Posted by Cockney Robin | At least six teenagers were shot during a party in Crandon Wisconsin. This time it was a part-time copper who got into a row with his girlfriend. The gunman, 20 year old Tyler Peterson, shot killed at least six people (The Telegraph says "as many as ten"), including two high school students two who had only recently graduated. One of the murder victims was 14.
"Her mother, Jenny Stahl, said her daughter was staying at a friend's house. "I'm waiting for somebody to wake me up right now. This is a bad, bad dream," Mrs Stahl said. "All I heard, it was a jealous boyfriend and he went berserk. He took them all out," she added. (BBC News)
I know; I know. Guns don't kill people. Jealous 20 year old boys kill people. In this instance,...
the shooter had access to the gun because he was a policeman. As a simple, gun-loathing Brit I can't help wondering whether the outcome might have been different if this Peterson hadn't had access to a gun. The fact is, though we have jealous boyfriends in Britain, this sort of tragedy rarely occurs because, I am certain, of the dearth of guns---even our police don't carry them--- rather than because we Brits are intrinsically less dangerous or inclined to violence than Americans. In fact, there has been a rise in gun crime in England, though it's nowhere near on the scale of gun crime in America.
In this case, was evidently "taken down" by a sniper. (The Telegraph)
The Crandon police chief, John Dennee, would not confirm whether the shooter killed himself or if he was taken down by authorities. However, speaking outside the police department about two blocks from the scene, he said: "We're not looking for anybody anymore." (The Telegraph)
While the mothers wept and tried to tell themselves it was a bad dream, others in the town expressed the usual shock and disbelief which we've all heard many, many times before.. The shooter seemed to be a good kid, an A student, etc., etc. I'm sure he probably was a nice guy when things were going his way. Unfortunately, something happened to upset him. Which is always how seemingly normally people turn into murderers. All further evidence, as far as I am concerned, that the reason why this tragedy occurred was because a 20 year old (not an age characterized by great judgment or emotional stability when under stress) had access to a gun.
The rampage appears to have started on what should have been a festive weekend - the annual autumn homecoming ritual when recent graduates return to their high school.
A group of friends had gathered in an apartment within a large white framed house when the suspected shooter arrived shortly before 3am, according to news reports.
Local residents who lived a few doors away from the house, shown on television behind police barricades yesterday, described hearing the sounds of gunshots at about 3am local time. "I heard probably five or six shots, a short pause and then five or six more," Marci Franz, a local resident, told the Associated Press. "I wasn't sure if it was gunfire initially. I thought some kids were messing around and hitting a nearby metal building."
Then she heard eight louder shots and tyres squealing, she said. (The Guardian)
The small town of Crandon was in "lockdown" for most of the day, with residents prohibited from going into the streets.(The Telegraph)
"We are a strong community. We always have been," the mayor said. "This is agonizing, but we will prevail."(The Telegraph)
One wishes them the best. But even if they prevail, as one surely hopes, those dead children---shot dead in the midst of a party; I can't take it in---are gone for good.
About A Gun: Seung Hui Cho at Virginia Tech.
In Florida: Gun Amnesty for Rocket Launcher.
LINKED!
Gunman kills six in US Midwest (BBC News)
Shooter killed after Wisconsin gun rampage (The Telegraph)
Six shot dead at high-school party by off-duty police officer (The Guardian)
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