I guess it didn't even merit a thread this time...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Cynical, much? The 17-month old girl's in clover, Ray. Over $185,000 raised in the GoFundMe set up for her.

[RayThom]

Cynical, much? The 17-month old girl's in clover, Ray. Over $185,000 raised in the GoFundMe set up for her.

Well, that's good to hear. She should share Officer Zack's money with all the other non-police victims.

Every time a cop gets stuck doing something "in the line of duty" he/she becomes a hero -- whether it is heroic or not. "Hero" loses its true meaning after awhile.

[Bicycle Bill]

I suppose it becomes necessary, the "Go Fund Me" pages for victims of this sort of senseless shit ... who plans for this kind of thing?  And most health insurance plans, I'm sure, will quickly find a way to either cap their responsibility at a certain dollar amount or try to throw it onto someone else, like the shooter himself.  But the shooter sure in hell couldn't afford to pay for the damages he caused, even if he were still alive.  And since he just gotten fired, he probably didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, so confiscating and selling off whatever he had ain't going to raise more than chump change either.

But I do want to address a word or two to liberty.

Hey, lib, the Second Amendment, of which you are so goddammed supportive, states that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."   So what sort of a "well-regulated militia" as defined in the Second Amendment was this particular asshole a part of?  If this is an example of that "well regulated Militia", put me down as supporting the amending of the Second Amendment to reflect and address the concerns of today, not the concerns of 250 years ago.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

The cop is likely to have his medical paid in full because it’s on the job injury so workers compensation will cover. However, most cops support their families on OT, and that will go away until he’s fully healed. Workers compensation pays only a fraction of regular wages, too - so he’s even shorter. His family may miss work to assist him, and they’re all entitled to counseling for the PTSD they’ll probably have from this horrific event.

Other victims will have to rely on private insurance- the kinds of policies that drive sick and injured people into poverty and bankruptcy every day in America, thanks to outrageous deductibles and copays and the industry’s penchant for denying claims. Victims compensation *may* be available, but unlikely to cover much if it is. Oops, they killed the shooter so it won’t go to court - no victims compensation, sorry.

This is why the gun industry needs to be open to litigation and why gun owners and sellers should be mandated to carry heavy liability insurance - why should victims of guns wielded by psychopaths be forced to bear the financial costs along with the physical and psychological devastation?

I don’t begrudge any shooting victim a gofundme windfall; what kind of mean spirited asshole would?

[MajGenl.Meade]

Hey, lib . . . Second Amendment . . . what sort of a . . . ? 

[Lord Jim]

The kind of resilience no toddler should ever need to show:

Toddler hit in Texas shooting still wants to 'run around and play,' mother tells governor

WASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A 17-month old toddler shot during a deadly gun rampage in West Texas suffered serious injuries to her mouth, lips and tongue, but still wants to "run around and play," the girl's mother told Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a text message on Sunday.

Anderson Davis was among the 22 people wounded in a shooting on Saturday that claimed seven victims' lives, as well as that of the gunman.

Abbott told a news conference he had received a message from the girl's mother, who said her daughter was in good spirits despite her injuries, and the injuries could be addressed.

"This is all of our worst nightmare, but thank God she's alive and relatively well," the governor quoted the mother's message. "Toddlers are funny because they can get shot and still want to run around and play. We are thanking God for that."

The mother, whose name was not given, told Abbott the girl would have surgery on Monday to fix her lip and mouth, and to remove shrapnel from her chest. Her jaw was not hit, she said.

An online fundraising campaign to cover medical expenses had raised $140,705 as of Sunday afternoon.

The website said Davis was hit by a bullet fragment during the shooting. It includes a posting from the mother written during a long drive to Lubbock, Texas while her daughter was being flown to the hospital there for treatment.

"Anderson is 17 months old, has shrapnel in her right chest, ["17 months old " and "shrapnel" should never ever appear together in the same sentence ] which, thank God, is superficial. She has a hole through her bottom lip and tongue and her front teeth were knocked out," she wrote at the time.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/0 ... /23805096/

[Lord Jim]

The little girl's name is Anderson Davis. She's a real little cutie patootie:



Her Go Fund Me account is now up to about 190K...

[rubato]

Cynical, much? The 17-month old girl's in clover, Ray. Over $185,000 raised in the GoFundMe set up for her.

A fraction of what her injuries will cost even in the near term.

The NRA should be made to pay.


yrs,
rubato

[Bicycle Bill]

The NRA should be made to pay.

Now THERE'S an interesting premise.

-"BB"-

[Gob]

Sad when we have to fund raise...

DONATIONS for killed PC Andrew Harper hit £100,000 in just one day as his colleagues hailed his "heroism".



The 28-year-old newlywed was struck down by a vehicle and killed after stepping out of his car on Thursday night.

Thames Valley Police Federation have raised more than £100,000 for PC Harper's family through the JustGiving page.

The page reads: "We will ensure that heroism is never forgotten.

"All our thoughts remain with Andrew’s wife, family, friends and close colleagues."

Donations of more than £18,000 have also flooded a page set up by PC Harper, who had pledged to undertake an endurance race for a children's cancer charity.

The donations came as it emerged PC Harper was dragged to his death by a getaway van of burglars who stole a quad bike from a £800,000 country house.

On Friday it was revealed that the ten males aged 13 to 30 arrested on suspicion of killing Andrew all came from the same traveller site.

Yes, I did chip in.

[RayThom]

The 28-year-old newlywed was struck down by a vehicle and killed after stepping out of his car on Thursday night...
The donations came as it emerged PC Harper was dragged to his death by a getaway van of burglars who stole a quad bike from a £800,000 country house."

I am saddened to read about this young PC's senseless death. Obviously killed in the line of duty, yet doing what he signed on to do.

What I'm trying to figure out is when and where the heroics happened in order to claim this officer was a hero. He saved no one, and got himself killed in the process. Quite possibly because he was cavalier in the performance of his duties in this case. Of course, at this point, the higher authorities will never mention if that was the case. That would surely lessen all the accolades from the public which they must maintain.

Anyone in uniform, regardless of action, seems to be a hero-in-waiting these days. Unfortunately, the every day civilian -- a true hero -- needs to suffer bodily harm helping someone in need in order to receive this accolade. The term 'hero' has become horribly skewed, mostly in the aftermath of 9/11.

There are many who are praiseworthy, and fewer that are heroes. We are doing a grave injustice and disservice to our true heroes just for our collective, 24 hour, feel-good high. That's not right. A new focus is needed but that's not going to happen now that 'hero' has become trite and shopworn -- a mere cliche.

Here are some of our true heroes -- rightly recognized.
https://www.carnegiehero.org/awardees/

[Big RR]

Just like standing ovations have become the norm in the theater, any innocent person who is killed in a tragic accident or in the commission of a crime is called a hero; I think this started shortly after the Sep 11 attacks. I have no knowledge of what happened here, and whether he was acting heroically or was a victim, but the press calls everyone a hero (which pretty much means no one is).

Of course, even before that, anyone who played sports well is also a hero, which further dilutes the term.

[Scooter]

[Econoline]

[ex-khobar Andy]

And another one today, this time in California which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. A handgun if reports are accurate, not a long weapon. I don't know if there was an armed 'peace officer' or whatever they call them these days at the school.

Two dead. Two sets of parents who got up this morning and saw their kids off to school on a normal Thursday. I cannot imagine it.

No news yet how he got the weapon. Nevada's laws are pretty lax. Arizona too.

Hand wringing and thoughts and prayers are on their way.

[BoSoxGal]

I saw that story posted on DM and right next to it a story about a young marine who turned himself into police after shooting to death his mom and dad and the two family dogs.

Maybe it’s time the government acted to seriously study gun violence, and to enact strict gun control at the federal level. Fuck the guns nuts, this is beyond sickening.

[Bicycle Bill]

-"BB"-

[Sue U]

Maybe it’s time the government acted to seriously study gun violence, and to enact strict gun control at the federal level.

O hai, last week:

Secret Service study: School attackers showed warning signs

By COLLEEN LONGNovember 7, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most students who committed deadly school attacks over the past decade were badly bullied, had a history of disciplinary trouble and their behavior concerned others but was never reported, according to a U.S. Secret Service study released Thursday.

In at least four cases, attackers wanted to emulate other school shootings, including those at Columbine High School in Colorado, Virginia Tech University and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The research was launched following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The study by the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center is the most comprehensive review of school attacks since the Columbine shootings in 1999. The report looked in-depth at 41 school attacks from 2008 through 2017, and researchers had unprecedented access to a trove of sensitive data from law enforcement including police reports, investigative files and nonpublic records.

The information gleaned through the research will help train school officials and law enforcement on how to better identify students who may be planning an attack and how to stop them before they strike.

“These are not sudden, impulsive acts where a student suddenly gets disgruntled,” Lina Alathari, the center’s head, said in an Associated Press interview. “The majority of these incidents are preventable.”

Source: https://apnews.com/a592850f54634daea31be69defec841e

And yet:

News in Brief
‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

Source

and also too:

News in Brief
School Shooter Thankfully Stopped Before Doing Enough Damage To Restart National Gun Debate

Source

... neither of which articles were about today's Santa Clarita shootings.

[Bicycle Bill]

And now we'll never know the reasons behind the latest person to run off the rails.....

Teen gunman who killed two in shooting rampage at California high school dies in hospital

The teenager who shot five fellow students in a 16-second killing rampage at a Southern California high school has died, authorities announced Friday night.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow died at about 3:30 PM Friday at a hospital with his mother nearby.  Berhow had been in critical condition after shooting himself following the rampage, which killed two other students.

Authorities say Berhow pulled a gun from his backpack Thursday at Saugus High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita, shot five students at random and then shot himself in the head.  It was his 16th birthday.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the shooter appeared to act deliberately, as he knew exactly how many rounds were in the firearm.  “In 16 seconds he cleared a malfunction and was able to shoot five people and himself, so he seemed very familiar with the weapon,” Villanueva said Friday.  “It wasn’t a spur of the moment act.”

In the attack, officials said the teenager, armed with a .45-caliber semiautomatic weapon, apparently acted alone.  There was no indication that he was affiliated with a group or ideology, said Paul Delacourt, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.

The shooting was captured on security video.  Investigators say they still don’t have a motive.

-"BB"-

[Joe Guy]

Maybe he snapped after seeing a Disney movie re-release that had no warning about outdated cultural depictions.