I Pose This Question To You!

[BigFish]

I hear on the radio and TV and read in the newspaper about people being critical of how the tragedy in Virginia was handled and what could authorities have done differently to prevent it?!?!?!? Why were they not prepared? Why were they not ready? Why didn't they do this? Why didn't they do that?

Is there anyplace in this country that you think is so prepared that this same kind of thing could not happen?

I can pretty much guarantee you that if I was so inclined to do the same thing that psycho did yesterday, that there would be pretty much nothing anyone could do to prevent it! Stop it eventually maybe but not prevent it! Do you walk down the street on edge expecting a gunman to come out of nowhere and start shooting anyone that moves? This type pf thing can and has happened just about anyplace......high schools, colleges, elementary schools, McDonalds, the work place, Luby's in Texas, shopping malls!!!!

How do you expect anyplace or anyone to be prepared for such a tragic event???

[fishpoopoo]

live press conference on msnbc right now...

[The Dad Fisherman]

Human Nature is that you need to find somebody to blame.

Personally, the only one I think you can blame is the guy with the guns.

[stripersnipr]

My Left coast brother has decided that this tragedy is a direct result of a "Bush culture". I told him that blaming Bush makes him as deranged as the shooter. The blogosphere is on fire with those who use every opportunity and tragedy to further their political agenda's no matter how twisted they may be.

[Slick Moedee]

Media is on a witch hunt to blame someone. That tone resonates from every report I have watched/read so far. There is no way you can prevent these types of catastrophes from occurring until their underlying causes are dealt with. What those causes are I'm not quite sure, but having emergency plans and heightened security are only so effective and primarily reactive.

[fishpoopoo]

the shooter is dead.

so there's nothing left for the public (politicians) to blame ... except for an inanimate object.

larry i have to agree with you in some respect - sudden violence like this catches people unprepared. and this thing started at 7:15 in the morning (like pearl harbor). shooter caught people when most vulnerable. so, you're not expecting to be shot at as soon as you get out of bed.

but ... there were two bomb threats called in before this shooting. i know, bomb threats are a dime a dozen but one after the other? at the very least the campus police should have been on a more diligent alert posture.

the thing that still bothers me (other than lawful CCW'ers were disarmed on campus) is the two hour lag between the first shooting, which killed 2 people, and the second shooting in which 33 others were killed (and just as many wounded). the same guy likely did both sets of shootings. what gives?

there is going to be an ugly lawsuit against VT ... i gawruntee it.

[striprman]

seems like I've read about this type of thing(although not to this extent) happening at the post office..still no guards there the last time I went.

[fishpoopoo]

okay, so we have a timeline, sort of.

7:15 a.m. First shootings happen. Two people killed, one of whom is a female.

An "Asian" man who is an acquaintance of the female victim is apprehended and taken in for questioning. Cops think they have their shooter.

Class not canceled.

While the suspect is undergoing questioning, second and more deadly round of shootings start.

I really wonder what happened between Point A and Point B.

What were the cops and the University thinking?

[BigFish]

Everyone is so quick to judge the decisions made by authorities who were there and who had knowledge and who had to make the difficult decisions and those who are being critical......know nothing!!!! You think you know all there is to know based on news reports????? Jeeeeez.......everyone is so quick to talk about how things SHOULD have been done......hindsight is 20/20! Cut these folks a break for doing a difficult job.....I saw fear and confusion in their eyes on the news clips.....and I can't blame them! The killer is dead and still the witch hunt goes on!!!

[kevin d]

I could walk into any public place with a 9mm and a bunch of magazines and shoot a ton of people before anyone would have any idea how to stop me. I guarantee that the authorities and students alike had no idea that they were dealing with a mass murderer. I think the police response time was pretty damned good. The only place to point a finger is at the gunman.

[fishpoopoo]

Originally Posted by kevin d

I could walk into any public place with a 9mm and a bunch of magazines and shoot a ton of people before anyone would have any idea how to stop me. I guarantee that the authorities and students alike had no idea that they were dealing with a mass murderer. I think the police response time was pretty damned good. The only place to point a finger is at the gunman.

1. personally, i'd have a bead drawn on you after the hypothetical first shot.

2. post-columbine, the new LEO response to any gunman-on-campus is to take out the shooter asap (assume the shooter is out to inflict maximum casualties). i guess local LEO didn't have a clue on this, since they assumed the shooter left the scene.

[fishpoopoo]

Originally Posted by Strike_King

It's getting a little confusing..Wouldn't that indicate two different shooters?

it is a little confusing, but the implication here is that ...

THEY DETAINED THE WRONG GUY AND WHILE THEY WERE INTERROGATING HIM THE REAL BAD GUY WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THE CARNAGE!

OOOPS!