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2 students dead, 13 wounded in shooting at Kentucky high school

46 Comments
By ernell Hackett

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46 Comments
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"No way to prevent this," says only nation where this regularly happens.

20 ( +20 / -0 )

Well, no one's shouting "terrorist" and Trump's not yapping about his wall or complicity in murder, so he must be white.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

I’m sure “thoughts and prayers” will be the only thing any government stooges will send to end gun violence in schools in the US. Instead of voting for them I, too, will send my thoughts and prayers.

From 2001 to 2011 about 11,000 US citizens were killed by gunfire In the US. During that same time terrorists killed 17 Americans. I can see why Trump wants to keep foreigners (mostly just brown people from sh!t hole countries) out of the US: 17 is 17 too many. However, 11,000? Hey thoughts, prayers, and the right to bear arms, baby!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604

14 ( +14 / -0 )

or is going to solve the problem you are living in an alternate universe.

Cuz it totally doesn't work anywhere else, amiright?

14 ( +15 / -1 )

This horror has become habitual in the United States. There is a crying need for gun control over there. I know how the NRA, Trump, the gun lobby, the gun industry and the gun fiends will react. You know it too so there is no need to restate it.

Here in Japan we have high pressure straitjacket schools, bullying, love triangles, adolescent sexual frustration and, yes, violence. We also have strict gun control. We do not have mass shootings as a common occurrence.

Yes, there have been knife attacks and car attacks in Japan. But there has been nothing to compare with the gun carnage of the United States.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Fizzbit

Violence in Mexico? How is that relevant to Benton, Kentucky? The fact that teenagers in the so called 'greatest' and 'most advanced' nation on Earth feel they need to have a gun is mind-boggling. In many ways the US is the most backward nation if you think about.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

This is a regular event in the US. People cry and wail and wring their hands and say 'This must be stopped'. But no one is willing to act to change things

12 ( +12 / -0 )

“I beg of you again - respect the fact that these children belong to this community and to specific families in this community.

Those who claim the risks of gun violence are low, keep this quote in mind. I sincerely hope none of you nor anyone you know has to hear this said about you. 

Why did a 15 year old ‘need’ a handgun? I hope those who claim ‘need’ should not be considered when it comes to gun ownership never have to hear this said about you nor anyone you know. 

Or would the risks still be worth it? If it was your son, daughter, relative, friend, etc. would the risks still be worth it?

RIP to those murdered by yet another gun nut. Speedy recovery to those injured. Condolences to family, friends and communities affected by yet another tragedy brought about by a whack with a gun.

Thank you to the emergency responders. 

It’s once again unfortunate that taxpayers everywhere will have to pick up all the costs borne by police, emergency and medical services, courts, among others, so a minority of Americans can continue to possess private arsenals from which weapons like the one used in these murders can be used by whackos, or stolen and used by whackos.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Yup. As usual the government and politicians etc. etc. will send their “hopes and prayers”, then move onto lunch and the golf course

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Civilization has left America far behind.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

It's comments like this that show 1. just how sheltered some are from the daily violence going on in the world (Mexico anyone?),

Yes. Some of us are lucky enough to live in civilised countries where it isn't normal for folk to pack heat and where schools are generally safe places to send our kids.

that the right for citizens to own guns will never be understood by such sheltered people.*

Hell yeah. Being sheltered from loonies with guns takes some beating. I'll keep the shelter, thanks.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Say guns are outlawed. What would you do with the billions in circulation? Any solutions?

Buy them back fpr a token amount or collect them for free in an amnesty program, and destroy them.

Both where gun laws are very lax and very tight, by the way. It only differs in whether criminals or law abiding citizens own them.

So was this 15-year-old boy a criminal or a law-abiding citizen? What distinction are you trying to make between the US and other countries?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Students followed training they had recently received

Depressing to think training in what to do if someone goes berserk in a school with a firearm is necessary.

When I was a kid, we had fire drills.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

@tumbdry Can't wait for the usual debate that will go nowhere...

You're free to ignore, and like you just did trivialize people's right to use this forum and express opinions. Like I'm doing now to yours.

I know there are posters on all sides who want to ignore America's gun ugliness: I'm not one of them. I hope no one you know gets harmed by one of America's millions of gun users.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

15 years old and has a gun? when i was 15, i tried so hard to find a condom, never, ever a gun. what country has guns for kids?

an average of 1,297 children die annually from gun-related injuries, making guns the third-leading cause of death for children in America

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It only differs in whether criminals or law abiding citizens own them.

Plenty of shooters were law-abiding until that fateful moment. The Las Vegas shooter was, as likely has been this boy. Until yesterday.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It's sad to say it, but I'm becoming numb to such headlines which probably would have shocked me 30 or 40 years ago.

Still, it must be difficult for students to return to a school which is now a murder scene.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

*It doesn't work in other countries that have American laws, culture, geography and the number of guns that are already in circulation, no.*

No doubt by accident, but you hit the nail on the head there, buddy! Thanks!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

So tell us Lizz, which you would prefer: an undiagnosed psychopath porn/drug user with a gun, or an undiagnosed psychopath porn/drug user without a gun?

Thank you. End of story.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Lizz: "It only differs in whether criminals or law abiding citizens own them."

So, was he not law-abiding before the shooting? Better yet, were the guns owned lawfully, 'cause if so that kind of shoots a lot of holes in your argument -- as always happens. You do realise people are law-abiding until they break the law, right?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

pacint: "Restricting guns, etc won't achieve anything till the thinking starts changing"

Best place to start said change it so restrict guns.

" the USA had a relationship with guns that is not found elsewhere."

Yes, absolute and utter stupidity. Hence no other nation has the gun death rates...

7 ( +7 / -0 )

It is simply amazing the amount of ignorance some people live in. Of course removing the number of firearms in the US would decrease the number of firearms deaths. Yes, it is possible. Wow.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

School shootings are routine in a society with hundreds of millions of guns. We should require all schools build safe rooms or reinforced classrooms with bulletproof glass. Funding can come from taxes on gun sales.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Whoever owned the gun needs jail time.

It was not properly secured and in most states, you must be at least 18 (sometimes 21) to own a handgun.

Rifles/shotguns are different and many states have lower or no age limits.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"There's no good answer for it," Bevin said.

there is a very good answer for, but the pro-gun lobby are too strong.

Im in no way making light of this horrible event, but the two young people who were killed are named Hope and Cope. I hope the families of the victims can cope.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Nah, you’re going the wrong direction. They need to arm kids workbook handguns and knives before they go to school so they can take out guys like this before they can get anyone else.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Ban all automatic and semi automatic weapons.

Ban all magazines with more than 10 bullets.

Ban them now.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Lizz - Better yet, were the guns owned lawfully, 'cause if so that kind of shoots a lot of holes in your argument -- as always happens. You do realise people are law-abiding until they break the law, right?

Bwahahaha! So, what's your next comment? I need a gun to protect myself from other people with guns? Yes, with tighter gun control there will always be a criminal element with guns. This is also true for Japan. However, considering that, there are over 35,000 gun related deaths in the US every year might convince a logical person that there are too many guns in the US. However, of that 35,000 deaths, only around 10,000 are murders. Around 60% are suicides and around 10% are accidental shootings, mostly involving children. Less than 0.5% (around 150 per year) are actual self-defence deaths. It makes the self-defence argument quite insignificant, doesn't it?

@theFu - We lock up the firearms in a gun safe with trigger guards these days, btw.

May I ask, why do you have them at all and why do you need them? And, if you can give a reason for owning them, why do you own so many?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This will happen again and again and again.

Why?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

15 years old and has a gun?

When I was 16, our physics class had a demonstration day. We were asked to bring our firearms to school to shoot them at different objects on school property. There was a permission form from our parents and the firearms were dropped off at the school office until that period, then used, then dropped off immediately afterwards.

The teach brought his shotgun, rifles, and a few different handguns that day and we all got to shoot at milk cartons, sand bags, and a hog carcass (from a butcher). The point was to show how different projectiles did different damage to different objects. Conservation of motion and momentum.

I lived in suburban Nebraska on the far outside of Omaha. About 20% of my friends had a rifle, so it wasn't uncommon for a teen to own a rifle. Back then, we didn't lock them up.

Handguns are different. I didn't own a handgun until I was an adult in my late 20s. It is for target shooting, which is a sport shown on TV here like bowling or archery or swimming. There are TV shows about shooting different weapons for different purposes, almost always at targets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Shot

We lock up the firearms in a gun safe with trigger guards these days, btw.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

theFu

So you learned that guns put varying sizes of holes in things? The fact that such a 'demonstration day' was or is normal in the US is a sad indictment on the country.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gun-crazed America. Violence-obsessed people (take a look at their TV shows and movies). Mothers and fathers, DO NOT send your children there! There are school shootings almost every single day. Not woth the risk.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I can't believe that America has devolved into a society where kids have to pack guns to protect themselves at school. You would think that the worst kids would have to worry about is teenage angst, peer pressure, acne, and homework. Now, they have to worry about getting shot and killed?

I'm sure the gun lobby and Drumpf are thinking to themselves, "It was just two killed ..." To the gun supporters out there, two is mere collateral damage compared to the continuation of their sick gun fetishes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It makes the self-defence argument quite insignificant, doesn't it?

I'm not even talking about self defense, although even the Obama administration admitted that firearms were a crucial aspect of deterrence.

CDC Study: Use of Firearms for Self-Defense is ‘Important Crime Deterrent’

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cdc-study-use-firearms-self-defense-important-crime-deterrent

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Can't wait for the usual debate that will go nowhere...

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Hope everybody recovers soon.

Scary fact is that this was the 11th shooting on school grounds this year.

Restricting guns, etc won't achieve anything till the thinking starts changing, the USA had a relationship with guns that is not found elsewhere.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

No doubt by accident, but you hit the nail on the head there, buddy! Thanks !

Both where gun laws are very lax and very tight, by the way. It only differs in whether criminals or law abiding citizens own them.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Plenty of shooters were law-abiding until that fateful moment. The Las Vegas shooter was, as likely has been this boy. Until yesterday.

Or that we know anyway. The Columbine shooters were not diagnosed as psychopathic until post crime either. And the Las Vegas shooter was into child porn, at the least, and his brother ran a huge drug/porn trafficking ring, so there was something up besides video poker (although that federal investigation was underway before the fact).

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Better yet, were the guns owned lawfully, 'cause if so that kind of shoots a lot of holes in your argument -- as always happens. You do realise people are law-abiding until they break the law, right?

I'm talking about how the guns were obtained and whether criminals would give them up to gun control, overwhelmingly they are legal in mass shootings (not for kids to carry of course) and illegal in drug or regular urban homicides. Homicides are way down in New York and LA over the last 10 years for example, not thanks to gun laws that are already among the strictest in the country but to more proactive policing and better community relations between gangs and law enforcement.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Say guns are outlawed. What would you do with the billions in circulation? Any solutions?

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Bullying or love triangle

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

"No way to prevent this," says only nation where this regularly happens.

The fact that random shootings happen regularly actually means that they are more difficult to stop. If you think that government and politicians taking away guns has or is going to solve the problem you are living in an alternate universe.

-17 ( +1 / -18 )

Cuz it totally doesn't work anywhere else, amiright?

It doesn't work in other countries that have American laws, culture, geography and the number of guns that are already in circulation, no.

-17 ( +1 / -18 )

"No way to prevent this," says only nation where this regularly happens.

It's comments like this that show 1. just how sheltered some are from the daily violence going on in the world (Mexico anyone?), and 2. that the right for citizens to own guns will never be understood by such sheltered people.

-20 ( +0 / -20 )

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