The Last Week of Summer 2013, More Lives Lost

The morning of September 16, 2013, turned out to be another memorable day for those who advocate gun control.  As the morning rush hour began to wind down, Washingtonian commuters were greeted with news of another mass shooting.

Aaron Alexis, the Navy yard shooter
FBI File photo

At approximately 8:15 a.m., Aaron Alexis, 34, a Hewlett Packard civilian contractor from Ft. Worth, Texas entered building #197, armed with an AR-15 Assault Rifle and two handguns.  Although the long rifle was not concealed he was not challenged, perhaps because he had the appropriate credentials displayed on his person.  Moments later the sound of semi-automatic fire filled the facility that housed the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters.

When all was said and done, 12 victims were dead as well as the gunman.  Initial reports indicated there might have been as many as three shooters, prompting the closing of several nearby schools and grounding all flights at Reagan National Airport.  By late afternoon FBI officials and Washington, DC police reported Alexis had acted alone.

Washington Post Columnist Petula Dvorak quickly penned an excellent article entitled “How can we tolerate another mass shooting?”  Ms. Dvorak posed a legitimate question but, if one has kept abreast of gun violence throughout the country as late, there is a better question to ask.   How can we tolerate another senseless shooting?

Washington, D.C. has some of the most strict gun control laws in the country. The Navy Yard shooting represents the 11^th shooting incident in the District of Columbia in 5 days.

September 15, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell, former Florida A & M football standout, is involved in an early morning traffic accident in Charlotte, NC.  He walks away from his mangled vehicle and seeks assistance at a nearby house. 

Ferrell sought help following a serious accident.
wbtv news

As he bangs on the door and pleads for help, the home owner calls the police fearing a possible home invasion.  Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers respond to the call.

Upon the arrival of the police, allegedly Ferrell began running towards the officers.  Although he was zapped with a Taser, officers reported that Ferrell kept coming.

Officer Randall Kerrick, 27, then fires twelve times. Ten shots find their mark and Ferrell was killed.

Jonathan Ferrell was 24, had recently moved to Charlotte and was engaged to a beautiful young lady.

After the initial investigation of the incident, Kerrick’s actions were deemed excessive and he was charged with Manslaughter. He has since surrendered to police custody.

Why must every so called assailant be riddled with police bullets?  Is deadly force always necessary?  Whatever happened to incapacitating?  Should a call to the police be a call for death?

Weapons drawn, NYPD responds in force.  

Ahme Mahmoud  

On Saturday September 14, 2013, a man dodged traffic and behaved erratically a block away from Times Square.  The man who could not walk a straight line was obviously under the influence of some sort of inebrient.  NYPD responded with great force, as more than a dozen officers gave chase.  

NYPD fired three shots at the man who they allegedly believed was aiming a weapon at officers.  Fortunately for the erratic man, all three of the shots missed.  

A by-stander lays in the street after being struck by an NYPD stray bullet.  
Kerri Ann Nesbeth via Twitter

Unfortunately for the NYPD, two of the shots struck innocent bystanders.  

Stray bullets struck a woman on a walker in the lower leg and another woman in the buttocks. Both women were transported to Bellevue Hospital for medical treatment. 

The man was eventually subjected to the force of a Taser, subdued, arrested and taken into custody.

I’m no expert in situations of this nature, but is not Times Square typically full of people at all hours of the day and night?  Shouldn’t discharging your firearm on crowded NYC streets be an absolute last resort?  And as a trained public safety professional, if you must fire your weapon, shouldn’t you hit your target?

CNN reported Sunday September 8, 2013, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Monroe Isadore, a 107 year old man, found himself in a domestic altercation. As Mr. Isadore wielded a handgun, SWAT was called in.  After failed attempts to negotiate, gas was deployed.  Mr. Isadore responded with numerous shots fired.  After using a distraction device and rushing in the room, the SWAT Team found it necessary to shoot this centenarian.  They refused to identify exactly what constitutes a distraction device. The SWAT Team returned fire and Mr. Isadore was killed.  No one was injured by any of the shots fired by Mr. Isadore.

CNN File photo

Hmmm, death by SWAT Team seems an unlikely reward for living so long.  

Surely a Taser or the effects of the gas deployed would have brought this situation under control and left Mr. Isadore alive.  

This case is still under investigation.  Many who knew Mr. Isadore have suggested an investigation by an independent investigative body may be warranted.

Wayne LaPierre NRA CEO
wikipedia 

Many a gun enthusiast enjoys regurgitating the remarks of NRA CEO Wayne La Pierre, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”  Although Mr. La Pierre will never publically admit it, his concern isn’t individual rights or public safety.  He is a businessman, a capitalist with responsibilities to his stockholders only.  And in the minds of his stockholders, criminal or not, a sell, is a sell. 

While still under investigation, three of the incidents found within this article identify the “good guys” as being the ones to have inappropriately discharged their firearms.  Mr. LaPierre, do we now need to be as fearful of the good guys, as we are of the bad guys?

Of all the things being said to describe the Navy yard shooter, I believe we should acknowledge Aaron Alexis was considered a “good guy” by friends, family and associates until 8:20 a.m. Monday morning.   Had he not had open access to firearms perhaps Aaron Alexis and his 12 victim would be with us all today?

In closing I would like to acknowledge the life of Mary Delorenzo Knight, 51, as this latest mass shooting has struck a little too close to home. Mary Delorenzo Knight was one of the victims killed by Aaron Alexis.  Mary was a graduate of Seventy-First Senior High School, the class of 1980 and a classmate of my younger sister. 

I am growing tired of feeling bad each time a life is lost to some coward’s violent act.  I do not wish to lose my life, if ever I need to call for police assistance. No longer do I desire to extend condolence to surviving families and loved ones. It is time we stop the madness, stop the violence and stop the spilling of American blood by Americans.  If that means, the elimination of privately owned firearms, or an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, then so be it. But the time has come for action.  Some real action.

I’m not hatin, I’m jus sayin…