General Gun Violence/Gun Control

[AngTxGal]

In a DV situation, women should immediately call 9-1-1. LE will de-escalate, if there are no visible injury they will separate the couple and will hand the victim information about safe houses and DV hotlines. The call will result in a police report that then can be used to obtain an Exparte emergency order of protection.

The Uvalde shooter had a volatile history known to family and friends. It is unknown if Red Flag laws would have helped because Texas refuses to pass such laws. His family refused to buy him a gun so he did it on his own when he turned 18. He had a history of aggression according to his friends. He also wrote "LOL" in the victims' blood on a white board that had photos of several of his victims.

I'm not familiar with the Oakland case but in Highland Park, police had been called to the family's home several times because of the shooter's threats of violence toward his family. His parents insisted all was well so LE couldn't confiscate his weapons. His father helped him get the firearm ID card and is now being prosecuted.

Red Flag laws are becoming law in states with politicians interested protecting public safety. According to this psychiatrist, the laws are valuable:

According to the Associated Press, Florida has used their surrender law almost 6,000 times since the Parkland School shooting. Compare that to Illinois, where since 2020, a little more than 150 weapons have been surrendered, including just four in Chicago.

When studying a subset of “red flag” states, researchers looked at how many guns were taken away after threats of a mass shooting.

“It’s about 10% across these states are being used when there was that kind of a threat, and the most frequent target was a K-12 school. We don’t know for sure those threats would have materialized had the gun rule action not been put into place but we do know that they’re being used in a nontrivial number of these cases,” Swanson said.

Working to prevent gun violence is personal to Swanson, after losing three family members to suicides that involved guns. He believes “red flag” laws are an effective tool.

“It’s a civil restraining order, it’s not criminalizing, it’s temporary. It respects the Second Amendment rights of gun owners,” Swanson said.

Do ‘red flag’ laws actually work? Psychiatrist weighs in

interesting, if Red Flag laws are being put into place and more and more states are doing so then the incidence of masa shootings should be going down.
It is not, at least not yet- 2023 is proving to be a record breaker already for mass shootings.

As gun violence reaches record levels in the US, an underlying trauma may be building up | CNN

As more communities reel from deadly mass shootings – including Dadeville, Alabama, where four people were killed and 28 injured at a Sweet 16 birthday party over the weekend – there’s evidence that the trauma of gun violence in the United States is taking a collective toll on the nation’s...

amp.cnn.com

I pray they work, and those who need mental health services get them. That number needing relief is growing, shootings are impacting all of our mental health.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

interesting, if Red Flag laws are being put into place and more and more states are doing so then the incidence of masa shootings should be going down.
It is not, at least not yet- 2023 is proving to be a record breaker already for mass shootings.

As gun violence reaches record levels in the US, an underlying trauma may be building up | CNN

As more communities reel from deadly mass shootings – including Dadeville, Alabama, where four people were killed and 28 injured at a Sweet 16 birthday party over the weekend – there’s evidence that the trauma of gun violence in the United States is taking a collective toll on the nation’s...

amp.cnn.com

I pray they work, and those who need mental health services get them. That number needing relief is growing, shootings are impacting all of our mental health.

JMO

The incidents of mass shootings and gun violence ARE going down in states with Red Flag laws. It is the jurisdictions where politicians don't want to prioritize public safety where they fail.

Research indicates the “sanctuary” resolutions may have had a chilling effect on red flag orders being filed. In 2020, the first full year the Colorado law went into effect there were 109 extreme risk protection order petitions filed statewide, according to a paper, “Colorado’s First Year of Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” published in October 2021 in the journal Injury Epidemiology. That works out to about 1.5 extreme risk protection orders filed per 100,000 people in “sanctuary” counties, compared with 2 orders filed per 100,000 people in non-sanctuary counties, according to the research.

A flood of states passed red flag laws after a former student shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February 2018. In August 2019, after shooters in separate incidents killed a combined 31 people in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, then-President Donald Trump reiterated his call for states to pass red flag laws. Federal gun safety legislation President Joe Biden signed in June 2022 — after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two adults — includes $750 million for states to run red flag and other intervention programs.

Can ‘red flag’ laws curb gun violence? Here’s what the research says.

There is research showing red flag laws may be effective in preventing suicides, along with a growing body of research on mass shootings.

journalistsresource.org

 

[MyBelle]

This jerk has been arrested:

Robert Louis Singletary, the suspect accused of shooting a 6-year-old neighbor and her parents in North Carolina after a basketball rolled into his yard, was apprehended and is in custody in Hillsborough County, Florida, according to Gaston County, North Carolina, spokesperson Adam J. Gaub.

Suspect who allegedly shot 6-year-old neighbor and her parents in North Carolina has been apprehended in Florida

 

[SouthAussie]

Since 13 April [one week ago], the day Ralph Yarl visited the wrong house, there have been 845 gun-related incidents in the United States, according to preliminary data from the Gun Violence Archive.

A small fraction of these incidents did not involve any shots fired, such as one 13 April incident where an adult left a loaded gun in the bathroom of an Atlanta, Georgia, primary school.

But many of them did.

Overall, those 845 incidents led to 743 injuries and 328 deaths.

Next week, there will be more.

Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis and other senseless shootings rattle US

A string of isolated, high-profile shootings map the daily drumbeat of gun violence in the US.

www.bbc.com

 

[AngTxGal]

I’m not surprised by your beliefs at all, I was born in the south and have many friends and relatives there.
Thanks for asking my suggestions.
It appears she left the situation and I wouldn’t minimize the effects of therapy for trauma.
I would also suggest letting your daughter know being set free is hardly guaranteed, the statistics are against her. And any felony on her record would diminish her opportunities, like teaching, or voting. She should know the risk of blowing someone away, especially a partner or husband, not to mention the long term psychological effects of killing someone in a relationship.

Brittany Smith released from Alabama state prison, her supporters are still puzzled by her conviction

In court filings, Smith described days of torment. She testified that Todd chased her to her own bedroom and threatened to kill her. She later woke up naked in her own urine.
She said Todd tried to "break her neck off the side of the bed because she tried to fight him."
They later ended up on the floor and she said he strangled her until she was unconscious.
She accused Todd of raping her several times.
She told police how they later went to a gas station, when she wrote a note with Todd's name on it and gave it to the clerk.
"If I'm dead in the morning, this is who did it," she told the clerk.

Smith tried to assert what's called a stand your ground defense
But a judge denied her defense.

Smith later took a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years in state prison

"If you can't use it in her case, I don't know what case you can use it in," said Rachel Louise Snyder

In her research, Louise Snyder found as many as 90% of woman serving time for murder were convicted of killing people they accused of domestic violence and sexual assault.

At the time of her arrest, Alabama had never allowed a single woman to use stand your ground in her own defense

Netflix documentary focuses on Brittany Smith, an Alabama woman who killed man she said raped her

Remkus says in the Netflix trailer that the case asked the question, “Are women able to use the system to defend themselves in the way that men are?”

Two Women Shoot and Kill Their Abusers Claiming Self-Defense. They Face Decades in Prison. | The Takeaway | WNYC Studios

Nicole Addimando faced horrific physical and sexual abuse by her husband for years, and in 2017 shot and killed him on their couch after she says he threatened her with the gun.
She was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a handgun for the shooting death in Poughkeepsie, New York.
A new 2019 law in the state did make her eligible to have her sentence reduced as a victim of domestic violence.
But a judge ruled in February 2020 that she didn’t meet the requirements for a reduced sentence, saying she had opportunities to leave her abuser.
She was given 19 years to life in prison.

Women Serve Longer Prison Sentences After Killing Abusers

According to statistics women who kill their partners will spend an average of 15 years behind bars, while men who kill their female partners serve much shorter sentences, on average between 2 to 6 years.
While most would agree homicide dictates a sizable prison stint, the question is, why are women being punished so much more harshly, especially when you consider this statistic: At least 90 percent of women in prison for killing men report having been abused by those men?

Where is Brittany Smith now? Alabama vs Brittany Smith true story | Radio Times

​

This clearly shows a double standard, and the states where these women are in prison is no surprise. The south is not known for women’s rights and equality, we can thank the Bible Belt.
I see the remedy being healthier relationships, and female judges.
Women who can earn enough to support their children have more options. Educate your sons and daughters to be decent people, and they can leave an abuser and care for their own family if needed.
JMO

 

[everybodhi]

He turned himself in to authorities before the “armed and dangerous” manhunt got to him.
Dude just randomly shot at everyone it sounds like, not focused on anyone in particular.
Now he being charged with 4 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon.
No plea bargains, please.
Let a jury decide.

Suspect who allegedly shot 6-year-old neighbor and her parents in North Carolina has been apprehended in Florida

According to several neighbors, the incident began Tuesday when a basketball rolled into Singletary's yard and he yelled at the kids who went to retrieve it. One of the kids told his father, who then went to Singletary's house and said something to the effect of "stop cussing my kid out, if you got a problem come to me and we can work it out," according to three neighbors.

"We never expected anybody would break a gun out amongst all those kids," neighbor Jonathan Robertson told CNN affiliate WBTV. "I mean that was insane."

The girl's mother, Ashley Hilderbrand, said they had nothing to do with the basketball game; the family was outside grilling and her daughter was riding her bike.

Several neighbors at the scene told CNN that Singletary had moved into his house a few weeks ago and since then had often yelled at kids for being in his yard.

They described him as acting like he "hated children" in the neighborhood, often angry about them playing in and running through his yard, and he had several issues with kids and their parents.

In Tuesday's shooting, the father who confronted Singletary ran away and was not injured, the neighbors said.

 

[AngTxGal]

Since 13 April [one week ago], the day Ralph Yarl visited the wrong house, there have been 845 gun-related incidents in the United States, according to preliminary data from the Gun Violence Archive.

A small fraction of these incidents did not involve any shots fired, such as one 13 April incident where an adult left a loaded gun in the bathroom of an Atlanta, Georgia, primary school.

But many of them did.

Overall, those 845 incidents led to 743 injuries and 328 deaths.

Next week, there will be more.

Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis and other senseless shootings rattle US

A string of isolated, high-profile shootings map the daily drumbeat of gun violence in the US.

www.bbc.com

I read about this one, shocking and yet understandable.
It was late at night, the 85 yr old man was asleep and awoke to someone knocking on his door. He assumed the young man was up to no good and was afraid.
In understanding am I saying he was justified? Of course not.
My dad is that same age. If someone was banging on the door late at night, he would assume they were up to no good, especially if he did not answer and the knock was persistent. The teen being black would not help.
There are groups of kids that case houses, check to see if people are home, when no one answers they break in. Some have parties when people are out of town, steal from them, and wreck the inside. We’ve all heard the stories
My dad would have wondered, but he would call 911.

I cannot imagine why this man choose to shoot, it reeks of someone who is mentally unstable- or dementia?

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

He turned himself in to authorities before the “armed and dangerous” manhunt got to him.
Dude just randomly shot at everyone it sounds like, not focused on anyone in particular.
Now he being charged with 4 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon.
No plea bargains, please.
Let a jury decide.

Suspect who allegedly shot 6-year-old neighbor and her parents in North Carolina has been apprehended in Florida

According to several neighbors, the incident began Tuesday when a basketball rolled into Singletary's yard and he yelled at the kids who went to retrieve it. One of the kids told his father, who then went to Singletary's house and said something to the effect of "stop cussing my kid out, if you got a problem come to me and we can work it out," according to three neighbors.

"We never expected anybody would break a gun out amongst all those kids," neighbor Jonathan Robertson told CNN affiliate WBTV. "I mean that was insane."

The girl's mother, Ashley Hilderbrand, said they had nothing to do with the basketball game; the family was outside grilling and her daughter was riding her bike.

Several neighbors at the scene told CNN that Singletary had moved into his house a few weeks ago and since then had often yelled at kids for being in his yard.

They described him as acting like he "hated children" in the neighborhood, often angry about them playing in and running through his yard, and he had several issues with kids and their parents.

In Tuesday's shooting, the father who confronted Singletary ran away and was not injured, the neighbors said.

Wow, so he had a history of being angry at the children, yelling at them and being confrontational. That is a Red Flag itself- and would warrant someone coming to his home and taking his guns… IMO.
JMO

 

[everybodhi]

Wow, so he had a history of being angry at the children, yelling at them and being confrontational. That is a Red Flag itself- and would warrant someone coming to his home and taking his guns… IMO.
JMO

He was already forbidden from having guns after the assault on his girlfriend in December and also, only been living in the neighborhood “a few weeks”, so the neighbors knew nothing about his past.
Maybe they never saw him with a gun before that day?

 

[everybodhi]

I read about this one, shocking and yet understandable.
It was late at night, the 85 yr old man was asleep and awoke to someone knocking on his door. He assumed the young man was up to no good and was afraid.
In understanding am I saying he was justified? Of course not.
My dad is that same age. If someone was banging on the door late at night, he would assume they were up to no good, especially if he did not answer and the knock was persistent. The teen being black would not help.
There are groups of kids that case houses, check to see if people are home, when no one answers they break in. Some have parties when people are out of town, steal from them, and wreck the inside. We’ve all heard the stories
My dad would have wondered, but he would call 911.

I cannot imagine why this man choose to shoot, it reeks of someone who is mentally unstable- or dementia?

JMO

From the previous link about the basketball shooter:
BBM
The incident was another case in the past week in which young people were shot after making a common blunder, including two teen cheerleaders mistakenly approaching someone else's vehicle in a Texas grocery store parking lot, a 16-year-old who rang the wrong doorbell in Kansas City and a 20-year-old who turned into the wrong New York driveway.

The shootings reflect the consequences of a country with more civilian guns than people, according to the Small Arms Survey, and the toxic stew of fear, paranoia and distrust that influences so many and leads to violence.

 

[MyBelle]

This clearly shows a double standard, and the states where these women are in prison is no surprise. The south is not known for women’s rights and equality, we can thank the Bible Belt.
I see the remedy being healthier relationships, and female judges.
Women who can earn enough to support their children have more options. Educate your sons and daughters to be decent people, and they can leave an abuser and care for their own family if needed.
JMO

No, the South is not known for women's rights and equality. So why are we seeing the same states who reject women's rights, trying to control gun control laws and women's reproductive freedom? I was appalled to see Texas totally reject any kind of common sense gun control law. I continue to be appalled they refuse to enact laws after Uvalde.

This is outrageous:

MSN

 

[AngTxGal]

He was already forbidden from having guns after the assault on his girlfriend in December and also, only been living in the neighborhood “a few weeks”, so the neighbors knew nothing about his past.
Maybe they never saw him with a gun before that day?

Exactly, so let’s consider the new RedFlag laws. He would already have one in place and should not have the gun. So who checks to see if they do get a gun, or go get another gun if theirs js taken?
Of course no one can prevent a person from getting and using a gun if they have people in their life that believe they should have one.
Just maybe we need a registry such as RSOs, so you can find out your neighbor attempted to murder his girlfriend?
If you know that, you don’t confront him when he becomes irrationally angry at children, you call the cops?!
Surely the case could be made that a past of violence against others highly increases odds of a violent future.
What would the parents have done if they knew he had a violent past? I would think twice about my kids being outside- I would want to move, eventually if he stayed there would be a confrontation- and you call the cops. A registry tells you what they are capable of doing- he wasn’t your typical neighbor.
JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

No, the South is not known for women's rights and equality. So why are we seeing the same states who reject women's rights, trying to control gun control laws and women's reproductive freedom? I was appalled to see Texas totally reject any kind of common sense gun control law. I continue to be appalled they refuse to enact laws after Uvalde.

This is outrageous:

MSN

Yes, I too am appalled but not surprised.
Common sense is lacking in the discussions, and the gun lobby is strong.
People read in the tea leaves that the Gov will take all the guns away. So the heels dig in deeper and zero movement happens or large steps backward are made.
In addition- guns fly off the shelves- assault rifle sales boom any time gun control comes up for discussion. People rebel.
For many that rebel flag still means what it means. (Rebel flag is the name of the Confederate flag from the civil war)
My nearest neighbor has one flying in his front yard, it is prob 10 foot long. He swaps it out for a Trump flag sometimes. He also flies a Come and Take it Flag.
No he isn’t a nut- he is a retired marine about 75 yrs old.

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

No, the South is not known for women's rights and equality. So why are we seeing the same states who reject women's rights, trying to control gun control laws and women's reproductive freedom? I was appalled to see Texas totally reject any kind of common sense gun control law. I continue to be appalled they refuse to enact laws after Uvalde.

This is outrageous:

MSN

To answer your question as to why…
Most southern states are highly evangelical Christian- they are the religious right.
ProLife
Anti Gun Control
Anti modern science
Anti Woke movement
This is the typical platform

I happen to get both sides- I grew up on a large ranch in TX, am well educated in the sciences and statistics, and work in education.
JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

From the previous link about the basketball shooter:
BBM
The incident was another case in the past week in which young people were shot after making a common blunder, including two teen cheerleaders mistakenly approaching someone else's vehicle in a Texas grocery store parking lot, a 16-year-old who rang the wrong doorbell in Kansas City and a 20-year-old who turned into the wrong New York driveway.

The shootings reflect the consequences of a country with more civilian guns than people, according to the Small Arms Survey, and the toxic stew of fear, paranoia and distrust that influences so many and leads to violence.

It is the symptoms of a country at high level of stress-
Race relations are fragile
Political polarization
Economy stinks, national debt out of control
April is pay your taxes month
Unemployment high, welfare high
And… mass shootings

And in my opinion we are typically in this state when we have a president who is not a compromiser- but instead represents his left wing. Same situation when the right wing takes the White House.
We need s compromiser

JMO

 

[PrairieWind]

Might be good, too, if they prohibit young people from owning firearms.

I was reading about the South Dakota governor's 2 year old granddaughter having a shotgun and a rifle.
Legal by both SD state law, and federal law (I looked it up) ... because they are long guns and not hand guns.

I was trying to imagine a long gun in the hands of the little almost-2-year-old in my family. The one who still sometimes trips over her own feet, and randomly pushes buttons on the dishwasher/remote control/anywhere to see what they will do.

South Dakota governor says her two-year-old grandchild has several guns

Kristi Noem tells audience at NRA forum toddler has a shotgun, a rifle and a pony

www.theguardian.com

There is already restriction on sale of ammo.

 

[MyBelle]

To answer your question as to why…
Most southern states are highly evangelical Christian- they are the religious right.
ProLife
Anti Gun Control
Anti modern science
Anti Woke movement
This is the typical platform

I happen to get both sides- I grew up on a large ranch in TX, am well educated in the sciences and statistics, and work in education.
JMO

I am not evangelical Christian, but I am a Christian.

I am also pro-life and that's why I support common sense gun control measures such as Red Flag laws.

 

[PrairieWind]

I am not evangelical Christian, but I am a Christian.

I am also pro-life and that's why I support common sense gun control measures such as Red Flag laws.

I am a Christian too and very much anti-violence. I would like to think we can have "common sense" gun control, as would many. I know so many folks ask "why can't we have just common sense gun control?" But there is so little effort made by media to report the reasons why "common sense" gun control efforts are rejected. Largely, it is because they are anything BUT common sense. But the failure to fairly report and understand this issue is precisely why nothing is done.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

You tell me, I’m not Canadian.
I’m guessing regarding the Swiss.
I do know that these things impact gun violence.
- alcohol or other substances
- age and gender- Most all offenders are males teen to 40 yrs
- guns used are mostly owned by the offender or someone in the family

JMO

We’re very ethnically & culturally diverse.

Your quote:

“The Swiss have widespread gun ownership and also gun education. They seem to pride themselves in personal responsibility and also accountability.
Their culture and ethnicity is quite homogenous- their diversity is very low. My guess is it is easy much easier to agree when values, religion, morals, ethnicity, culture, and even genetics is historically similar.
My kids attended a school where seven languages were spoken in the homes of their classmates. The holiday celebration includes five religions.”

We’re a mosaic of people yet the majority of us agree about firearms.

“Registration of all firearms is supported by 85% of Canadians, while 14% are opposed. According to this poll, support has increased since 1995 when the debate over Bill C-68 was in progress. Support for legislation preventing civilians from owning handguns is also strong among Canadians, with a majority of 67%.”

Public Awareness and Perceptions of Law Reform Initiatives - Public Perception of Crime and Justice in Canada: A Review of Opinion Polls

This study examines public perceptions of the criminal justice system (CJS) with respect to perceptions of crime versus actual crime rates and confidence in the system. Findings suggest that public perception of crime is unrelated to actual crime rates and that confidence in the CJS is low...

www.justice.gc.ca

ETA: correction about handguns in Canada:
“The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the national freeze on the sale, purchase, and transfer of handguns comes into effect. From now on, people cannot buy, sell, or transfer handguns within Canada, and they cannot bring newly acquired handguns into the country.”

Freezing the market on handguns

Fewer guns mean safer communities. That’s why the Government of Canada is implementing some of the strongest gun control measures in a generation.

pm.gc.ca

 

[MyBelle]

I am a Christian too and very much anti-violence. I would like to think we can have "common sense" gun control, as would many. I know so many folks ask "why can't we have just common sense gun control?" But there is so little effort made by media to report the reasons why "common sense" gun control efforts are rejected. Largely, it is because they are anything BUT common sense. But the failure to fairly report and understand this issue is precisely why nothing is done.

The media are reporting it. The peaceful protests for gun control have made national news. It's difficult to get something done when one of the two major political parties are anti-gun control. There is an incredible absence of common sense.

Look at TN and the recent, horrific school shooting by a mentally unstable woman. The Governor now wants to pass a Red Flag law but he's getting opposition from members of his own party.

MSN