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Rash of mass shootings stirs U.S. fears heading into summer

68 Comments
By KATHLEEN FOODY

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The election and it's aftermath and the effects of the previous election and it's aftermath means that there is a lot of fear, anger, and outrage that extremists will feel justifies violence. This is compounded by the disruption of the usual distractions from, and ameliorations of, those feelings due to the epidemic.

Add that to the way the epidemic also disrupted the usual process of small acts of violence and and informal negotiations and adaptations that gangs use to settle disputes and competitions, and yes, there is going to be a spike above average in the deadliness of America's gun culture.

Add in the international aspects of this being the last days of the American Imperium fueling a sense of desperation to the view that things need to be changed and the institutionsof the state are getting in the way of change, and that spike might be significant and sustained.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The election and it's aftermath and the effects of the previous election and it's aftermath means that there is a lot of fear, anger, and outrage that extremists will feel justifies violence. This is compounded by the disruption of the usual distractions from, and ameliorations of, those feelings due to the epidemic.

What? The people doing these things are hot-headed men. They don't care about politics.

South side of Chicago isn't exactly the place you head for a peaceful evening.

6th Street is a bar district where thousands of people visit every weekend to party. They close the street - that's normal - to allow people to walk easier from music venue to music venue. It happened at 1:24 a.m. CT - so just before the bars usually close up. Get some drunk men trying to show off and carrying firearms, stuff happens. In my college years, I spent way too much time on 6th Street. Halloween is when they have 120K people come for a party there. Lots of fun!

As for the Savannah shooting, that neighborhood is being revitalized, but looks to be lower income apartments in NE Savannah, just south of the river.

These aren't organized political extremists. They are hot-headed men, being stupid.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Idiots with guns will lead to idiocy with guns.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Too many people in this country use guns as a way to solve their problems.

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Any description of who they are looking for? “Two males”?

In Austin, authorities were searching for two male suspects in an early Saturday shooting

1 ( +6 / -5 )

In Chicago, a woman was killed and nine other people were wounded when two men opened fire on a group standing on a sidewalk

thats a typical weekend in chicago

stress amid a rise in gun ownership and debate over policing.

people were buying guns in mass to protect themselves against “ peaceful protesters” who were exercising their right to loot and burn their communities.

shooting may be linked to an ongoing dispute between two groups

they used to be called gangs

so there is still a big problem with illegal guns running through disturbed and nefarious people

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

its sad when only certain media will report official police statements.

A statement from the Austin Police Department states:

The suspect(s) remains at-large. It is unknown if there is one, or multiple suspects involved. There is one suspect described as a black male, with dread locks, wearing a black shirt and a skinny build.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Abbot (Governor of Texas) is making the guns more accessible too. I wonder why Texas bothers. They don't care. Make it easy on yourselves. Don't investigate gun crimes. Don't hold news conferences on gun crimes. Don't worry about the shooters identity, whereabouts or motive(s). It is just a citizen exercising their god given rights. It doesn't matter if anyone gets hurt or dies. All that matters is we don't infringe on gun owners to own and shoot their guns all the time everywhere.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

my comments are only about the media condition of the population for such incidents. They want you to remember some things about only some incidents and forget most others. Examples-

Columbine- white males, black trench coats, goth culture, Marilyn Manson type music

Atlanta- white male shot Asians, Asians as victims but not of Black violence, just white

Pulse Nightclub- a high number of victims, LGBT. but forget- who shooter was and his father actions later.

Dylan Roof- white male, supremacist, Black victims, Black church.

Any Black on Black crime- happens all the time, nothing really to see. But if you say it happens all the time, the response is "no it doesnt, you racist".

thats what we are dealing with, the conditioning of the population to care or not care and to selectively remember. its scary to see.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

When people start justifying mass shootings because of the race of the shooters, you know they cannot go any lower.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

ulyssesToday  09:20 am JST

When people start justifying mass shootings because of the race of the shooters, you know they cannot go any lower.

Agreed. Thankfully nobody here is doing that.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

the local newspaper-

Editor's note- Police have only released a vague description of the suspected shooter. The Austin American-Statesman is not including the description as it is too vague at this time to be useful in identifying the shooter and such publication could be harmful in perpetuating stereotypes. If more detailed information is released, we will update our reporting.

dont they realize its immediately confirmed who did it when they act like this?

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Wake up Kentarogaijin !!!

Just need to remember that the vast majority of Americans want to live normal and peaceful lives, that those loud vocal minorities on whatever side do not represent all Americans. That goes for almost every country as well. Everywhere has its a@#holes.

https://es.memedroid.com/memes/detail/2934955/USA-is-just-a-3rd-world-country-with-a-Gucci-belt

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

And outsider would probably think that Republicans/GQP want to kill off their own country into extinction. Far be it for me to stop them.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

until said outsider educated themselves and realized that Democrats control the entire government now and can force any laws they want to be passed. yet they havent for this, why?

And outsider would probably think that Republicans/GQP want to kill off their own country into extinction. Far be it for me to stop them.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

If buy a gun, you have to use it.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

until said outsider educated themselves and realized that Democrats control the entire government now and can force any laws they want to be passed. yet they havent for this, why?

Filibuster. Mitch McConnell. Right-wing skullduggery.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/with-senate-split-50-50-heres-what-democrats-can-and-cant-do

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The problem with the gun nuts is not accepting there’s a problem. Head in the sand doesn’t mean people are not shooting each other for the silliest of reasons.

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When people start justifying mass shootings because of the race of the shooters, you know they cannot go any lower.

I don’t know a single same person that would.

The problem with the gun nuts is not accepting there’s a problem. Head in the sand doesn’t mean people are not shooting each other for the silliest of reasons.

No one said that. Where I live in Texas, almost everyone owns a firearm, many people here are ranchers and the only mass shooting that happens are at coyotes, feral pigs, bobcats and animals that are harmful to your livestock and farmlands.

In Democrat minority run cities, gun control overwhelming is out of control. Why won’t the Democrat leaders enforce the gun laws on their books? Why are they not aggressively going in these neighborhoods creating special task units to take down suspected gangs, their leaders or go after people that violated their parole or probation, target stolen guns off the streets, illegal aliens that are repeat offenders and stay illegally or crossed the border illegally and committed crimes illegally in the US, dealing with mental issues, none of these issues are just a zero starter for the left and as long as the left refuses to see where the majority of gun violence comes from and take action to curtail it, nothing will change. The left can start by not trying to defund the police and supporting the police, but I’m not doing so and with the record number of cops retiring or quitting, crime in these areas will worsen and gun sales will go up and have gone up, thanks to the irrational decision some of the Democrats made, that’s beyond nutty, it’s suicidal.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

And outsider would probably think that Republicans/GQP want to kill off their own country into extinction. Far be it for me to stop them.

The outsider would probably wonder why the same people who want to eviscerate second amendment civil rights are ironically the same people who are murdering each other into extinction with guns. I hope the policies that have led to the Progressive city dystopia of murders, homelessness, poverty, and drugs can be stopped when Dems realize that what they are doing is actually causing the misery they claim they want to alleviate.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

No opinion or offense intended to Anyone here grieving these losses, Yet, a ‘neutral’ non-party affiliated observation of the gun issue was made and deleted for ‘no stated reason”.

Additionally, the comments referenced by @Bungle 10:02am were also removed.

Therefore, can it only be surmised that “political party references ‘on this topic’ are not allowed”?

As a claimed, politically neutral and unbiased forum,

Wouldn’t it be equally fair to remove @Pukey2 9:47am, @Jsapc 10:14am, @Wolfpack 10:20am, bass4funk 10:37am and any others throughout the day until “further postings are disabled and closed”?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Blacklabel: Columbine- white males, black trench coats, goth culture, Marilyn Manson type music

Atlanta- white male shot Asians, Asians as victims but not of Black violence, just white

Pulse Nightclub- a high number of victims, LGBT. but forget- who shooter was and his father actions later.

Dylan Roof- white male, supremacist, Black victims, Black church.

Any Black on Black crime

Oh, boy.

Obviously people are going to make a distinction between a guy who writes a manifesto, arms up, kills as many as innocents as possible, and targets based on race or lifestyle, and other kinds of shootings that end up being crimes in heated situations or revenge or whatever.

The media isn't doing evil liberal tricks to promote some kind of agenda. You literally insert that into every single article you comment on. Its an obsession that's becoming borderline worrisome.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

who wrote a manifesto of the shootings I mentioned?

between a guy who writes a manifesto,

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

or is was to not have to say it was the Black guy who was arrested for this.

Last time it was a white guy, we had a name, age, work history, criminal history, picture, social media and a statement from an ex-gf by now.

We don’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of a barely educated red neck being a danger to society when in possession of a firearm.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

if that bothers someone, dont live in Texas.

Thats what is great about American, you have 50 states to choose from.

Each person can find the place they like which lets then live how they want to live. That has the laws, rules, regulations, gun/voting rights, schooling, tax policies they like.

But liberals cant accept that, they have to try to force every single state to be in their image.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

And Texas is trying to enact permitless open and concealed carry. An armed society is a polite society? We'll see, but...

Lots of US states have open carry laws without any permit. This is nothing new. Concealed carry without a permit is very new.

Concealed carry in a purse is allowed since 2015 in Mississippi. A briefcase qualifies for the same treatment, both are subject to location limitations. https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/14/mississippi-gun-laws/84164140/

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I've never heard of a firearm murdering anyone.

I've heard of far too many people USING a firearm to harm other people.

A firearm is just a tool, like any other tool. It has multiple uses, including some that are illegal. The exact same can be said about a car, computer, knife, rope, chair, chlorine, They are all tools used by humans.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Jesus there are a lot of comments here from Trump supporters focusing on Black people.

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A firearm is just a tool, like any other tool. It has multiple uses, including some that are illegal. The exact same can be said about a car, computer, knife, rope, chair, chlorine, They are all tools used by humans.

And yet most homicides are committed using guns. Not knives, ropes, computers or chairs. I wonder why that is?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Jesus there are a lot of comments here from Trump supporters focusing on Black people.

No! You’re taking it as usual out of context. The fact is, the left refuses to focus on gun crime in the hardest hit areas and who are the overwhelming victims of gun violence, black men, now if you want people to ignore it, then don’t talk about it, but at the same time. The left shouldn’t make statements that the right doesn’t care because when they want to talk about the root causes, it boils down to racism and whites or white conservatives don’t care.

Austin Texas has defunded the police

Austin is a liberal blue dot in a conservative State in the same way Orange County is a red dot in a blue liberal State like California and just like OC ensures the safety of the district. Austin THINKS it’s doing the same by defunding the police and they’re not.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Still the Wild, Wild, West. In the past 200 years, has much really changed in the US regarding gun violence? Pathetic. More guns will never mean fewer deaths. If people can't realize that, then these unnecessary killings will just continue, as they have since the US became the US.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

P. SmithToday  10:43 am JST

We don’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of a barely educated red neck being a danger to society when in possession of a firearm.

They don't faze me if they are confronting bunboys, Antifa loonies, and militant BLM protesters who are acting violently.

People have a right to be safe, regardless of their education.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Texas with its relaxed gun laws creates more than 3,000 homicides every year costing the state $16 billion. There have been in recent times mass shootings.

and not to mention the lives that have been saved

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article238828683.html

Here is the strange irony in all this. Democrats and liberals, the people that desperately are trying in vain to turn Texas (miserably failing) blue and the msm media are the ones that are making the most noise where just two years ago they didn’t, it’s pretty obvious what they’re trying to do and Texas is just not going to listen to what these pundits and politicians want. Austin can do what it wants, they have the right to, but they don’t speak for the majority of Texas and Texans in the same way OC doesn’t speak for the entire State of California.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

But liberals cant accept that, they have to try to force every single state to be in their image.

In America, people used to believe that you could have your own (diverse) opinion. It used to be that states in a nation conceived as a republic could makes laws over issues not specifically reserved for the federal government. But for Progressives, that form of government is incompatible with a governing style that requires individuals to give up their personal needs and wants for the needs of the experts. Freedom is dumb to these ideologues. Follow the science- a science that is never settled and constantly evolves in support of the ideological views of the political and activist class. Remember eugenics? That was “the science”. Abortion- “the science”. Welfare policies that drive fathers away - “the (social) science”. The current atrocity is the mutilation of healthy children with hormones and surgeries - “the science”. The science has to be imposed on all states - not through a state by state decision as specified by the Constitution. Gun laws are the same. Ignore the second amendment and use courts to impose a facially wrong ideology on everyone. That’s why the Left goes to such extreme ends to Bork and destroy those that threaten their only means to override the written words in the Constitution. It took the Republicans 50 years to figure out the game - but now it’s too late.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

and not to mention the lives that have been saved

Just link to GVAs defensive gun use page. you'll find nine pages of examples for this year. defensive uses that were reported on in the media so not counting those that werent.

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/query/0c4d74c8-5b5c-4440-a901-b80987f753b4

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US murder rate is higher than places like Angola, Kenya, Rwanda, etc., but amazingly, it was double in the early 1990's. It's 20 times the rate in Japan.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

*sorry, 23 pages.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The AvengerToday  09:05 am JST

Abbot (Governor of Texas) is making the guns more accessible too. I wonder why Texas bothers. They don't care. Make it easy on yourselves. Don't investigate gun crimes. Don't hold news conferences on gun crimes. Don't worry about the shooters identity, whereabouts or motive(s). It is just a citizen exercising their god given rights. It doesn't matter if anyone gets hurt or dies. All that matters is we don't infringe on gun owners to own and shoot their guns all the time everywhere.

Abbot is shirking his duties as governor which is to tend to needs of Texans and that includes their right to live in peace. He doesn't care, he's neglegent and lazy. And he's so hung up about his hispanophobia he wants to build a border wall. He's unworthy to be a governor of any state.

On top of that he doesn't care about the cops in Texas either. Pull a speeder over and get your face blown off because the 'governor' says it's cool to play cowboy. Yippy-yi-yay.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

And yet most homicides are committed using guns. Not knives, ropes, computers or chairs. I wonder why that is?

You left out 'cars' from the quote you replied to. smart. anyway:

"The mass shooting early Saturday is the biggest mass casualty incident that Austin has seen on Sixth Street since a driver plowed through a crowd during the South by Southwest Music Festival in 2014...

During that incident, four people died, and 20 others were injured when a man drove through a barrier and into a crowd of people."

https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/news/crime/mass-shooting-austin-texas-sixth-street-incidents/269-c00c3a20-55e6-43e3-8f2b-18ba0a24bb1d

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The gun violence of present-day American society is the inevitable result of the violent trajectory of America's history and the commitment of US-style capitalism to prioritizing and maximizing profit over people's lives and welfare. Karma is cruel.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

You left out 'cars' from the quote you replied to. smart. anyway:

Lmao right, because cars are used to murder thousands of Americans every year. There are incidences of Americans being mowed down with cars each and everyday. Smart.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Lmao right, because cars are used to murder thousands of Americans every year. There are incidences of Americans being mowed down with cars each and everyday. Smart.

and heres a car attack that resulted in more deaths and more injuries than a shooting involving two suspects. Guns and cars are both tools and cause about the same number of deaths per year in America.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

*Abbot is shirking his duties as governor which is to tend to needs of Texans* and that includes their right to live in peace. 

They do and that’s why he’s making sure the 2nd amendment stays intact.

He doesn't care, he's neglegent and lazy. And he's so hung up about his hispanophobia he wants to build a border wall. He's unworthy to be a governor of any state.

Well, according to many Texans they just elected a Republican Hispanic mayor, so I guess even Hispanics need to feel safe.

On top of that he doesn't care about the cops in Texas either.

He does and that’s why he doesn’t and won’t defund the police.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@u_s__reamer; The gun violence of present-day American society is the inevitable result of the violent trajectory of America's history and the commitment of US-style capitalism to prioritizing and maximizing profit over people's lives and welfare. Karma is cruel.

Care to connect the dots of this trajectory of present day crime to historical crime? And how you link the fact that nearly half of the murders in America are by roughly 6% of the population (black males) due to capitalism should be an interesting read.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

and begs the question, why did you selectively exclude cars from the quote?

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and heres a car attack that resulted in more deaths and more injuries than a shooting involving two suspects.

Wow Sophia, so you think one incident involving a car is equivalent to the dozens of people killed each and every day with a gun. You should think that is the same thing as averaging more than one mass shooting everyday? Absurd.

Guns and cars are both tools and cause about the same number of deaths per year in America.

Not homicides they don't.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Defund the police and what do you get? Crime rates skyrocketing in Democrat cities.

Welcome to Biden’s America. All part of the plan...

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

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