Missouri Spree Shooting - 9 Dead Including the Shooter

 Joseph Jesse Aldridge


The Houston Herald


Eight people were killed, including the alleged gunman, in multiple shootings Thursday night near Tyrone in Texas County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the suspect, 36-year-old Joseph Jesse Aldridge, apparently killed seven individuals and injured another at multiple residences before fleeing to Shannon County and killing himself. Authorities believe a ninth person died of natural causes before the shooting spree and may have motivated the gunman.

Maine Family of Five Wiped Out - Murder - Suicide Suspected

From the Trenches

A family of five, including three children ranging in age from 4 to 12 years old, were found shot to death Sunday inside a southern Maine apartment, authorities said. 

Investigators said a gun was found near one of the bodies and it appeared no one outside the family was responsible for the shootings.  

State police Sgt. Chris Harriman said murder-suicide is one of the scenarios being investigated but that determination will be made by the state medical examiner’s office.

Authorities did not release the names of the family but said the parents were in their 30s and the children were ages 4, 7 and 12.

North Carolina Formerly Lawful and Polite Gun Owner Goes Wild - 3 Dead, 3 Wounded

Huffington Post

An angry husband sprayed his father-in-law's house with bullets from two 30-round magazines, killing two people, after his wife ran to the home during an argument Wednesday.

The man later exchanged gunfire with authorities and died of a gunshot wound after hitting several deputies and a state trooper, Cumberland County Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler said.

"He just went wild," Butler said of the shooter.

A day or so late

Given that women are more likely to be killed by a spouse or lover if there is a firearm in the house. We can't forget this study either which showed that having a gun in house means a woman is eight times more likely to be killed.

First, show her how much you love her with your gun.

Then, you give her a really nice burial.

Well, you like to keep reminding us that firearms are "just tools": well, it seems it is a tool which might predict mortality in an abusive relationship.

California Domestic Triple Murder - Shooter on the Loose

 

Yahoo News reports

Authorities have discovered the pickup truck of an "extremely dangerous" Northern California man who they say is the prime suspect in the triple homicide of his wife and two daughters. 

Shane Franklin Miller is considered heavily armed and dangerous, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. The 45-year-old is believed to have gunned down his family at their home in rural Shingletown, Calif., about 230 miles northeast of San Francisco on Tuesday. 

"There is a manhunt for him right now. He's a prime suspect. We're not looking for anybody else," Lt. Dave Kent said. "We found several different types of weapons, ammunition in the house, so he may be heavily fortified at this time." 

Police have launched a nationwide manhunt for Miller. 

The bodies of Miller's wife, Sandy, 34, and two daughters, Shelby, 8, and Shasta, 4, were discovered after a call was received from the family's residence just before 8 p.m. It is unclear who placed the call, but authorities said that it came from one of the victims while the shooting was in progress. 

Another gun owner gone berserk. The simpleton response we ALWAYS hear about a California story is how could this happen in California where they have strict gun control.

Well, part of the reason is they don't have strict gun control.  Compared to Arizona and Nevada, perhaps, but not in my book they don't. 

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Five Police Officers Killed this Week

SUPGV

In the past week, five police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty. In Clayton County, Georgia, 24-year-old Sean Callahan, who had only been on the job for four months, was gunned down by a suspect during a domestic dispute. In Topeka,Kansas, two police officers, 50-year-old David Gogian and 29-year-old Jeff Atherly were killed while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle. In Washington County, Missouri, 31-year-old Christopher Parsons was killed while responding to a domestic call. In Memphis, Tennessee, 32-year-old Martoiya Lang was shot and killed during a narcotics raid.

It's a pretty good bet that three or four out of five were lawful gun owners. More disgraceful results from the proliferation of handguns among civilians who are unfit to responsibly handle them.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Michigan Man Kills Dad with a Knife and Himself with a Gun

Local news reports

Police say a West Michigan man stabbed his father to death before fatally shooting himself following an argument about a new business venture.

Muskegon Township police Chief Ken Sanford says 30-year-old Justin Laverty and 57-year-old David Laverty were working on a swimming pool at a home Thursday. During the project, [T]hey argued over a new business the father planned to launch.

David Laverty's wife left the home in Muskegon County's Muskegon Township to run an errand. She arrived home in the afternoon to find both dead.

Police say Justin Laverty apparently stabbed his father with a knife then went into an upstairs bedroom and fatally shot himself in the head with a shotgun.

He stabbed his dad and then went for a gun to commit suicide. What can we take from that? For murder anything will do but for suicide the preference is a firearm? Maybe.  How about this. Unstable and irresponsible people shouldn't have guns handy.  The damage would be less.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Man Shoots Girfriend - Takes Her to Hospital - Gets Arrested

The Wall Street Journal reports

A Hudson Valley is being held without bail after police say he shot his girlfriend in the face, then brought her to a hospital.

Police in the Ulster County town of Lloyd tell local media outlets that 27-year-old Jorge Marrero used a handgun to shoot Lauren Watts during an argument last Sunday in their apartment in the hamlet of Highland.

Marrero took Watts to Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie after the shooting. The hospital then notified police that a shooting victim was being treated there.

Marrero was charged with felony counts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

You have to have a really explosive anger problem to do something like that. Unfortunately, this kind of rage is not limited to criminals.  A certain percentage of lawful gun owners have it too, just like all other societal ills.

One thing for sure, whether the bad actor is a criminal or a legitimate gun owner, guns are bad news for women. The gun-rights fanatics are so defensive about this, recently they were arguing that female-on-male domestic violence is a factor. They always demand statistics and proof, then when it's provided they ignore it.

There's definitely a violence problem in the US.  Guns make it worse.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Murder - Suicide in Connecticut

Boston.com reports

The fatal shootings of a man and woman in Simsbury are being treated as a murder-suicide.

Police say they responded to the Meadows apartment complex on Route 10 just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after a woman called authorities to say her boyfriend was pointing a gun at her and threatening to kill her and himself. 

A dispatcher then heard gunshots over the phone.

Officers found the woman and man dead and a toddler who wasn’t injured.

Every single day we read about people misusing guns who shouldn't have them in the first place.  Often it's men abusing women. The pro-gun crowd would love us to accept that there's no way to prevent this from happening, but that's just not the case.

Many of these people have had incidents in their lives which, if strict qualifications for gun ownership had been in effect, would have disqualified them.  Gun-rights people don't want that.

My ideas would remove guns from dangerous people at the first indication that they're dangerous, not after they end up killing someone. This maintenance combined with proper gun control laws would lead to a safer society.

Why would anyone oppose that? Everyone would benefit, even the irresponsible ones.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Domestic Violence in Kansas City - She's Critical, He's Dead

ESPN news reports

A man shot and wounded a female parking lot employee Friday between the stadiums that are home to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals before killing himself, police said.

Graves said the woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Officers found the man in a car, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Both were in their 40s and knew each other, but police did not elaborate on their relationship. 

Witnesses said the man drove into the area in a silver Cadillac, several shots were fired and the man then turned the gun on himself in the car.

Often in these domestic shootings the guy kills the girl and only wounds himself. I don't know which is worse.

One thing for sure, when it comes to relationships, guns are bad news for women.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Murder and Suicide in Pennsylvania

Local news reports

Police in northeastern Pennsylvania are investigating a shooting that left two people dead and wounded a third as a murder-suicide. 

Authorities say 56-year-old Rodney Ezrapour apparently fatally shot 29-year-old Kristina Sue Adams at a home in Damascus Township, Wayne County, and wounded another man.

An official determination hasn't been reached but Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards says it appears Ezrapour died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Edwards says the incident appears to be a case of domestic violence.

Yes, ANOTHER case of domestic violence. Another case of a lawful gun owner gone bad. Perhaps another case of a concealed carry permit holder gone bad.  No one is checking, which is why all those stats the pro-gun folks like to throw around about how safe gun owners are and how rare it is for a CCW guy to commit a crime are worthless. No one is checking.

One thing we should be able to agree upon, even if we can't agree on the solution, is that too many unfit and dangerous people have access to guns.

Perhaps we should change the famous adage, guns are bad news for women, to guns are bad news, period.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Sick Obese Gun Owner Shoots his Kids to Spite his Wife - Commits Suicide

AP reports

A man who had recently separated from his wife shot his two children, killing his 7-year-old daughter, before committing suicide, prosecutors said.

No restraining orders had been filed against Daryl Benway, and he had no criminal record, the DA said. He had a gun license that expired in 1999, Early said.

What's that supposed to mean, his gun license expired? What happens in Mass. when gun licenses expire? Do the authorities suppose those men turn in their guns?

Should extreme obesity be a restricting factor in gun ownership? Just look at that photo. He's the kind of guy who gets out of breath just standing up to take a family picture. Is someone like that capable of handling a gun responsibly?

Does the mental illness which leads to the kind of lifestyle in which extreme obesity can set in impair one's ability own and manage guns?

The policy of "may issue" is the answer. In many cases, the local authorities can make a judgment call about these issues. Of course, I'm not just talking about concealed carry permits. "May issue" should apply to gun ownership as well.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Lawful Pennsylvania Gun Owner Commits Triple Murder

Yahoo News reports

A Pennsylvania man confronting his estranged wife about custody arrangements for their daughter shot the woman to death and killed her boyfriend and his mother, then fled with the 4-year-old girl before the two were found about 250 miles away in Ohio, authorities said.

In Pennsylvania, guns are very bad news for women. When one of the lawful and responsible gun owners gets angry enough, this is what happens.

What's your opinion?  Do you think not a single one of these murdering maniacs could be identified before they act? Do you think a guy who kills his ex and her family has displayed no signs of instability up to the moment he pulls the trigger?

We need to raise the bar as to who may own guns. We need to screen for psychological problems. We need to disarm the worst of the worst, before they act.  It wouldn't be that difficult to do.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Domestic Shooting in CA - Federal ICE Agent Killed by his 14-Year-old Son

Local Fox News reports

A federal agent and Navy veteran was shot as he sat in his family room, killed by a bullet that came from outside through a window. Authorities say the bullet came from his own gun and it was fired by his 14-year-old son.

The boy called 911 to report the shooting of his father, Special Agent Myron Chisem, 42, a five-year veteran of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said Thursday.

The son was later arrested and booked for investigation of murder. Neither the boy's name nor any possible motive was released.

"Evidence gained from the scene and statements made by the suspect" led to the arrest, sheriff's Lt. Holly Francisco said. The handgun used in the shooting belonged to Chisem and it was found in the front yard, she said.

Sad story. I wonder why they didn't call it an accident?

Update on the Shooting of a Minnesota Law Enforcement Officer

That report on the deaths, including shooting deaths, of Law Enforcement officers is going to have to be amended.  Another law enforcement officer has died, killed by someone who was a prohibited person from owning a firearm, but who was able to obtain guns far too easily in spite of that prohibition.

Every person here who obstructs law regulation which would keep guns out of the hands of people like this, who would use firearms to kill other people shares in the moral guilt for this man's death, and for all the other deaths and injuries that we could avoid and prevent by greater gun restrictions.

For every one of you who believes that so long as YOU have a firearm, YOU could use it to stop a bad guy - this was a trained and experienced law enforcement officer, responding to a situation where there was a known, reported threat in a situation where shots were fired prior to his being wounded.  All of you believe you would somehow miraculously kill the bad guy, and be heroes, not believing you would be wounded or killed, or that you would ever kill or injure the wrong person or persons.  You live in a world  of gun fantasies. This is the reality; you are not better, stronger, smarter, faster, as well trained,  or more omniscient than this officer.  You will not make any crisis situation with a firearm better, ever.  But you could very easily make such a situation worse, with your lunatic gun fantasies.

From MSNBC.com, and the AP

Minnesota officer dies 11 days after being shot in head

Suspect was found dead in home after daylong standoff with Lake City police

AP

This Jan. 27, 2009 photo provided by the Lake City, Minn., police shows Officer Shawn Schneider, 32, who died Friday after being critically wounded Dec. 19 in a shooting while responding to a domestic situation.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 12/30/2011 10:21:57 PM ET

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A Lake City, Minn., police officer died Friday night, 11 days after he was critically wounded by a gunshot while answering a domestic disturbance call, the Mayo Clinic said.

The family of Officer Shawn Schneider, 32, thanked "everyone for their overwhelming support and well wishes during this difficult time," the hospital said.
Schneider was shot in the head on Dec. 19, NBC station KARE reported.
After a daylong standoff with the suspected shooter, Alan John Sylte Jr., officers found the 25-year-old dead inside the home. He had taken his own life, police said.
A 17-year-old girl who escaped from the house told police she had broken up with Sylte the previous week. Court documents say Sylte sent the girl 282 messages over the weekend before fighting with her at her family's house in Lake City the day of the shooting.
A Wisconsin National Guard spokeswoman said Sylte, from Hager City, Wis., was an Iraq war veteran who was in the process of being discharged from the guard for failing to report to duty.
Schneider had been transported to the Mayo Clinic's St. Marys Hospital in Rochester where he remained in critical condition until Friday night, KARE said.
Schneider, a nine-year veteran of the Lake City police department, leaves behind a wife and three young children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.