Gun Violence 3: Thoughts and Prayers Continue to be Insufficient

[Shrubbery]

Just got a news alert that there has been a parade shooting in Chicago with at least five dead …😖😖😖

Seriously, what is wrong with people??

eta:

NBC  just had a short press conference with police:

- they now count at least six dead, two dozen in hospital 

- shooter is still at large (stay safe everyone!!), may still be armed, people should shelter in place

- shooter is reported as a 18-20-year-old white man

- shooter took up a sniper position with a rifle that has been recovered

I‘m repeating myself, what is WRONG with people like that???

[47of74]

26 minutes ago, Shrubbery said:

Just got a news alert that there has been a parade shooting in Chicago with at least five dead …😖😖😖

Seriously, what is wrong with people??

eta:

NBC  just had a short press conference with police:

- they now count at least six dead, two dozen in hospital 

- shooter is still at large (stay safe everyone!!), may still be armed, people should shelter in place

- shooter is reported as a 18-20-year-old white man

- shooter took up a sniper position with a rifle that has been recovered

I‘m repeating myself, what is WRONG with people like that???

If I didn't feel like celebrating the fourth before I sure as fuck don't feel like it now.

[postscript]

46 minutes ago, Shrubbery said:

Just got a news alert that there has been a parade shooting in Chicago with at least five dead …😖😖😖

Seriously, what is wrong with people??

eta:

NBC  just had a short press conference with police:

- they now count at least six dead, two dozen in hospital 

- shooter is still at large (stay safe everyone!!), may still be armed, people should shelter in place

- shooter is reported as a 18-20-year-old white man

- shooter took up a sniper position with a rifle that has been recovered

I‘m repeating myself, what is WRONG with people like that???

This is hitting way too close to home. I grew up in a neighboring suburb, currently live and work in other nearby suburbs. I know every inch of that parade route and certainly know people who were there. I’m only hoping I don’t know any of the casualties. 

Highland Park is an extremely affluent town full of well-educated upper-middle class people. Even the more conservative among them are in favor of strict gun laws. I’m at a loss as to where this person came from and why here. 

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, postscript said:

Highland Park is an extremely affluent town full of well-educated upper-middle class people. Even the more conservative among them are in favor of strict gun laws. I’m at a loss as to where this person came from and why here. 

That was going to be my point, too. Republicans like to talk about the murder rate in Chicago any time there's a mass shooting. They use Chicago as an example of a liberal city with lots of people of color. This time the victims are not people of color but people who look just like the Fox news correspondents.

I am sure that if Fox covers it at all it's just going to say six were killed in Chicago and lead its viewers to think it was black on black crime.

Let us also note that the shooter is reported to be a white male.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Audrey2

[47of74]

Yeah I’m wearing black today. 

Fuck people that don’t like this. If I had my short sleeve clergy shirt I would’ve worn that today. Just had a long sleeve solid black up here. I had a short sleeve but it had blue stripes which is why I didn’t wear that.

Fuck the Fourth. 

[Ozlsn]

The economic cost of gun violence in America.

Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed by guns and more than 200 are left injured.

That's about 20,000 deaths and 36,000 injuries so far this year.

"The average household with guns owns more than seven guns. [So] we have more guns than people in this country, which is a little crazy," Ted Miller, a health economist from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, tells ABC RN's The Money.

Mr Miller has another figure to add to this list. For decades, he has periodically crunched the numbers and worked out the price tag of gun violence in the US.

By his latest calculations, using 2019 data, it comes to $US557 billion (or $810 billion) in one year.

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

The suspect has been identified a what appears to be a previous mugshot has been released. If it is a previous mugshot, that would indicate a prior arrest. Perhaps he was once arrested for a warrant for failing to appear in court on a speeding ticket so I will refrain from jumping to conclusions; however, if he has been convicted of a felony or an offense such as domestic battery that in Illinois disqualifies a person from holding a FOID card, it will be quite the ride to find out how he obtained the gun, reported to be a high powered rifle. Didn’t the supposedly “pro-life” SCOTUS just overturn gun restrictions for that type of weapon? 
 

Raising a glass of ice water (as I sit in my house ignoring the fireworks and not wearing anything red, white or blue) to the rest of you choosing not to celebrate today. For years I have been a 4th of July Grinch by commenting on how much money is spent on fireworks in communities with far more pressing needs but this year I can’t even be “neighborly” and show up at a potluck with a side dish. I have politely declined each invitation with, “Thank you, but until women’s reproductive rights are restored and the threats Clarence Thomas made in dicta are blocked by legislation, I think ‘independence’ only applies to straight, white, Christian men and Clarence Thomas, although he better watch his back.” 

[47of74]

3 hours ago, AlmostSavedAtTacoBell said:

The suspect has been identified a what appears to be a previous mugshot has been released. If it is a previous mugshot, that would indicate a prior arrest. Perhaps he was once arrested for a warrant for failing to appear in court on a speeding ticket so I will refrain from jumping to conclusions; however, if he has been convicted of a felony or an offense such as domestic battery that in Illinois disqualifies a person from holding a FOID card, it will be quite the ride to find out how he obtained the gun, reported to be a high powered rifle. Didn’t the supposedly “pro-life” SCOTUS just overturn gun restrictions for that type of weapon? 
 

Raising a glass of ice water (as I sit in my house ignoring the fireworks and not wearing anything red, white or blue) to the rest of you choosing not to celebrate today. For years I have been a 4th of July Grinch by commenting on how much money is spent on fireworks in communities with far more pressing needs but this year I can’t even be “neighborly” and show up at a potluck with a side dish. I have politely declined each invitation with, “Thank you, but until women’s reproductive rights are restored and the threats Clarence Thomas made in dicta are blocked by legislation, I think ‘independence’ only applies to straight, white, Christian men and Clarence Thomas, although he better watch his back.” 

Yeah the FJB crowd loves to bitch about how much gas and other stuff costs but then have no fucking problem laying down a bunch of C notes for fireworks and booze. 

[meep]

10 hours ago, postscript said:

This is hitting way too close to home. I grew up in a neighboring suburb, currently live and work in other nearby suburbs. I know every inch of that parade route and certainly know people who were there. I’m only hoping I don’t know any of the casualties. 

Highland Park is an extremely affluent town full of well-educated upper-middle class people. Even the more conservative among them are in favor of strict gun laws. I’m at a loss as to where this person came from and why here. 

He's a huge Trumper. Probably hates that he lives around a bunch of liberals, so much that he was willing to do this. This is why I don't think there is anything in our future other than even more extreme polarization. This is an area that has strict guns laws, that wants stricter, more logical gun laws but is surrounded by red free-for-all states. What can we do?!?! We are literally doing everything we can. We are doing everything by the book. It doesn't fucking work when half the country refuses to get on board and has completely opposite "values" that they are willing to die for....oops, I mean kill for and then run away like a fucking coward. 

[WiseGirl]

The mayor of Highland Park did an interview on Today and made excellent points about assault weapons.

Link here.

Happy effing July 4th in a country where guns have more rights than women.

 

[47of74]

Then of course the Branch Trumpvidian candidate for governor made a total fuck of himself 

Quote

Darren Bailey apologized for comments he made less than two hours after the Highland Park shooting.

In a live stream, Bailey urged people to "move on and celebrate the independence of this nation."

Bailey later said he was sorry if his comments "diminished the pain being felt across our state."

 

[WiseGirl]

FYI

[GreyhoundFan]

Of course Marge has to weigh in with her usual stupidity.

[meep]

From CNN

"

“One of the reasons we sought out Highland Park and chose to live here was due to some of those strict ideas about gun laws, safety, a relatively liberal, forward-thinking, educated community that we felt safe raising our children in,” she said. “I think now the takeaway here is that, while everything that could have been done possibly in terms of those laws, and police presence that was there, and preparedness, and it still wasn’t preventable. It still wasn’t stopped.”

She agreed with Highland Park’s mayor saying that the patchwork of gun laws makes restrictions difficult on a local level.

“Our laws tried to protect the citizens and reflect our values here, but that doesn’t mean they can’t cross county lines, cross-town lines, cross state lines and bring these weapons back in,” she said.

"

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

Highland Park police sent Illinois State Police a "clear and present danger" alert after one of the police contacts but he was still granted a FOID card after his father sponsored him.  His. Father. Sponsored. Him.  His father, who knew his violent history and threats to kill himself and the rest of the family.  I don't jump to "blame the parents" because sometimes the parents genuinely do not know but in this case his father knew and didn't fucking care.  His father might as well have been on the fucking roof and reloaded the fucking murder weapon.  

And no matter what loopholes he slid through- and there were indeed loopholes- there is no way he would have been able to cause the number of deaths and injuries if he didn't have the high powered rifle.  The description of the people who died is so horrific.  Hearing that children had to be identified by DNA in Uvalde should have been enough for people to stop their shit about "mah rights".  Hell, Sandy Hook should have done it.  NOBODY needs an AR-15 as a civilian in a country that is not actively engaged in war on its own land.  

A two year old asked his grandfather, "Are Mommy and Daddy coming soon?" when his grandfather picked him up at the police station after good people pulled him out from under his dying father's body (where his father had placed himself as a human shield) before trying to save his parents from death.  Other good people cared for the toddler and got him into the care of police until his grandfather could be located.  I cannot imagine the heart wrenching feeling every person who had contact with little Aiden McCarthy had trying to figure out who he was and how to help him.  My heart breaks for not just Aiden, but for the people who pulled him out from under Kevin McCarthy and probably did everything they could to shield his little eyes from seeing Kevin and Irina's shattered, bloody bodies.  My heart aches for every person who worked to get him somewhere safe and to find out his identity as well as who to contact.  The people in Aiden's world will not only have to be his parents in a literal sense, but they will have to make his birth parents "alive" for him in ways they shouldn't have to do.  

Seven lost lives.  Several injured.  Countless lives that will never be the same.  All because people want to have their thundersticks.  

[Becky]

The media need to STOP showing any photos of the shooters. Refuse to say their names. Deprive them of their day of fame. 

[samurai_sarah]

22 minutes ago, Becky said:

The media need to STOP showing any photos of the shooters. Refuse to say their names. Deprive them of their day of fame. 

While I agree, it won't happen. We want to know "why". We want something, anything, to reassure us that we're safe, so we can sleep at night.

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

I realize my comment will shock and may even upset some of you, but I have long felt that instead of talking about the killer, the media should do as many do and emphasize the victims BUT- and I stress heavily only with the consent and blessing of the families of the victims- also print the crime scene photos next to the photos of the victims smiling and enjoying life. Make all the ammosexuals face what the first responders and emergency room personnel see. Make those gun nuts face what the surviving teachers and children in Uvalde had to see (oh my heart when I think of sweet Miah Cerrillo having to go into survival mode and smear her friend’s blood on herself then lie still as her friend was dying next to her.) Make them see the tiny bodies at Sandy Hook- children so young they would just now be of an age to get driver’s licenses. Make them look at the photos of people laughing, smiling, enjoying life side by side with the photos of those same people unrecognizable because a gun no civilian in this country needs to own has no purpose but to cause as much destruction in as little time possible. Again, I say that it should only be done with the permission of the families/people very close to the victims. I have never been in that position and I truly pray I never will but I hope I would have the strength and resolve to show the pictures to anyone and everyone who wants to bleat about gun rights. I know the most hardcore 2A assholes won’t be moved, but I have to believe that if people could really see the damage- the inhumanity and the carnage inflicted cruelly on human beings- maybe some would be more willing to listen. 

[meep]

The only problem I see with that - and this might also be a controversial take - is that the intended effect (to make conservatives suddenly care and realize their error of their ways) would most likely not work. They either wouldn't care at all and in fact many of them would probably get off on it; or they'd believe it was fake news. 

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

2 hours ago, meep said:

The only problem I see with that - and this might also be a controversial take - is that the intended effect (to make conservatives suddenly care and realize their error of their ways) would most likely not work. They either wouldn't care at all and in fact many of them would probably get off on it; or they'd believe it was fake news. 

My “sad” response is because you might be correct, not because I am criticizing your comment. 

I just need to believe something will change and something will turn the page. I really need some hope. 

[Ozlsn]

I was trying to find out more about the FOID card and requirements. It doesn't seem like much more than a stat dec and $10 fee but the FAQ is down so I could be wrong.

4 hours ago, AlmostSavedAtTacoBell said:

I just need to believe something will change and something will turn the page. I really need some hope. 

It is utterly exhausting reading about yet another shooting. I also hope something changes.

[GreyhoundFan]

I don't recall hearing this clip before, though it apparently is from June. What...the...actual...fuck?

 

[47of74]

Update on one of the victims

Quote

An 8-year-old boy who was attending the Highland Park Fourth of July parade with his parents and twin brother was shot and is now paralyzed from the waist down, family spokesperson Anthony Loizzi told CNN on Thursday.

Cooper Roberts was shot in the chest and suffered several significant injuries, including a severed spinal cord, Loizzi said in a virtual news conference earlier Thursday.

The child was conscious for the first time since the shooting and was removed from a ventilator, but remained in a great deal of pain, Loizzi said in an update on Friday. Cooper asked to see his twin brother, Luke, and his dog.

He was later sedated again because of the pain, the family spokesperson said.

They don't know if he'll ever walk again. 

Fuck you very much ammosexual Republicans.  Just fuck you.

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

The part about him having to be sedated again because of the pain just gutted me.  His mother had been shot as well and was being treated at another hospital.  When she came out of treatment, she insisted on being discharged even though her treatment providers told her she needed to stay in the hospital because she couldn't bear to not be at Cooper's bedside.  I am sure the entire family is highly impacted but I can't help feeling especially horrible for his twin, Luke.  

 

I agree wholeheartedly with you @47of74.  Every ammosexual who thinks the right to have this kind of weapon of mass murder is more important than life after life after life after life taken or irrevocably changed can fuck all the way off.

[GreyhoundFan]

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?