5 killed, 25 injured (several critical), in Colorado club mass shooting. And now, less than a week later, another.

[Dan Murphy]

And again, we go through the drill. Prayers, good wishes, gone from our minds a few days from now. On to the next shooting.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/20/us/colorado-springs-shooting-gay-nightclub/index.html

 

[Smugpugmug]

I predict that this thread will devolve into a discussion/debate about gun control and mental illness (good discussions to have but always, without fail, end up in the same way) while ignoring that this was an awful hate crime against the LGBT community.

 

[holden]

So tragic. My heart breaks for the community and families.

 

[DLgal]

There is nothing to even say anymore.

The problem will continue until the people opposed to fixing it have a change of heart.

 

[pigletto]

Well at least this angry white male mass murderer has a direct familial link to the politics and hateful rhetoric that drives this insanity time and time again. It will be harder to deny the causation this time, though I‘m sure it’s coming.

 

[SteveH]

I will wait for the facts to come out. However a few thoughts... it is concerning that the perpetrator had previously made a bomb threat and was arrested, yet he never charged. Thus, without a record it appears he was able to have access to a gun. Background checks can't work if you don't actually prosecute an individual so they establish a record. Could this have been prevented? I'm not sure. But I am tired of the number of times a person was either let go, not prosecuted or a family member bailed them out and then did further harm.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I predict that this thread will devolve into a discussion/debate about gun control and mental illness (good discussions to have but always, without fail, end up in the same way) while ignoring that this was an awful hate crime against the LGBT community.

I would say a hate crime almost for sure.

 

[nw6675]

I will wait for the facts to come out. However a few thoughts... it is concerning that the perpetrator had previously made a bomb threat and was arrested, yet he never charged. Thus, without a record it appears he was able to have access to a gun. Background checks can't work if you don't actually prosecute an individual so they establish a record. Could this have been prevented? I'm not sure. But I am tired of the number of times a person was either let go, not prosecuted or a family member bailed them out and then did further harm.

Agree. The UVA shooter had been denied gun purchases twice because he had gun charges. Approved the third and fourth times because background was clear - previous charges had been suspended.

Eta to add link Here

 

[Colleen27]

An entirely unsurprising consequence of the scapegoating and demonizing of the LGBTQ community that is going on right now in so many places. They're not talking about motive yet but by all appearances this young man has direct family ties to two of the organizations that are most vocal in their baseless allegations and condemnations. I can't fathom how this could be anything other than a hate crime, and I doubt the timing was coincidental.

He also shows why background checks and red flag laws aren't the silver bullet many would like to think, because with the right strings pulled or the right arguments made, even a bomb threat that caused the evacuation of an entire neighborhood can just go away without any charges that would flag the person responsible as potentially dangerous.

 

[OKW8297]

Today is the National Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is not a coincidence. The LGBTQ community is often under attack. Gun violence is rampant in this country and continues unchecked. iolence against this community continues as well. such needless tragedy. And still we do nothing.

 

[Frwinkley]

We have become such an intolerant and hateful society. A group of people have decided that anything less than what they perceive is the correct way to live is the wrong way. They will say it's in the Bible, they are Christians, etc. They preach nothing but judgement. It's disgusting.

 

[Allison]

There is nothing to even say anymore.

The problem will continue until the people opposed to fixing it have a change of heart.

Sadly true.

 

[Allison]

We have become such an intolerant and hateful society. A group of people have decided that anything less than what they perceive is the correct way to live is the wrong way. They will say it's in the Bible, they are Christians, etc. They preach nothing but judgement. It's disgusting.

It absolutely is and horrifically ugly.

 

[dreamer17555]

I have a DD who is Bi. When going out to clubs she has always felt safer at LGBTQIA+ clubs. Up until recently I have always felt she was likely safer there as well, after today? Not anymore.

Some of the praise happening in dark places of the web over this shooting are disgusting and leave me heartsick.

 

[DLgal]

An entirely unsurprising consequence of the scapegoating and demonizing of the LGBTQ community that is going on right now in so many places. They're not talking about motive yet but by all appearances this young man has direct family ties to two of the organizations that are most vocal in their baseless allegations and condemnations. I can't fathom how this could be anything other than a hate crime, and I doubt the timing was coincidental.

He also shows why background checks and red flag laws aren't the silver bullet many would like to think, because with the right strings pulled or the right arguments made, even a bomb threat that caused the evacuation of an entire neighborhood can just go away without any charges that would flag the person responsible as potentially dangerous.

It's called white privilege. And grandpa bailing you out.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It's called white privilege. And grandpa bailing you out.

I saw the story on that guy.

 

[Beezle2]

The rise of ugly christofascism is here and we ignore it at our peril.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Amazing that two unarmed patrons were able to subdue the shooter.

Too bad they weren't in Uvalde.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I am saddened and angered at each and every incident of gun violence, and violence in general. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect this to change for the better in the US, within my lifetime.

 

[GreatLakes]

Background checks and red flag laws are only as good as the follow-up and process. There has to be more information about this specific case but in general we need to have a method that affords suspects due process but then easily and centrally tracks them if that due process results in some sort of flag.

All of these shootings are tragic but I personally find cases where the suspect was known to law enforcement to be even more troubling.