Original Post Date: August 6, 2019
Hello all you masters and mistress of words, here we are again on the mass shooting merry-go-round. This time America got a triple. Two mass shootings within hours of each other and a week from the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting. I’m not going to give a lecture on the importance of gun control because if you read this blog, you’ll see that this debate has been going since the 1966 starting with the shooting at University of Texas.
This blog showcast many of the heartbreaking mass shootings from Columbine to the most tragic Sandy Hook. I often ask the question “how many people have to die before our Government will act. With each administration taking to social media giving a heartfelt condolences, no one bothers to actually come up with more stricter gun laws to prevent more mass shootings.
No trouble individual should has such easy access to guns. Maybe its up to us to take action to help prevent another loss.
Walmart El Paso Texas Shooting (2019)
Patrick Crusius, 21
Just before 10:15 am on Saturday, Crusius walked into the local Walmart and opened fired on unsuspecting shoppers killing 22 and injuring 27. This is the second of two shootings less than 24 hours a part. After his arrest, local police performed a search warrant discovered his 4 page manifesto titled “The Inconvenient Truth”. According to his manifesto, Crusius reflects ideas of racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and sexist from President Trump and his supporters. The manifesto also applaud the white supremacist group and their theory “The Great Replacement”. Patrick is currently in custody.
Dayton OH Mass Shootings (2019)
Connor Betts, 24
31 dead including Betts 22 year old sister Megan who was at the bar with friends and 50 injured. This is the first of two shootings within 24 hours. It’s alleged that Connor open fired on bar customers after he was denied entry. Connor was then killed in a shoot-out with local police.
Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting (2019)
Santino William Legan, 19
Shortly before close of the final day of the Garlic festival, suspect Legan enter the grounds through a fence he cut. Inside Legan begin to open fire on the crowd of festival goers leaving 4 dead including a 6 year old boy and 14 injuries. Legan a loner, did not leave a manifesto nor communicate his plans for this attack. Days before the attack, Legan opened an Instagram account and posting his dislike for the the festival complaining that the event is congesting up the area. We may never know the reason behind this mass shooting Legan was killed in a shoot out with local police.
The Virginia Beach Shooting (2019)
DeWayne Antonio Craddock, 40
This shooting is just another pebble in the sea of many being work-place violence. Not since the 2015 shootings at Inland Regional Center, San Bernardino California husband and wife duo Syed Rizwan Farook, 28 and Tashteen Malik, 29 plan attack his co-workers at a Christmas party we seen such rage. DeWayne unlike Farook and Malik wasn’t extremists, more like disgruntled weeks before Craddock walked into his former place of employment opening firing killing 12 people and wounding 4 before participating in a deadly shoot-out with police that resulted in his death, he was allegedly in a physical altercation with co-workers which lead to him resign.
Thousand Oaks Shooting (2018)
David Long, 28
Long a former US Marine and regular patron of the Borderline Bar and Grill snap and on the evening of November 7th shot security guard outside then entering the bar killing 13 and injuring 10 before turning the gun on himself in apparent suicide. There’s no indication, or plans for this attack. Long served a year in Afghanistan. After his service, Long was living with his mother when Police were called to his home for disturbance. Long was acting irate. It’s believed that Long suffered from PST disorder although there’s no proof. Police and mental health crisis team decided not to hold him.
Stoneman Douglas High School,
Parkland Shootings (2018)
Nikolas Jacob Cruz, 19
Parkland shooting is unusual in the since that the shooter threats to shoot up his high school was reported to local authorities. These tips were turned over to the FBI. Upon investigating, the FBI couldn’t identify Nikolas because of a YouTube user who also go by the name of Nikolas Cruz also made threats. Sometime in January someone contacted the tip line for the FBI with a direct complaint of Cruz intentions but this tip wasn’t forward to the local FBI office. On the afternoon of Valentines Day Cruz, walked onto campus towards a building, entering building 12 pulling the fire alarm and begin shooting. Cruz will kill 17 students, teachers and wounding 17 before fleeing by blending in with exiting students.
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting (2018)
Robert Gregory Bowers, 46
In the early morning hours of a fall day, a bearded heavy-set man walked into the Tree of Life synagogue opening fire on members killing 11 and injuring 6 at the start of service. Survivors recount the shooter yelling anti-semitic rants as he point and shoot. Robert Gregory surrendering to authorities with no incident. He’s reason for this crime his disdain with the Jewish community.
Santa Fe High School Shooting (2018)
Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17
In spring of 2018, 10 dead and 13 wounded when Dimitrios a student entered an area of classes and opened fired on his classmates. Surviving students said that Dimitrios pointing his weapon at a classmate saying “I’m going to kill you” before pulling the trigger. Filled with rage, Dimitrios then move down the hall pushing in a door to a classroom that teachers and student barricaded, reorganizing a classmate yelling “surprise” before shooting. Local police officers arrested Pagourtzis without any further incident. The reason behind this shooting the teen years of bullying.
Las Vegas Shooting 2017
Route 91 Harvest Festival
Stephen Paddock, 64
This is another mass shootings in a long line of mass shootings as you can see from this blog. This is yet another heartbreak as Paddock barricade himself in his room on the 32nd floor of Las Vegas hotel Mandalay Bay opened an window and started shooting onto unsuspecting crowd below that were in attendance of the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Paddock killing 58 injuring 851 before turning the gun on himself. Paddock did not leave any indication or manifesto or reason as to why he committed this crime. We will never know what drives someone to take such measures as to attack innocent people.
Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)
Omar Mateen, 29
Omar walked into a Florida nightclub opened fire on the crowd killing 49 people wounding 58. Mateen motive is he didn’t discriminate he just pretty much hated everyone. This fact is well known and confirmed by his co-workers. Unfortunately the LGBTQ & Latino community was hardest hit that night. Pulse is a well known Gay and Lesbian club, that night the club was hosting a Latino night. Mateen held survivors hostage for three hours before SWAT team moved in, killing Omar.
Aurora Colorado Shooting (2012)
James Eagan Holmes, 25
Going on a family outing to see the most anticipated movie of the year is exciting but for a group of movie goers something so innocent turned into their worst nightmare. 20 minutes into the movie, a gunman dressed in tactical clothing wearing a gas mask opened fired on unsuspecting crowd, killing 12 people and injuring 58 before slipping out to his car where he would be arrested without further incident. In standard police protocol, a search warrant issue for his home that was booby-trapped with explosive that was set to go off as police enter his apartment. Lucky no more lives were harmed as police evacuated the surround area disarming the explosive. Holmes convicted by reason of insanity will spend the rest of his days locked up.
Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre (2012)
Adam Lanza, 20
This is maybe the most terrifying, heartbreaking mass shooting of them all. No parent sending their kids to school should experience what these parents experienced. Days before Christmas, Adam mentally and unstable troubled teen murder his mother before embarking on a killing spree at Sandy Hook Elementary killing 20 children ages seven to nine and six staff members. Police investigation uncovered Adam was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Sensory-Integration Disorder. No one will ever know why Adam committed this crime no manifesto or note was left behind. What we do know is that his mother was aware of his disorders and tried to help him adjust in the real world.
Northern Illinois University (2008)
Steven Kazmierczk, 27
Just a little over a year after the Virginia Tech shootings, graduate Steven walked into a lecture hall and opened fire killing 5 students, injuring 17 before committing suicide by gun shot. It was discovered that Steven suffered from anxiety. In the days leading up to the shootings, Steven displayed strange and unstable behavior, becoming erratic. The authorities uncovered that Steven showed interest in the Columbine shootings and Virginia Tech shootings studying shooter Seung Hu Cho and using similar methods.
Virginia Tech Massacre (2007)
Seung-Hui Cho, 23
Cho a senior, walked into two class halls and opened fire killing 17 people before killing himself. It was later discovered that Cho was diagnosed with a serve anxiety disorder and was ordered to received in-care patience treatment. Cho would leave a 1,800 page manifesto explaining his motives; motives that includes comparing himself to Jesus and his dislike of wealthy elite.
DC Sniper (2002)
John Allen Muhammed, 41 and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17 Surrogate father son duo went on a three week killing spree that span through 7 states. The death toll 17 people. The pair was finally captured as they slept in their car. The motive for this mass killing spree, Muhammed ex-strange ex-wife wouldn’t allow him to see their kids.
Columbine H.S. Shootings (1999)
Dyland Klebold, 18 and Eric Harris, 18
In the spring of 1999 two seniors walked into their high school campus open fired on unsuspecting students killing 13 people injuring 21 before turning the guns on themselves. There’s no real reason why the teens committed this heinous act, but this shooting started the talks about gun control that continues to this day.
Westside Middle School Shooting (1998)
Mitchell Scott Johnson, 13 and Andrew Douglas Golden, 11
Not many know or remember a school shooting in the late 90’s other than Columbine. In fact there were 12 school shootings before Columbine. One in particular happened just one year prior when pre-teen boys Johnson and Golden walked onto campus pulling the fire alarm hid from view. As students and teachers exit the building they started shooting killing 5 and wounding 10 before fleeing. The pair were apprehended with no further incident.
*Footnote:
The juveniles, was sentence to prison until the age of 21. A gag order issued no information of the trail is public knowledge.
Johnson released on his 21st August 11, 2005. Johnson legal troubles continue into his adulthood being busted for possession of marijuana a misdemeanor careless driving and possession of firearm a felon subsequently sentence to 12 years. Johnson sentence was over turned on a technicality and after serving for years was released.
Golden released on his 21st birthday May 25, 2007. Golden changed his name to Drew Douglas Scott completed his civil case deposition and resides in Missouri with his wife and kids until his death. On June 27, 2019 Golden lost his life in automobile accident.
Oklahoma City Bombings (1993)
Timothy McVeigh, 33 and Terry Nichols, 38 Conspired and targeted the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killing 168 people including children who attended onsite daycare, injuring 680 people making this bombings most destructive massacre in America’s history until 9/11. The reason for all this destruction Timothy McVeigh was angry over the handling of 1992 Ruby Ridge and 1993 Waco Branch Davidian incident, even appearing on local news ranting about his dislike of the authorities. Oklahoma City Bombings was the deadliest attacks on American soil until 9/11.
Ludy’s Restaurant Massacre (1991)
George Hennard, 35
Imagine sitting down to dinner then hearing a crash then gun shots, that’s what happened when George Hennard drove his truck through the window of Ludy’s Restaurant in Kileen TX killing 23 people and injuring 27. Hennard participated in a shoot out with police before turning the gun on himself. Unlike the others killings mentioned, George didn’t leave any manifesto explaining his actions, however, it was speculated that George had a deep hatred towards minorities and women this stems from his unstable with relationship with his mother.
San Ysidro McDonalds Massacre (1984)
James Huberty, 41
The mass shooting at McDonald’s is one of the most heartbreaking and terrifying shootings in recent memory. James Huberty 41 walked into a local McDonalds and opened fire on customers killing 21 people and injuring 19 before dying in a shoot out with police. Days before the massacre, James told his wife that he might be suffering from a mental breakdown. Huberty later contacted a mental health facility but no response. The day of the shooting James spend his last hours relaxing with his family. Later that afternoon, James kissed his wife goodbye getting ready to leave. When asked where is he going his response “I’m going to hunt humans” as he walked out he turns to his daughter and said “Goodbye I won’t be back”. As the family was notified of Huberty death the mental health facility left a voicemail message returning Huberty call.
University of Texas at Austin Shooting (1966)
Charles Whitman, 25
Charles Killed 17 people including his wife and mother. After the killings of his family, Charles drove to the university of Texas at Austin ascended the clock tower and opened fired on unsuspecting students. Whitman then turned the gun on himself. Authorities later discovery a manifesto explaining his actions. Whitman questioned his mental stability, an autopsy was completed, medical examiner discovered a brain tumor the size of pecan and determined this to be a possible motive to his mentally unstable health.
I will end this blog by stating what I have been saying and what I always say when faced with sadness, we need to have more patience and show empathy, compassion and respect then maybe our world will be a better place. Let’s be kind to each other.
Until next time…..
Blog source:
Wikipedia
CNN
Los Angeles Times
LA Times Op-Ed peace
ABC News