public safety and national security, the search for needed disposition information continues beyond the 3 business days to provide a determination as stated in the Brady Act. In some instances, the information is subsequently obtained and a final status determined. However, if the final status (determined after the lapse of 3 business days) results in a deny decision, and the FFL advises the NICS Section staff that the firearm was transferred, the NICS Section notifies the ATF that a prohibited person is in possession of a firearm. In 2014, the NICS Section referred 2,511 firearm retrieval actions to the ATF."
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/2014-operations-report
So after sixty plus days of investigation, I still haven't heard whether they got a proceed or deny. Has anyone else heard one way or another?