#deadliest shooting of this year happened a couple days ago and the ONLY person i have seen say a single word about it is my mom

[nalgenes]

i was having so many upset thoughts all day and now i’m tired and the thoughts have kinda faded but i’m still thinking about how much i hate this country

[askalibertarianus]

Mass Shootings, Gun Control, And The Misdirected Masses

Franc Turner  August 8, 2018

“We’ve now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” – George Orwell I was recently doing some statistical analysis for my own curiosity and amusement. My thoughts on these matters may not be very popular, but I think that it is rather important to consider uncommon perspectives when it comes to the “leaders” of this nation enacting legislation due to the momentum of perceived public outcry, demand, and public relations. With the heated atmosphere of anti-gun vs. pro-gun, gun violence, the NRA, mass shootings, rallies, town hall meetings, Democrat vs. Republican screaming matches, etc., I wanted to research the numbers that relate to the topics at hand. Through a little bit of digging, I was able to look up the data from every mass shooting in this country, from Columbine to Parkland, and every mass shooting in between. And when I say “mass shooting”, I am using the Congressional Research Service’s definition of the term in which four or more people are killed, not including the perpetrator. I started at Columbine because that incident seems to have been the jumping-off-point of the exponential trend of similar events happening more frequently in the public consciousness. I gathered the numbers of individuals killed in each of the 58 shootings. Through some simple and straightforward mathematics, I totalled the number of individuals killed in mass shootings from Columbine (1999) to Parkland (2018). The total number of people killed in mass shootings in this country during that nearly two decade time span is 535. (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/). That number made me wonder how many individuals are shot and killed by police each year in this country. Unfortunately, people didn’t keep records of that kind of thing until three years ago, as far as I could find. For 2015, the number of people shot and killed by police was 995. For 2016, the number was 963. And for 2017, it was 987. This year, so far, there have been 531; for a grand total of 3,476 in the past three years alone. While it can be argued that many of those instances are “justified in the line of duty”, many others have transpired like that of the Daniel Shaver shooting.

The 24- hour media circus also made me think back to the (never discussed) number of civilians estimated to have been killed in the 17-year-long “War On Terror”, which is between 1-2 million, conservatively; none of which had anything to do with the events of 9/11 (a day which was used as the catalyst for these indiscriminate regional massacres), while the majority of those killed are women and, yes, CHILDREN. And I would bet that the current number is more likely to be much higher, as those estimates are from a few years ago . This also caused me to think back to events such as Kent State, Ruby Ridge, and Waco, TX; all of which took place in the not-so-distant past, carried out by your own benevolent government. Again, if you’re unfamiliar with those incidents, I suggest you read about them. The point is that your own government kills more people in a matter of a few days (on the average) than all of the mass shootings that have taken place in this country in the past 20 years, combined. And yet, there is almost zero outrage about this blatant and disturbing fact. There are no marches, no rallies, no town hall meetings, no wall-to-wall media coverage. Your own government is committing mass murder on a daily basis and will continue to do so while they con the citizenry into bankrolling the whole thing. For the past couple of years, I’ve found it fascinating to watch the willfully oblivious masses feed right into the “Us vs. Them” political mindset; with each and every new hashtag spreading like a zombie outbreak from “World War Z.” People seem to find comfort and peace of mind through recreational outrage, as instructed by the various news agencies.

The individuals who support the two major political gangs (Republicans and Democrats) in this country have compared the “opposing” faction’s de facto leader to Hitler. I’m guilty of it too, but I’m biased because I think that that every President we’ve had in the past 40 years has been a fake-smiled, friendly-faced fascist. But since Trump is the current figurehead, I’ll use that particular cult-of-personality as an example. For many self-proclaimed Democrats, Trump is Hitler-incarnate. And yet these masses of people are also demanding that Trump’s government enact legislation to ban the population from having certain firearms which they deem “only military and law enforcement should have.” So, basically it’s, “Trump is Hitler! You can’t trust anything he does! Give HIM all of your guns! That’ll show him! VICTORY!” They also want universal background checks, mental health screenings, and more. And Trump, himself, has even stated that he would like the government to be able to take weapons from anyone whom they deem to be a threat, without due process. His exact quote was, “Take the guns first, go through due process second.” And there’s a certain percentage of Trump supporters who will go along with anything he says because they still believe he’s going to “Make America Great Again”, which is useful for the continued perpetuation of the incremental obsolescence of the Constitution as a safeguard against government overreach. This is the same Trump which recently sold $350 billion dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. So, it’s ok to give Saudi Arabia weapons, but not ok for American citizens to have weapons? That makes perfect sense. And I’ve heard arguments such as, “Europe has strict gun control and these kind of events don’t take place over there. It’s uniquely an American phenomenon.” Didn’t the deadliest mass shooting in recent memory happen in France just a few years ago? That one in which 137 people died, causing everyone to change their profile picture to have the colors of the French flag? And all of this is aside from the fact that our government, along with other major governments of the world, are holding the citizenry of the entire planet hostage under the threat of nuclear annihilation. It’s not the people doing these things, it’s their governments. Do we really want Trump’s government to be the only ones who have guns? It has been argued by many (whom you may never hear speak on any major news outlet) that the purpose of government is to cause the problems which they, in lock step, offer to “fix”; hence, creating an artificial “need” for themselves to “protect” you from each boogie man they’re conditioning you to fear. “The people can’t be trusted to protect themselves, so let’s make ’em all rely on those in power to do that job for them.” Genius, I tells ya. Pollution, war, poverty, hunger, scarcity, oil, hatred, hardship, violence, drugs, waste, etc..; these are not combatted by governments, but carried out and perpetuated by them. Max Igan described this trend as applying to even the simplest aspects of our daily lives. Take something as simple and seemingly straightforward as seatbelt laws. “If you don’t wear a seatbelt, you pay a fine. If you don’t pay the fine, you’ll go to jail. If you don’t let them take you to jail, they’ll come and arrest you. If you don’t allow them to arrest you, they’ll kill you.” Whether it’s in the wake of mass shootings, terrorism, war, or any other reason, actions taken by governments are not just about creating safety, security, protection, and harmony in everyday life. They’re also often about creating, enforcing, and conditioning obedience within the population, so they don’t question who’s got the keys to the shackles around their ankles. The bottom line is that human beings have a right to defend themselves. Period. And the ironic thing is that any kind of gun ban would be enforced at the barrel of a gun (the same guns which they are banning). I was always a person who believed that people should lead by example. Therefore, if the governments of the world would like their citizens to disarm, they should first destroy each and every one of their own weapons, starting with every nuclear weapon. A few months ago, half a million people marched on Washington to beg their imperial overlords to take away more of their own rights. If people are genuinely concerned with saving the lives of children, then stop allowing your own government to kill innocent people around the globe with impunity, and stop pretending like you or the government have the moral authority to “allow” other people to have the right to defend themselves. A human being doesn’t have to ask permission to do that, it’s self evident. The world has literally gone insane, my friends.

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[ohmisterpitiful]

The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Five Year Anniversary

I didn't realize it until now, but 4 days ago was the 5 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting. Sandy Hook isn't too far away from me (only around 45 mins away) and a lot of kids in my school has friends and family who worked and went to school around and at Sandy Hook Elementary. The day it happened, I was 9, and excited for the upcoming Christmas break. My 4th grade class was going through our normal schedule, morning routines, and we were probably doing math, maybe learning division. It was pretty much like any other day. Until the teachers got notified shortly after the shooting occurred. Some kids were called home, because family and friends living in that area. A kid I knews mom survived that day. Rumors spread. And my parents had to sit me down and somehow try to explain to a fucking nine year old that some man went into a school and killed kids only a year or 2 younger than me. For no good fucking reason. And me, as a nine year old, asked questions society should have answered years ago. Why a fucking twenty year old should be able to get his hands on a gun, let alone semiautomatic one. Why innocent kids who just wanted to see their best friend at recess and were excited for the school lunch today were killed by a madman. And why people still protest that gun control is an invasion of human rights.  The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting took place 5 years ago, when I was only nine, leading my parents and many other to have to explain to their elementary school kids that kids just like them were killed.  It was the fourth deadliest shooting by a single person, and it used to be higher, before many shootings, including Las Vegas, happened just this year. It was the fourth deadliest shooting, and almost all the victims were children of ages six to eight. Kids who had whole lives ahead of them. Who may have gone to Harvard and made a scientific breakthrough, or could have married someone, had kids and spend their lives watching their family grow. They were just kids. And their whole lives were ripped from them because one guy could get his hands on a deadly weapon when he clearly wasn't mentally stable. And I plan to give these kids justice. Because if Adam Lanza lives just a couple miles over, it could have been me and my friends. I will not let this, nor any other shooting or terrorist attack stay as just a "tragedy" for people to pray for them then not think about it besides a rare occasion. I will give these people justice by fighting for these kinds of useless deaths to stop in any way we can stop them. and now, I say sorry. sorry to  Charlotte Bacon, 6 Daniel Barden, 7 Olivia Engel, 6 Josephine Gay, 7 Dylan Hockley, 6 Madeleine Hsu, 6 Catherine Hubbard, 6 Chase Kowalski, 7 Jesse Lewis, 6 Ana Márquez-Greene, 6 James Mattioli, 6 Grace McDonnell, 7 Emilie Parker, 6 Jack Pinto, 6 Noah Pozner, 6 Caroline Previdi, 6 Jessica Rekos, 6 Avielle Richman, 6 Benjamin Wheeler, 6 Allison Wyatt, 6 I'm sorry that this country decided not to do anything about your deaths besides send "thoughts and prayers." I promise I will try to make it right  With determination, James Henry

[kansascityhappenings]

Military veterans, 2 friends, bar workers killed in shooting

Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — One was a veteran police officer who didn’t hesitate to run toward danger. Another had survived the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Others include two friends who loved off-roading, a Marine veteran who dedicated his life to service and a recent college graduate who worked with children with special needs.

They were among a dozen people killed in a shooting at a country music bar in suburban Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Authorities believe the gunman, Ian David Long, ultimately killed himself.

___

RON HELUS: ‘COP’S COP’

Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus was talking to his wife when calls started coming in about a shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill.

“Hey, I got to go handle a call. I love you. I’ll talk to you later,” he told her, according to Sheriff Geoff Dean.

It was the last time she would talk to her husband.

Helus rushed toward the shooting and immediately exchanged fire with the gunman, Dean said. Helus was hit multiple times.

Sgt. Eric Buschow, who said Helus was a friend, described him as a “cop’s cop.”

“The fact that he was the first in the door doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said. “He’s just one of those guys that wouldn’t hesitate in a situation.”

Helus took up fly fishing a few years ago and loved pursuing the hobby in the Sierra Nevada mountains with his grown son, Buschow said.

“He was just a great guy, a gentle soul,” Buschow said. “Patient. Calm no matter what. When you call 911, he’s one of the guys you want showing up.”

Helus was on the SWAT team for much of his career and worked in narcotics and investigations, he said.

“If you were a victim of a crime, you want him investigating the case,” Buschow said. “He would go to the ends of the Earth to find a suspect.”

Dean choked back tears talking about Helus and called him a hero.

“He went in there to save people and paid the ultimate price,” he said.

___

CODY COFFMAN: ‘THE BIG BROTHER THAT MY KIDS NEED’

Cody Coffman, who had just turned 22, was talking with Army recruiters and preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, father Jason Coffman said, weeping.

Cody adored his siblings — three brothers between ages 6 and 9 — and he couldn’t wait for the birth of a sister, due on Nov. 29, his father said.

“Cody was the big brother that my kids need,” he said. “He was so excited to have his first sister and now she’ll never know …”

He trailed off, sobbing, then said, “Oh, Cody, I love you, son.”

Jason Coffman said his son was passionate about baseball, serving as an umpire for a little league, and they fished together.

“That poor boy would come with me whether he liked it or not,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff I am truly going to miss.”

Jason Coffman said he last spoke to his son Wednesday night before Cody headed to the bar.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Please don’t drink and drive,’” he said. “The last thing I said was, ‘Son, I love you.’”

___

JUSTIN MEEK: ‘FULL OF LIGHT AND HAPPINESS’

Newly graduated from California Lutheran University, Justin Meek performed as a singer and worked at the Borderline.

Meek, 23, also worked for Channel Island Social Services as a respite caregiver, supporting families with children with special needs, mostly developmental disabilities, chief executive Sharon Francis said.

“Parents just adored him. He was able to bond with their kids,” she said. “He was just an all-around guy.”

Danielle Gallo, who also works at the family-run organization, said he was dedicated to the kids he worked with.

“You could tell he really had a heart for what he did,” she said, sobbing.

Meek also toured professionally as an a cappella singer, said family friend Patrick Ellis, who called Meek a talented musician, singer and athlete and a “fantastic human being.”

“He was a hero every day of his life,” Ellis said. “It was just always positive energy. … Anything he could do for you, he was just there.”

Meek worked at the bar with his sister and fellow Cal Lutheran student, Victoria Rose Meek, who survived, Ellis said.

Meek played water polo for Cal Lutheran. He also lent his full, velvety voice to the school choir, where “every time he sang, you could just feel it in your soul,” recalled choir member Rachel Counihan, 20.

“He cared so much about his craft and just cared so much about other people,” she said. “He was just full of light and happiness.”

Scott Roberts, 20, a junior at the school and friend of Victoria Rose Meek’s, recalled Meek being “just the nicest dude.”

___

ALAINA HOUSLEY: ‘AN INCREDIBLE YOUNG WOMAN’

Alaina Housley was just 18, a promising student at Pepperdine University with plans to study law, her family said.

Adam Housley, a former Fox News correspondent, and Tamera Mowry-Housley, an actress known for the 1990s TV series “Sister Sister,” said their niece was killed at the bar where she had gone line dancing with friends.

“Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her, and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner,” the couple said in a statement.

Alaina was bright, popular and well-loved, a student who had a 4.5 grade-point average since junior high school and earned college scholarships, said her grandfather, Art Housley.

She played soccer and tennis all through high school, studied piano and violin, and sang, he said.

“She’s a really good kid,” he said, fighting tears. “Everybody loves her.”

___

NOEL SPARKS: ‘ALL-AROUND GOOD GIRL’

Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old college student, loved going to the Borderline Bar and Grill, so friends and family were not surprised when she posted a photo of herself dancing there Wednesday night.

Her aunt Patricia Sparks of Morristown, Tennessee, told The Associated Press that the family was “in shock.”

She described her niece as an “all-around good girl. She was the kind of girl that if you had friends, you’d want them to marry her.”

Sparks, who was majoring in art at nearby Moorpark College, often went to Borderline with friends and her mom, going there for Halloween and her 21st birthday in August.

When friend Jackie Jones heard about the shooting, she jumped into her car and headed to the bar, determined to find Sparks.

“She would do that for me,” Jones said.

The two met through church two years ago and became fast friends. Sparks worked part time at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, helping with children’s programs, the Rev. Shawn Thornton said.

“She loved kids. We had a lot of parents show up today to say, ‘She made my child feel important and that they mattered,” Thornton said.

___

SEAN ADLER: ‘A VERY, VERY BIG PERSONALITY’

Sean Adler, 48, was a security guard at Borderline who would stay late to ensure people could get home safely, said Debbie Allen, a longtime friend.

The married father of two boys died doing what he was passionate about — protecting people, Allen said.

“He was a very, very big personality and had a very, very gorgeous smile,” she said, adding that he had once considered becoming a police officer.

His other passion, she said, was coffee. Adler recently opened his own coffee shop, Rivalry Roasters, in Simi Valley, said Phil Englander, another longtime friend.

“He was just the most passionate person about coffee you would ever want to meet,” Englander said.

Adler joked about being a “coffee dealer” and spoke energetically, using his hands.

“He always had that energetic personality,” he said. “He’s just such a warm and friendly and passionate person about everything in his life.”

Englander said he stopped by the coffee shop Wednesday to visit Adler.

“We talked about family, and we reminisced about an old friend of ours we haven’t seen in years,” he said.

___

TELEMACHUS ORFANOS: VEGAS SURVIVOR KILLED

Telemachus Orfanos, 27, lived through the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year only to die inside Borderline, less than 10 minutes from his home, according to his mother.

“Here are my words: I want gun control,” Susan Schmidt-Orfanos said, her voice shaking with grief and rage. “I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts.”

She said she wants Congress to “pass gun control so no one else has a child that doesn’t come home.”

Orfanos was a U.S. Navy veteran and Eagle Scout with a thick beard, an easy smile and a gladiator helmet tattoo. His friends called him “Tel.”

One of them, Aliza Thomas, said she knew Orfanos since high school and called him one of the nicest men she’s ever known.

“He was the most likely person to throw himself in front of that gun,” Thomas said. “He would have thrown himself on top of someone else, 100 percent.”

She said it’s especially tragic that Orfanos survived Vegas only to die in another mass shooting.

“He survived Vegas, where a lot more people died than this. It’s just unreal,” Thomas said. “It’s not fair.”

___

DANIEL MANRIQUE: ‘A SAINT’

Daniel Manrique, 33, dedicated his life to service — as a hospital volunteer, U.S. Marine and manager of an organization that helps veterans adjust after leaving the military.

He was a radio operator with the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and he deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Orange County Register reported.

After the military, Manrique began volunteering with Team Red White and Blue, an organization that works to help veterans avoid isolation by connecting them to their community. He was named a regional program manager last month.

“The best way I can describe him is as a saint. He truly believed in service,” friend and business partner Tim O’Brien told the newspaper. “Dan was the guy you could rely on if you ran out of gas in the middle of the night. He would help you out if something bad happened. He was there, dedicated, loyal.”

The two high school friends were preparing to open a veteran-oriented brewery called “O’brique” — a combination of their last names.

Manrique also volunteered at a hospital helping the homeless and at a local church.

“Dan’s life was dedicated to serving others, during his military career and beyond,” Team Red White and Blue executive director John Pinter said on the organization’s website. “We offer our deepest condolences to the Manrique family.”

___

BLAKE DINGMAN: ‘HIS LAUGHTER AND SMILE WERE SO SPECIAL’

Blake Dingman was passionate about working on cars and motorcycles, challenging himself to make repairs on anything mechanical even if he wasn’t exactly sure how to do it, mother Lorrie Dingman said. The 21-year-old always had a smile on his face and grease under his fingernails, she said.

Blake was working in the electrical field and was excited about getting a new job, his mother said.

His large group of friends went off-roading in the desert and mountains, with Blake and his friend Jake Dunham, who also was killed at the Borderline, “always in the center of the fun.”

“Blake had a zest and joy for living life to the fullest,” Lorrie Dingman said in an email. “No gathering was complete without Blake. His laughter and smile were so special and whenever you talked to him, he was genuinely interested in you.”

She said he was confident, talented, caring and had a huge heart.

On Instagram, brother Aidan Dingman wrote that “my amazing brother was taken down by the shooter” and that his life has been forever changed.

“Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling,” he wrote, adding: “Blake I love you so much and I miss you more than you can imagine.”

___

JAKE DUNHAM: GUTSY OFF-ROADER

Jake Dunham, 21, was known for driving his truck hard. He was a regular at rides in the desert and at group bonfires made from igniting vehicles and old dirt bikes, according to a friend.

“He always tried to convince people to (let him) drive their car. Everyone knew it was a bad idea, but sometimes they’d do it,” Michael Moses told the Los Angeles Times, laughing.

Dunham was at the bar with his friend and fellow off-roader, Dingman, who also was killed.

Aliza Thomas told The Associated Press that Dunham and Dingman were her friends and grew up in a tight-knit group of young men with her younger brother Emmet.

“They were the nicest, most respectful, selfless men I’ve ever met,” she said.

Thomas, a single mom, cried as she recalled how Dingham and Dunham would go out of their way to make her son feel like one of the boys, “make him feel special.”

Dunham’s sister, Alexis Dunham, asked on her Facebook page for privacy to let the family grieve, saying “these last days have completely shattered us.”

___

KRISTINA MORISETTE: ENERGETIC AND THOUGHTFUL

Kristina Morisette worked at the front desk of Borderline and had just bought her first car — a 2017 Jeep Renegade — with the money she had saved, her father said.

Michael Morisette told the Los Angeles Times that his energetic and talkative 20-year-old daughter had just returned from a trip to Austin, Texas, and he hugged her, relieved she was back home safe in Simi Valley.

Kristina gave her mother a coin purse she bought for her on the trip before heading to work Wednesday.

“We’d rather just curl up in a ball and turn off the lights, but there are other people out there that are hurting, too,” Michael Morisette told the newspaper as he held his wife’s hand. “We could either retreat and draw our curtains, or we could talk about the beauty of the things that were.”

He said Kristina, the youngest of three children, was a thoughtful friend who always helped others. She enjoyed hiking and drawing and was considering applying for an animal training program in Austin.

“We didn’t want her life to end, but we don’t want her memories now to end, either,” mother Martha Morisette told the newspaper. “We’ll probably always have a hard time dealing with it.”

___

MARKY MEZA JR.: ‘LOVING AND WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN’

Marky Meza Jr., who was less than two weeks from his 21st birthday, was working as a busboy and food runner at the bar when he was killed.

“Marky was a loving and wonderful young man who was full of life and ambition,” the Meza family said in a statement provided to Santa Barbara TV station KEYT. “His family is devastated by his loss.”

Meza grew up in the Santa Barbara area and had worked in the service industry since he was a teen.

He was one of the few teenagers who got hired at Sandpiper Lodge in Santa Barbara, manager Shawn Boteju said. Meza worked full time at the Sandpiper in housekeeping and would come to work on a hoverboard.

“He was extremely nice,” Boteju told The Associated Press. “He obviously worked well with the rest of the staff.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/11/10/military-veterans-2-friends-bar-workers-killed-in-shooting/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/military-veterans-2-friends-bar-workers-killed-in-shooting/

[marilynngmesalo]

Fredericton shooting suspect had gun licence, weapon legally obtainable

Fredericton shooting suspect had gun licence, weapon legally obtainable https://ift.tt/2B9On5s Fredericton shooting suspect had gun licence, weapon legally obtainable

FREDERICTON — A New Brunswick man charged with killing four people in one of the deadliest shootings in the province’s history had a firearms licence and allegedly used a gun that can be legally obtained in Canada, police said Monday as they urged the public to be patient during the ongoing investigation.

Matthew Vincent Raymond, 48, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder after a shooting Friday at a Fredericton apartment complex that left two civilians and two police officers dead.

Police said the long gun investigators believe was used in the attack is commonly available for purchase, and is not a prohibited or restricted weapon.

“It’s a firearm that can be purchased here in Canada and the suspect does have a licence,” Deputy Chief Martin Gaudet told reporters at a news conference outside the Fredericton Police Department, where a memorial with flowers, cards and teddy bears has been set up.

“It’s a shouldered weapon — a long gun.”

Residents of the New Brunswick capital appeared emotional Monday as they dropped off items at the memorial and signed a book of condolences at city hall.

The shooting deaths of four people — Bobbie Lee Wright, Donnie Robichaud, and responding officers Const. Robb Costello and Const. Sara Burns — has deeply shaken this usually placid city.

Donnie Robichaud, centre, poses with his sons Draiden and Zakkery in this family handout photo.. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – Melissa Robichaud)

Police Chief Leanne Fitch acknowledged that people want answers about what happened, but she stressed that the police investigation is “very much active and is focused on finding facts.”

“I understand that there is a desire to find out what happened. We all want to know that,” Fitch said. “But you have to understand that some of that will only be released through the court process.”

Fitch did confirm, however, that one of the officers who responded to the shooting on the city’s north side was wearing a camera, although she wouldn’t say which one.

“One of our officers was wearing a body-worn video at the time of the call,” she said. “There was a body cam video and that is part of the evidence that our investigators are looking at.”

Gaudet added that the body camera evidence was downloaded and provided to the RCMP as part of its homicide investigation.

Fitch also confirmed that police officers in Fredericton are equipped with body armour and carbine rifles.

Robichaud’s wife, Melissa Robichaud, has said in multiple media interviews that her husband, from whom she was separated, had previously been a member of the Bacchus motorcycle club, but left the club about a year ago.

“We are aware of that information that has been shared publicly as well,” Fitch said. “At this time, we are just working through the investigative process. Again we’re not going to speculate on any connections or motives there.”

//<![CDATA[ ( function() { pnLoadVideo( "videos", "0N18db-OnVc", "pn_video_264720", "", "", [] ); } )(); //]]>

Nancy Slade, home for a visit from Petawawa, Ont., came to lay sunflowers outside police headquarters with her six-year-old daughter, Molly, and three-year-old son, Dane.

Slade, the daughter of a Fredericton police officer who was friends with Costello, said she wants her kids to understand the sacrifice made by officers.

“It’s just not supposed to happen here,” she said, her voice catching. “It’s never happened here, so it’s just really hard.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his son Hadrien went Sunday to police headquarters to lay flowers at the memorial and offer words of solidarity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accompanied by his four-year-old son Hadrien and Fredericton MP Matt DeCourcey, left, heads past the tribute after placing flowers outside the police station in Fredericton on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

At Fredericton City Hall on Monday, a steady trickle of visitors arrived to sign books of condolences for the fallen police constables.

Many left in tears after seeing the simple display, which featured photos of the officers set next to two candles and a bouquet of white flowers.

Jane Abernathy, who lives in Fredericton, said she felt compelled to show her respect.

“Such a senseless tragedy, we never want this to happen again,” she said. “It was the least I could do, to sign my name.”

Growing memorial shows outpouring of support for Fredericton police

Slain couple had 'first date last Friday'

'KEEP COMING, YOU'LL GET 'ER NEXT!': Witnesses recount Fredericton shooting

Slain Fredericton police officer loved giving back

'Polite and pleasant' suspect identified by cops

PM honours Fredericton shooting victims

Thousands of people turned out to a public event Monday evening to express their grief and show support for their city.

Jessica Millier said she organized Hands Across the City as a way to bring people together.

People, holding hands, were lined across the walking bridge that spans the St. John River and along the walking trails that hug the shorelines on the north and south sides of the city.

“My city is hurt, and they’re grieving, and they’re hurt deeply,” said Fredericton Mayor Mike O’Brien.

“This is a collective grief, a collective mourning and we will collectively heal,” he said.

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Meanwhile, a Fredericton business owner who knew alleged shooter described him as a “lonely person” who spent much of his time cycling and playing first-person shooter video games.

Brendan Doyle, the former owner of the recently closed Read’s Newsstand & Cafe in Fredericton, said he also asked Raymond to stop frequenting his coffee shop after he allegedly expressed Islamophobic views and shared his dislike for Syrian refugees with patrons.

“He’d been coming in on almost daily for a coffee since 2010 and often stayed for an hour or two on the patio in the evenings,” Doyle said in a Facebook message Sunday evening to The Canadian Press.

“While in the cafe, Matt also looked at magazines about bikes and about guns,” Doyle said. “He expressed an interest in owning the various high-end bikes in the magazines, but his interest in guns seemed to be related to his video games.”

He said Raymond had been coming in almost daily for coffee from 2010 up until 2017, when Doyle asked him to find coffee somewhere else.

“His discussions with fellow customers and staff turned more political around the same time we had an influx of Syrian refugees into the city,” Doyle said.

“I saw him one weekend in front of city hall with a sandwich board sign that said ‘No Sharia,’ and other anti-Islamic sentiments.”

He said he spoke to Raymond to determine how extreme his views were.

“I determined he was ignorant and misinformed,” Doyle said. “He really just seemed to be parroting the talking points from some videos he’s seen.”

Raymond previously worked at an Atlantic Superstore grocery on the city’s south side, the company confirmed Monday.

“I can confirm only that he is a former employee with Atlantic Superstore. He was an employee a number of years ago,” said spokesman Mark Boudreau.

Raymond is set to appear in court on Aug. 27.

Fredericton police have announced that a regimental funeral “to celebrate the lives of our fallen members” will be held on Saturday at the University of New Brunswick.

An obituary for Burns said the 43-year-old mother of three boys fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a police officer three years ago, after more than 14 years as a stay-at-home mom.

“Not a day would go by when she didn’t say aloud, for everyone to hear, ‘I love my job,”‘ the obituary published on the McAdam’s Funeral Home and Crematorium website said.

An obituary for Robichaud said he is survived by a wife and three children, and there will be no visitation or funeral, in keeping with his wishes.

Also Monday, the province’s Court of Queen’s Bench issued a publication ban on certain court documents in the case, hours after media reported their contents.

  Canoe Click for update news world news https://ift.tt/2P769cv world news

[sclarys]

Cupid Isn’t A Myth

I've always been a good shot. Like a hell of a good one.

My name's Ace and I'm the FBI's number one sniper. I'm that guy they call for every single case.

Abduction? Call Ace, he'll take out the perp.

The guy took hostages? Don't worry, Ace'll take the guy.

I love my job. I really, really do. There's nothing I love to do more than taking out scumbags with a single shot to the head. Though I sometimes wish the word HEADSHOT would appear in front of me like in video games. But sadly, life ain't a video game. It's way more boring.

I'm also what you call a high functioning sociopath. So, my part-time job isn't exactly a piece of cake for me.

Let's not delve into that for the moment.

Let me tell you about my life.

My dad was an FBI agent. He still is. When I was a kid, he would take me with him, and I would get to watch him interrogate suspects, bust killers, and drug dealers, and sometimes solve worldwide conspiracies. BORING! I used to sit in his office all day and mope around while he made calls and saved the world. I didn't really care about the world back then, and I still don't. Nah, what I liked about my dad's job, was the shooting range.

He used to take me there every time he had some free time on his hands, which wasn't often, but I appreciated the effort. You're probably thinking, what kind of father takes his son with him to a shooting range? The answer's My Dad. Welcome to my screwed up life. It's a hell of a ride and I love it.

Anyway, he would shoot targets in front of me, for hours on end. I was mesmerized by it. By the way the bullets are propelled in the air when you pull the trigger.

I knew every single detail of the process and the mechanism of a gun. I knew that pressing the trigger would cause a spring mechanism to hammer a metal firing pin into the back end of the cartridge, propelling the bullet from it forward. I knew because of the extreme pressure built up in the barrel, that the speed of a bullet could reach approximately 1000 feet per second. I knew where the main arteries and veins of the body were. I knew which ones to nick to instantly kill, or torture endlessly.

That's what makes me so good at my job.

I used to watch my dad closely. His stance, the way his arms tense while firing. I understood the importance of that later on when my gun flew back from my hand and hit me in the face when I was fourteen and was trying to shoot for the first time. I had underestimated the power of the weapon in my hand back then. Never again.

Fast-forward a decade. I'm now twenty-four years young. Fresh outta the Quantico Academy, and immediately promoted to the top of the pyramid. Apparently, my skills were famous.

One day, I was on the roof of a building. We were staking out the apartment of our suspect, a man who's pulled over 30 diamond heists and never was caught. I secretly admired him and his brilliance. He evaded us, and security every single time. It was a pure coincidence that we found him. While we were canvassing the area, an old lady told us that she saw a handsome young man walk past her and greet her. He matched the description we had gotten earlier in the week, and we got the old lady to sit with a sketch artist. Then, we ran the picture through facial recognition and got a hit. And now there we were, camped outside his apartment.

I was getting bored, obviously, because that's who I am. So I started admiring the view. My stakeout location was obviously the best, atop a very high profile building, overlooking New York City. I was looking at a particularly well decorated McDonalds, craving some McNuggets when something caught my eye. There was a guitar case. On the roof. What the hell.

My curiosity got the best of me, and I still curse myself for it, but I left my post without a second thought to look at the guitar closer. Maybe I could sell it and buy my chicken McNuggets. I was weird back then, even though it happened like a week ago. Don't judge.

No sound was coming from my earpiece, so obviously, no one needed me at the moment. I eagerly grabbed the guitar case, my imagination running wild with the possibilities of what may be inside. Penguins? A giant chocolate bar?

Nothing in the world could've prepared me for what was inside. It was probably the most beautiful sniper rifle I've ever seen. A CheyTac M200. I squealed so loud my partner from across the street looked at me funny.

I waved him off and took out my baby from its case. It was fully black, dismantled to fit in its creative-looking case, with three boxes full of cartridges just ready to be fired. The only weird thing was the pink, heart shaped sticker that was on the side of the barrel. I shrugged it off, then noticed a folded, pink note taped to the upper lid of the case.

'C, your first assignment is at 40.7829° N, 73.9654° W, on Saturday. The targets will cross each other at exactly 10:54 am. You'll be posted on the roof of the San Remo, on West 74th Street and West 75th Street, three blocks north of The Dakota. Target 1 will be wearing a pink tank top, and target 2 will be holding a silver briefcase. You'll receive a cash deposit of 500,000$ to this account 0500013M026.'

My eyes grew wide, and the gears in my head started turning. An assassin's contract? Here, on the roof? Oh god, what the hell did I stumble upon... Who else would discover an assassination plot before it occurred? I'm the most unlucky person in the world. Anyone would be relieved to save two people, but I was just discouraged by the prospect of more paperwork.

I sighed deeply. The coordinates were of Central Park, that's for sure. The San Remo is a luxurious building, so I didn't see how they could get past security to go to the roof. I looked at the bank account number closer, and I gasped. That... That was my French bank account. What the hell?! This was meant for me? Half a million dollars for ME?

HELL YES! I'm not paid nearly enough for the job I do with the FBI. Why not work for a little money on the side? It would be my opportunity to finally get the hell out of America and spend the rest of my days on a sunny beach in the Caribbean's.

Part of me was yelling 'no it's wrong!' but this part was immediately shut down by the words 'HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR ME WHAT WHAT.' Yes, my brain works that way. Let's say I have a... An ambiguous sense of right and wrong.

Fast-forward again to Saturday. Attaining the roof was pretty easy. They'll let you in anywhere when you wear an expensive suit and hold a briefcase.

I finished assembling my rifle around 10:30. Now, I just had to wait.

At around 10:50, I saw the girl in the pink tank top jogging along a path. I readied my rifle, ignoring my human side and high-fiving my dreaming-of-golden-sand-and-blue-sea-side.

At exactly 10:54:03, I saw the man with the silver briefcase getting closer. I put my eye in the scope, zooming in on the girl. In a few seconds, they will pass by one another, and their chests will be right in my range at the same time.

It was my last chance to back off, and turn this rifle over to the FBI. But it's always been a dream of mine to fire one like that. This was by far the deadliest sniper rifle ever made. I can't pass up this chance. Nor my chance at sunny afternoons on the beach in front of a cabin, surrounded by beautiful ladies.

When the opportunity presented itself, I fired, without hesitation. It was one of my steadiest and most precise shots. Pierced both of their chests at once. I did it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I saw that the money was routed to my account. Half a million dollars appeared in my account, just like that.

I sighed in relief that this was finally over and looked over one last time at my targets.

They were shaking hands, and looking very much in love... and alive.

What the fucking hell.

I looked at my rifle suspiciously, then back at the new couple, who were holding hands and walking together now. Had I failed? But then, why was the money wired into my account? That meant that I did exactly what was expected of me.

That's when my phone rang. I cursed under my breath, and answered in a swift and calm "Ace."

"Good Job, Agent C. Mission Accomplished."

"Excuse me? Is this some kind of joke? Are the bullets blank or something? Is this an FBI test?"

"Oh far from it, my dear. Look at the targets. Don't they look happier now?"

I looked at them and cringed as they kissed. Yuck. "I suppose. What does that have to do with me?"

"You did that. By shooting them, you made them fall in love with each other. Welcome to the Legio De Caritate, agent Cupid."

That's how I became part of the Legion of Love. That's how I became one of the most powerful people on this planet, by accident. I still have no idea how that happened, though.

All I know is that I'm not getting my cabin on the beach anytime soon.  

[ohmisterpitiful]

The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Five Year Anniversary

I didn't realize it until now, but 4 days ago was the 5 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting. Sandy Hook isn't too far away from me (only around 45 mins away) and a lot of kids in my school has friends and family who worked and went to school around and at Sandy Hook Elementary. The day it happened, I was 9, and excited for the upcoming Christmas break. My 4th grade class was going through our normal schedule, morning routines, and we were probably doing math, maybe learning division. It was pretty much like any other day. Until the teachers got notified shortly after the shooting occurred. Some kids were called home, because family and friends living in that area. A kid I knews mom survived that day. Rumors spread. And my parents had to sit me down and somehow try to explain to a fucking nine year old that some man went into a school and killed kids only a year or 2 younger than me. For no good fucking reason. And me, as a nine year old, asked questions society should have answered years ago. Why a fucking twenty year old should be able to get his hands on a gun, let alone semiautomatic one. Why innocent kids who just wanted to see their best friend at recess and were excited for the school lunch today were killed by a madman. And why people still protest that gun control is an invasion of human rights.  The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting took place 5 years ago, when I was only nine, leading my parents and many other to have to explain to their elementary school kids that kids just like them were killed.  It was the fourth deadliest shooting by a single person, and it used to be higher, before many shootings, including Las Vegas, happened just this year. It was the fourth deadliest shooting, and almost all the victims were children of ages six to eight. Kids who had whole lives ahead of them. Who may have gone to Harvard and made a scientific breakthrough, or could have married someone, had kids and spend their lives watching their family grow. They were just kids. And their whole lives were ripped from them because one guy could get his hands on a deadly weapon when he clearly wasn't mentally stable. And I plan to give these kids justice. Because if Adam Lanza lives just a couple miles over, it could have been me and my friends. I will not let this, nor any other shooting or terrorist attack stay as just a "tragedy" for people to pray for them then not think about it besides a rare occasion. I will give these people justice by fighting for these kinds of useless deaths to stop in any way we can stop them. and now, I say sorry. sorry to  Charlotte Bacon, 6 Daniel Barden, 7 Olivia Engel, 6 Josephine Gay, 7 Dylan Hockley, 6 Madeleine Hsu, 6 Catherine Hubbard, 6 Chase Kowalski, 7 Jesse Lewis, 6 Ana Márquez-Greene, 6 James Mattioli, 6 Grace McDonnell, 7 Emilie Parker, 6 Jack Pinto, 6 Noah Pozner, 6 Caroline Previdi, 6 Jessica Rekos, 6 Avielle Richman, 6 Benjamin Wheeler, 6 Allison Wyatt, 6 I'm sorry that this country decided not to do anything about your deaths besides send "thoughts and prayers." I promise I will try to make it right  With determination, James Henry