Gunman On Rampage Kills 13, Then Self in N.Y.BINGHAMTON, N.Y.   

Unfortunately, this type of tragedy is repeated and will not doubt continue to be repeated day after day. I don't know why or how anyone would choose to kill other innocent people, especially strangers as is so often the case in this shootings but it seems this kind of thing is happening more and more all the time.
Annie

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You're kidding, msmargo, that horrible murderer is thought to be a hero by some?

Opal, did you hear where some of the gunman's friends have said they weren't surprised? Whenever I hear something like that I can't help but wish someone would have come forward before the tragedy if they weren't surprised after it happened but I guess hindsight is 20/20.
Annie

Thank you so much, especially for your last sentence about "don't take someone elses mother,father,sister,brother aunt or uncle." We often forget about the victims, or I guess they should say they're not really REAL to us but they are somebody's loved ones and those left behind will never be the same again.
Annie

I feel the same way. It's just random violence and it makes no sense to me at all.
Annie

It's about two hours from me also, not even two hours. It doesn't make sense because the gunman was an immigrant himself and had been taking English classes at the place the killings took place until about a month ago when he quit.
Annie

Now since this one there has been the murders of three police officers and the father that killed his own children then himself. I don't get it, there's something like this happening everyday these days, sometimes more than one.
Annie

I think that many times, whatever psychological trigger is primed and ready in the person doing the killing is set off when someone else does something similar. If that trigger hadn't happened, they might not have followed through. I think that's why we see groupings of events like this. They're not copy-cat, but more like a domino effect. There's no telling precisely what will trigger anything in anyone. But, it apparently pushes just the right buttons in their psyches. You see a similar thing with teen suicides.

Jerzgirl, I think you're really onto something here. There's something else I've had on my mind for a few days, since the Pittsburgh shooting but I knew I'd be met with a LOT of resistance if I even brought it up...

I don't have the link in front of me right now but I'm sure most everyone has heard by now that the young man who shot the three police officers to death in Pittsburgh had allegedly told a friend he was concerned about the "Obama gun ban that's coming". Then there's all the talk from right-wing commentators like Glen Beck about how people are stockpiling firearms because President Obama is going to take them away, which isn't even close to the truth. I don't think it's a stretch that someone who is already unstable (and therefore shouldn't be able to own a gun in the first place, in my opinion!) and angry could really be set off by something like this?
Annie

The problem with instability is that it doesn't always manifest until too late. Often, no one saw any signs because the person managed to keep their public personna above board. Kind of like a functioning alcoholic - what the public sees isn't what happens in private. But, one day, a trigger happens and then we learn all too late. Sometimes there is no trigger or their instability is kept in check throughout their lives, but the ones who break are equally invisible. At least, they are to those from whom they want to keep the secret.

You're right, Jerz. Too often it's not until after the fact that the pieces fall together when people begin analyzing signs they didn't see. Often there are not signs, you're right about that. How often have we heard the words, "He was such a quiet man..." or something to that effect about someone who has gone on a murderous spree?
Annie

The gunman was a Vietnamese immigrant. He had just lost his job and was frustrated that he did not have a firm command of the English language.

Guess my idea of a motive was wrong!

yeah, but it does seem like a logical conclusion if you haven't heard most of the story, a lot of people ARE pissed about losing work or not being able to get work due to folks hiring illegals.

Not only are the illegals and even legal immigrants stealing our jobs, they're also stealing our tax money via government aid. And what ticks me off the worst is they come here to our country expecting to be treated as if they're still living in their own country.


Do you know years ago, back when America was called the land of opportunity, people would come here from all over the world, and actually conform to our culture. A man named Antonio would get off the boat and say his name was ANTHONY. He would speak English at all times and would never expect us to know Spanish or Italian or whatever just for him.

It's all seemed to go backwards now. Heaven forbid we offend immigrants by not knowing their language, and by not having instructions to everything printed in every language of the world. Heaven forbid I go to call my local cable company, and they just automatically assumes everyone in the US actually speaks English since that is our nations language, and doesn't ask me to press 1 for Spanish!

The victims were there to take a citizenship test so at least they were going about it the legal way to become Americans. The gunman was a Vietnamese immigrant but I don't know if he'd ever become a citizen. As already posted, he'd been demeaned for not knowing English well. These things hadn't been reported when I first started this discussion.
Annie

new york already has pretty tough hand gun restrictions, though I understand he used a rifle, not a handgun. Gun laws don't stop people who don't obey the law in the first place. Lets not let this start the anti-gun debate again. Like you pointed out, we can't blame the gun, we must blame the person.

It should be pointed out that most of the people who commit these horrible mass murderers aren't "common criminals" who make a habit of breaking the law. In many cases they're clearly unstable yet they usually get their guns legally.
Annie

I understand the killer had written to letter in which he blamed the police for all his problems and accused them of causing him to have accidents and following him around, etc. He said in the letter his life would be ending soon and that he'd be taking at least two others with him. Apparently he apologized for his poor English but not for the lives he planned to take.
Annie

it is quite interesting to know that the gunman is more interested in his grammar rather than the lives of other people that has been a victim of this tragedy. Is the gunman non american.

You've got that right, X, something like this will never make sense!
Annie