Where's the world going to?

[Don Fernando]

The last decade or so, I've seen a lot of shootings like the one in Columbine on the news, not just in the USA but also in Germany and Finland. Due to our restrictive gun laws I never thought anything like that would happen here in The Netherlands, but I was wrong.

yesterday a 24yo gunfreak killed 6 people in a mall, shot 16 others before he committed suicide. Why? I mean, if you want to commit suicide, do it, but why kills, injure and traumatize a lot of innocent people on the way?

CNN reports:

Dutch officials say a gunman opened fire at a mall on Saturday, killing seven people and wounding 16 others before shooting himself in the head, a journalist with CNN affiliate SBS reported, citing police and other officials.

Bas Eenhoorn, mayor of Alphen aan den Rijn, told reporters that the 24-year-old suspected shooter -- identified only as Tristan V -- fired an automatic rifle and killed himself before police arrived on the scene.

The suspect, whose full name is being withheld until a formal investigation is concluded, is a Dutch national who was living with his father, police told SBS. Computer equipment and other materials were confiscated from the father's apartment after the shooting.

A farewell note was found at the suspect's mother's home. Police told SBS that the suspect claimed in the note that he had placed explosives in several commercial areas in Alphen.

The areas were evacuated as police conducted a search. As of 11 p.m., no explosives were found.

Three of the wounded mall victims are in critical condition, officials said Saturday night. The motive of the shooting was not known and no indication was given in the note.

Eenhoorn plans to hold meetings Sunday with some of the victims, SBS reported.

more from the BBC

I happen to know that mall, been there a couple of times for work. It's only a small mall, especially compared to malls in the USA and Asia, with not a lot of exits. People must have felt trapped, I can only imagine their fear.

[emopunker2004]

Ferdi, I preach this everywhere i go brother: gun laws won't do what they are intended to do. Think about this, if I plan on killing someone, do you think the fact that guns are illegal is going to keep me from using a gun? Murder is illegal, what's a gun charge on top of that? Sorry I'll get off the soapbox.

That is tragic and I pray for all of those involved. I hate when **** like that happens. I'm surrounded by it daily because of where I work, but I do love my job.

[elderboy02]

Originally Posted by emopunker2004

Ferdi, I preach this everywhere i go brother: gun laws won't do what they are intended to do. Think about this, if I plan on killing someone, do you think the fact that guns are illegal is going to keep me from using a gun? Murder is illegal, what's a gun charge on top of that? Sorry I'll get off the soapbox...

+1 Preach on brother

[Bill86]

People like this give gunowners a bad name. It's a shame.

[emopunker2004]

Originally Posted by Bill86

People like this give gunowners a bad name. It's a shame.

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by Bill86

People like this give people a bad name. It's a shame.

Fixed that for you.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Emjaysmash]

Terrible to see this

[shilala]

Ya know, 20 years ago, this stuff was seldom seen (or seldom published). A generation later, it's all the rage.
I think you have your hardcore nutcases, guys who are completely disconnected and just do it to stop the voices in their head, that kind of thing. I can get that, I think anyone can on some level. Life can drive people nuts, to a point of rage where they'll shred the post office or workplace, that sort of thing.
Then there's the middle easters, they should be in their own category. I don't get that, I never will. It's 3,000 years of lunacy that I'll never wrap my head around.
But now there's this new emo-punker, my mommy didn't love me enough, my feelings are hurt, look at me, everyone owes me something generation. I get it. It comes out of screwing kids up from the way they're raised, because of parental guilt. Parents can't be there, so they give the kids everything their hearts desire and just set them loose on the world. Why some kids respond positively and some go completely off the deep end, I don't know.
Balance and love aren't gonna be there in the household for every kid, and it never was. Problem is, now they can't get it at school, the church isn't an option, and no one is there to step up and step in.
I hate to imagine it's something we'll just have to get used to, but I believe it'll have to get a lot worse before it ever gets better. It's truly sad.

[kelmac07]

Just read this in todays morning paper. It's is very sad the extremes these "attention mongers" go to.

[Zeuceone]

guns laws or any law are only followed by civilized people. criminals dont care about laws and wont follow them.

[357]

I'm always saddened to hear about massacres like this. However, guns are an important tool for securing freedom.

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one.

Thomas Jefferson quoted and included this passage in his "Legal Commonplace Book." The original quote was from Cesare Beccaria's Essay on Crimes and Punishments.

People falsely believe that crime doesn't happen in this place or that, maybe because of the cost of living, the tough laws/punishments, etc. Fact is crime happens everywhere, even murder.


In the USA, the Supreme Court ruled on a case (Warren v. District of Columbia) stating that:

"fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen."

Translation: Police have no legal obligation protect individuals, so you better protect yourself.

http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/ka...rotection.html

[OLS]

Ferdie, the situation, or the answer to your last question is that if a person kills themself, only a few people remember them.
If they take 10 people with them, people remember the name, the face, the place and the actions. Sad but true.

[emopunker2004]

Originally Posted by OLS

Ferdie, the situation, or the answer to your last question is that if a person kills themself, only a few people remember them.
If they take 10 people with them, they remember the name, the face and the actions. Sad but true.

that, and if they are miserable they want others to be miserable too

[TBone]

Originally Posted by OLS

Ferdie, the situation, or the answer to your last question is that if a person kills themself, only a few people remember them.
If they take 10 people with them, people remember the name, the face, the place and the actions. Sad but true.

[longknocker]

So Sorry To Hear This, Ferdie.