April 20, 2015 Chicago, Illinois
Victims: 6 killed, 1 wounded
Everardo Custodio, 22, went on a rampage with a handgun in the 2900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. Police have been unable to determine a motive, but called Custodio “disturbed.” The attack began shortly after midnight when Custodio began firing at a group of people on the corner. His initial shots missed, but as the crowd began to disperse he sought other targets.
Three passengers and the driver of the Uber ride-sharing service were killed as witnesses say the passengers were trying to get into the car. The driver tried to pull away, but was shot, his vehicle careening out of control and crashing into a business. Stephanie Quinn, 23, was pushing her six month old daughter in a stroller through Logan Square after a relative said that “she and the baby couldn’t sleep.” Quinn was shot in the back, toppling over the stroller and knocking her daughter into the gutter. Police found the infant shortly uninjured shortly after.
Victims: 6 killed, 1 wounded
Everardo Custodio, 22, went on a rampage with a handgun in the 2900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. Police have been unable to determine a motive, but called Custodio “disturbed.” The attack began shortly after midnight when Custodio began firing at a group of people on the corner. His initial shots missed, but as the crowd began to disperse he sought other targets.
Three passengers and the driver of the Uber ride-sharing service were killed as witnesses say the passengers were trying to get into the car. The driver tried to pull away, but was shot, his vehicle careening out of control and crashing into a business. Stephanie Quinn, 23, was pushing her six month old daughter in a stroller through Logan Square after a relative said that “she and the baby couldn’t sleep.” Quinn was shot in the back, toppling over the stroller and knocking her daughter into the gutter. Police found the infant shortly uninjured shortly after.
Custodio was confronted by an unknown resident wielding a baseball bat, but after shots were fired and apparently missed the good Samaritan, the resident fled. Custodio then entered a pizza shop and killed the cashier and wounding another employee. Chicago Police confronted the gunman outside the business and engaged in a brief exchange of shots with him. He was wounded and fled to the rear of the business, where he took his life with his own firearm.
The 7th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in 2012 rejected a challenge to Illinois’ “restrictive” gun control plan which prohibits licensing concealed firearms. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel called the court’s decision “an important one in validating the rights of states and local governments to regulate firearms and help prevent gun crime.” Emmanuel’s office did not have a comment as to whether or not a legally armed citizen may have prevented the crime.
July 24, 2014 Philadelphia, PA
Victims: 8 killed, 12 injured
A mentally ill psychiatric patient at Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital first killed his caseworker, Theresa Hunt, 53, of Philadelphia, and then targeted a doctor. The incident occurred within the doctor’s office at the neighboring Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center.
A hospital worker who survived the incident recalled hearing an argument. Investigating, the worker found Richard Plotts, the gunman, pointing a gun at Dr. Lee Silverman. The worker called 911, but by then, the shooting had begun. Both Silverman and Hunt were killed instantly with a gunshot wound to the head.
Other doctors and case workers ran into the room, only to be shot by Plotts, who, police describe, “was lying in wait for them.” Several patients were shot in a waiting room along with clerical staff taking cover underneath a desk. None of the victims who tried to take cover survived. Plotts shot many of the remaining victims in the back as they fled towards a stairwell.
Police arrived to find Plotts dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Plotts had a history of confrontations with medical staff in the past.
A spokesperson for Dr. Silverman’s family said that he owned a firearm and was licensed to carry it concealed; however, he was prohibited by hospital policy from carrying a gun there. Family members have stated that the doctor expressed frustration over this prohibition.
Authorities say the only reason there weren’t more deaths was because the shootings took place inside a hospital and staff was able to immediately treat the wounded. Police also say this incident highlights the importance of gun-free zones that, they state, deter many criminals from bringing in a gun to commit the crime. Hospital also prohibits armed employees.
The 7th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in 2012 rejected a challenge to Illinois’ “restrictive” gun control plan which prohibits licensing concealed firearms. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel called the court’s decision “an important one in validating the rights of states and local governments to regulate firearms and help prevent gun crime.” Emmanuel’s office did not have a comment as to whether or not a legally armed citizen may have prevented the crime.
July 24, 2014 Philadelphia, PA
Victims: 8 killed, 12 injured
A mentally ill psychiatric patient at Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital first killed his caseworker, Theresa Hunt, 53, of Philadelphia, and then targeted a doctor. The incident occurred within the doctor’s office at the neighboring Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center.
A hospital worker who survived the incident recalled hearing an argument. Investigating, the worker found Richard Plotts, the gunman, pointing a gun at Dr. Lee Silverman. The worker called 911, but by then, the shooting had begun. Both Silverman and Hunt were killed instantly with a gunshot wound to the head.
Other doctors and case workers ran into the room, only to be shot by Plotts, who, police describe, “was lying in wait for them.” Several patients were shot in a waiting room along with clerical staff taking cover underneath a desk. None of the victims who tried to take cover survived. Plotts shot many of the remaining victims in the back as they fled towards a stairwell.
Police arrived to find Plotts dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Plotts had a history of confrontations with medical staff in the past.
A spokesperson for Dr. Silverman’s family said that he owned a firearm and was licensed to carry it concealed; however, he was prohibited by hospital policy from carrying a gun there. Family members have stated that the doctor expressed frustration over this prohibition.
Authorities say the only reason there weren’t more deaths was because the shootings took place inside a hospital and staff was able to immediately treat the wounded. Police also say this incident highlights the importance of gun-free zones that, they state, deter many criminals from bringing in a gun to commit the crime. Hospital also prohibits armed employees.
Victims: 21 killed, 16 injured
Matthew Murray, 24, posted online rantings espousing his hatred of Christianity, blaming 'psychological abuse' from his parents. Murray grew up in a devout household, was baptized as a Mormon in 2006, and was also attempting to gain membership from a local satanic group. He stated online:
Matthew Murray, 24, posted online rantings espousing his hatred of Christianity, blaming 'psychological abuse' from his parents. Murray grew up in a devout household, was baptized as a Mormon in 2006, and was also attempting to gain membership from a local satanic group. He stated online:
I'm coming for EVERYONE soon and I WILL be armed to the ...teeth and I WILL shoot to kill. ...God, I can't wait till I can kill you people. Feel no remorse, no sense of shame, I don't care if I live or die in the shoot-out. All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world.Just after midnight, Murray knocked on the door of the YWAM missionary training center and asked to stay the night. He was refused. Murray then began shooting, killing staff members Tiffany Johnson and Phillip Crouse. Two more were seriously injured. Murray attended the missionary training, but was expelled in 2002. He claimed to be "hearing voices."
That afternoon, Murray went to the New Life Church and began shooting in the parking lot, wounding several people, including members of a family. Murray began to move towards the church, were an after-church group was having a get-together with refreshments. Hearing the shots, unarmed security guard Jeanne Assam, a former police officer, ran to investigate. Murray shot and killed her.
Inside the church, Murray shot two staff members cleaning up after the day's services. Proceeding into a smaller meeting hall, he targeted about sixty people in the after-church group. Many members of the group were initially stunned when Murray, armed with an AR-15 style rifle, walked into the room. "He had this evil grin, from ear to ear," one parishioner said. Murray began to fire as the attendees fled. Several of the victims were shot as they sat at their tables, apparently frozen in shock.
Most of the casualties inside from the after-church group were sustained when the fleeing crowd began to bottleneck at the exits. Murray shot most of the victims in the back, his rifle bullets penetrating through a few bodies and into the next. After Murray's rifle jammed, he switched to his pistol and emptied a magazine.
By this time, police had arrived outside the church. Hearing the sirens, one survivor reports, Murray returned to the main sanctuary area to meet the arriving officers. He engaged in a brief gun battle with the first officer on scene. Murray took shelter behind a row of stacked chairs and committed suicide. Police say that Murray brought three weapons into the church, had a fourth in his car and a fifth at home, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition for his attack.
You never heard of these incidents because they never became 'mass shootings' that fit the mainstream media's template. The above embellishments are a work of fiction. Each incident, however, is not. Every one of these mass murders was stopped by an armed citizen. Many in the anti-gun crowd claim that mass shootings would not be stopped by armed citizens, that armed intervention in crime is relatively rare. Gun-free zones kill as all but a handful of mass shootings since 1950 occurred in a gun-free zone. As this article (my source for the incidents listed) points out, that’s not the case. Google results are littered with poor research and propaganda articles attempting to debunk the fact that guns are indeed far more of a deterrent and savior than they are items of menace.
No comments:
Post a Comment