Shooting at California Festival–possible white supremacist

[PumaLover]

I hope this is the right place for this. I did a search and didn't see a post about it anywhere else on here. This is a popular California festival in a small town near the Bay Area and this guy opened fire at it yesterday. Apparently he had possible racist motives based on his social media posts.

Also, he was using an AK-47 which he purchased legally in Nevada. For those not in this state, we have some of the strictest gun laws of any state, I believe. The most recent law is that we have to have a background check run to even purchase ammo. My husband recently purchased an old rifle in Oregon but we did it legally and he had to have it shipped to a gun store here so they could do his background check. But there are so many people who can literally just go over the border to Mexico or Nevada and purchase what they want and bring it back.

I am a gun owner but there is NO REASON anyone needs this kind of assault rifle!! I think it's ridiculous that you can buy them legally. I just don't get it!

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gilroy-garlic-festival-gunman-referenced-might-right-manifesto-shortly-shooting-n1035781

Here is another article I just found. The guy cut through a fence to get into the park. Someone asked why he was shooting and he responded, "Because I'm really angry." 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-07-29/gilroy-garlic-festival

Edited July 29, 2019 by PumaLover
found another article

[Ozlsn]

There's a post about it in the gun violence thread in Quiverfull of Politics  but nothing else I've seen. 

13 minutes ago, PumaLover said:

Someone asked why he was shooting and he responded, "Because I'm really angry." 

He forgot to add "and I don't know who I should be angry at. So I'll shoot up the world instead."

15 minutes ago, PumaLover said:

I am a gun owner but there is NO REASON anyone needs this kind of assault rifle!! I think it's ridiculous that you can buy them legally. I just don't get it!

Me neither. 

[PumaLover]

39 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

There's a post about it in the gun violence thread in Quiverfull of Politics  but nothing else I've seen. 

Oh thank you, I didn't know about that thread.

[precious blessing]

I was going to suggest creating an American mass shootings thread, but we already have one for gun violence? Jesus Christ.

I was watching the coverage on CNN last night and they interviewed some young teens who were there - they said they were running away and their younger cousin was shot but didn't really realize it until they stopped. So terrible.

What's left to say at this point? Fuck greedy politicians. Each victim is just another number and their lives have a price on them.

[Briefly]

I have not heard anything out of the White House yet, but I did hear a report that the shooter is probably a white supremacist.  It's infuriating, it's sickening, it's sad.  It has to stop.  I am not anti-gun, but I do believe in being smart about them.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with having to get background checks, etc., and I do not see any reason why certain guns are available to non-military or non-police.  Nobody needs an assault rifle.

[PumaLover]

2 hours ago, Briefly said:

I do not see any reason why certain guns are available to non-military or non-police.  Nobody needs an assault rifle.

Agreed. My husband has a handgun he purchased  about 14 years ago when he was planning on being a cop, and that's what they use so he bought it to familiarize himself with it. I've shot it exactly one time and it freaked me out so badly. It was such a tiny weapon but was so powerful! I haven't touched it since. Now those are no longer available to civilians, at least in California.

I think some of you saw my post about how (most likely) a mountain lion took my 17 year old dog in broad daylight. I'm actually buying a small gun to keep on me when I walk the dogs because now I'm worried for my safety. We take precautions-the kids can't go down to the chicken coop or the trail anymore by themselves, two people go together to lock up the chickens in the evening. I love living up here–actually the wildlife is why I wanted to be up here. It's scary though.

But back to the topic, just any old person should not be allowed to buy these ridiculous high powered guns, or even accessories like the bump stock that the Mandalay Bay shooter used. I posted a pic from when we were in Alabama last year at a gun shop, and they sold every kind of gun and scary accessory, and just any old person could buy them. It made me so uncomfortable, just being in that store.

[Briefly]

22 hours ago, PumaLover said:

Agreed. My husband has a handgun he purchased  about 14 years ago when he was planning on being a cop, and that's what they use so he bought it to familiarize himself with it. I've shot it exactly one time and it freaked me out so badly. It was such a tiny weapon but was so powerful! I haven't touched it since. Now those are no longer available to civilians, at least in California.

I think some of you saw my post about how (most likely) a mountain lion took my 17 year old dog in broad daylight. I'm actually buying a small gun to keep on me when I. walk the dogs because now I'm worried for my safety. We take precautions-the kids can't go down to the chicken coop or the trail anymore by themselves, two people go together to lock up the chickens in the evening. I love living up here–actually the wildlife is why I wanted to be up here. It's scary though.

But back to the topic, just any old person should not be allowed to buy these ridiculous high powered guns, or even accessories like the bump stock that the Mandalay Bay shooter used. I posted a pic from when we were in Alabama last year at a gun shop, and they sold every kind of gun and scary accessory, and just any old person could buy them. It made me so uncomfortable, just being in that store.

I'm so sorry about your dog, that must have been so traumatic.

In the months leading up to the last presidential election, the paranoia about "losing our gun rights" was insane.  At least in Oklahoma and probably lots of other states as well, and definitely in Texas. One of Mr. Briefly's relatives started a business selling guns, they don't have a store but I think they arrange individual guns for their customers and are more like drop-shippers.  They did really well up until the election, then business dropped off dramatically.  I have no idea what the regulations are as far as their sales, I guess it would be the same laws for them as for a brick & mortar store.  My personal opinion is that guns are not automatically bad, but that they can be misused very easily and those regulations are there for a reason. And they do need to be tightened up, a lot. But this relative and spouse have gone pretty far into the gun rights movement and I think they are getting more militant about it, too.

One of Mr. Briefly's other relatives bought into the paranoia and was so worried we'd lose our guns rights and that "they" would come collect everybody's guns.  So what he did was to go buy an assault rifle.  Maybe it's a semi-assault, I'm not sure that an actual assault rifle was ever legal. We didn't know until after this person bought it, but we are not in favor of it. It is not something the average person needs or should ever need.

[tabitha2]

Rifles or maybe a shotgun for hunters and a licensed  hand gun for protection if you must But there is no logical reason a regular civilian needs an AK 47 or other assault weapons. 

[smittykins]

I just learned that one of the victims graduated from my high school. ?

(And I realized that I used to work with his mother, who lost her older son in a drowning accident.  I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.)

Edited July 31, 2019 by smittykins