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View Full Version : Colorado Tragedy: 71 People shot



Topkat
07-20-2012, 02:11 PM
As I watch a special report on this latest tragedy in Colorado. My heart aches for those affected by this event. So horrible. So far 12 people dead, 71 people shot, several of the injured are in critical condition, so the death toll could be higher. Many of them are young children & teenagers.The shooters apartment is said to be set with some kind of explosives to kill police when they arrive there, so investigation is underway.

When is America going to get serious about gun control? One crazy person can commit mass murder with one gun. This is a scene that could play out anywhere. Life is precious, cherish every moment.
I have a friend who lives in Aurora. I just spoke to her yesterday. I hope no one she knows was in that theater. My prayers go out to all the families & friends of those involved. So very sad.RIP

Brooke
07-20-2012, 04:38 PM
Another senseless tragedy. What gets me is if people have a problem with someone, take it up with them. Don't go kill innocent people!

EagleLady
07-20-2012, 06:29 PM
You can control guns but that won't stop crazy people like this man. My hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

SallyGee
07-20-2012, 07:20 PM
So sad. My boys went to a midnight showing of The Dark Night Rises last night. When they were leaving, I said be careful like I say every time they go out. I never thought I had to worry about a crazy gunman shooting them. My thoughts and prayers go out for the victims and their families.

Tiffanny Twisted
07-20-2012, 07:48 PM
Thoughts and prayers to all involved. It is a shame, peolpe only going to the movies. But what I don' understand , is why are there small children and babies at this midnight showing of a pg 13 movie?

I dont understand a lot of things in this world and this is one of them

peace to all

tt:-(

Topkat
07-20-2012, 08:08 PM
You can control guns but that won't stop crazy people like this man. My hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Well, I believe that it can. This guy legally purchased an AR-15 Assault Semi Automatic that hold 90 bullets, that's right 90. This is what he used. Why is this gun for sale? It is not a hunting gun or for protection. It is a weapon for mass murder....The gun was outlawed for sale, however the law expired in 2004, but politicians did not renew the laws.

The gun store followed all federal requirements including a background check. James Holmes had no criminal record, no terrorist affiliations, therefore was able to walk into a gun shop & buy this along with 2 Glock pistols & a Remington 12 gauge shotgun at 2 other stores, all in Colorado. Five states have banned sale of this gun, only 5. President Obama has done NOTHING to support gun control & it's all money & politics as usual. GUNS kill people, and without these powerful weapons, these crazies don't have that power. America needs to wake up because how many more of these mass shootings is it going to take.??? Columbine was 1999. It's 2012 & nothing has changed.

sodascouts
07-20-2012, 09:03 PM
Oh my gosh, what a senseless tragedy. I'll never understand how people can be so full of hate and cruelty. Prayers for the victims and their families.

GlennLover
07-20-2012, 09:22 PM
Such a horrific tradgedy! Every time I hear of something like this happening (which has become all too frequent), I can't help but wonder what this world is coming to. :-( You're not safe anywhere. I read an article on one of our (Canadian) national news sites that stated that one of the girls killed in Denver had narrowly missed being shot during the recent shootings in the Eaton's Centre shopping mall in Toronto. Soda, FP, Dreamer, PLS, my husband & I walked through this mall when we were in Toronto in 2011 on our way to Glenn's concerts in Niagara Falls. I know thousands of people pass through that mall every day safely, but it makes you think just the same.

Freypower
07-20-2012, 09:26 PM
Such a horrific tradgedy! Every time I hear of something like this happening (which has become all too frequent), I can't help but wonder what this world is coming to. :-( You're not safe anywhere. I read an article on one of our (Canadian) national news sites that stated that one of the girls killed in Denver had narrowly missed being shot during the recent shootings in the Eaton's Centre shopping mall in Toronto. Soda, FP, Dreamer, PLS, my husband & I walked through this mall when we were in Toronto in 2011 on our way to Glenn's concerts in Niagara Falls. I know thousands of people pass through that mall every day safely, but it makes you think just the same.

I went to the Eaton Centre by myself while in Toronto & was shocked to hear about that shooting.

Regarding the latest incident I think it would not be right for me to comment on American gun laws. It's just awful, that's all.

sodascouts
07-20-2012, 09:54 PM
Such a horrific tradgedy! Every time I hear of something like this happening (which has become all too frequent), I can't help but wonder what this world is coming to. :-( You're not safe anywhere. I read an article on one of our (Canadian) national news sites that stated that one of the girls killed in Denver had narrowly missed being shot during the recent shootings in the Eaton's Centre shopping mall in Toronto. Soda, FP, Dreamer, PLS, my husband & I walked through this mall when we were in Toronto in 2011 on our way to Glenn's concerts in Niagara Falls. I know thousands of people pass through that mall every day safely, but it makes you think just the same.

Wow, THAT is the mall where the Toronto shooting took place?

These are the kind of things that make you realize life is short and precious, and you can never take tomorrow for granted.

GlennLover
07-20-2012, 10:33 PM
Wow, THAT is the mall where the Toronto shooting took place?

These are the kind of things that make you realize life is short and precious, and you can never take tomorrow for granted.

My thoughts exactly!

Troubadour
07-20-2012, 11:24 PM
Like everyone else, I am shocked, saddened and horrified by this event. It is almost too hard to think about. My prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.

I will say that the idea of anyone being able to buy a gun terrifies me. Yes, there will always be people who want to cause harm to others but, without guns, their job is made a lot harder. A knife simply can't do the kind of mass damage that a gun can. Plus, a gun makes it easy to be somewhat removed physically from the victim. A scary thought...

zeldabjr
07-21-2012, 10:07 AM
Like everyone else, I am shocked, saddened and horrified by this event. It is almost too hard to think about. My prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.

I will say that the idea of anyone being able to buy a gun terrifies me. Yes, there will always be people who want to cause harm to others but, without guns, their job is made a lot harder. A knife simply can't do the kind of mass damage that a gun can. Plus, a gun makes it easy to be somewhat removed physically from the victim. A scary thought...

You said it all Troub...

Prettymaid
07-21-2012, 07:15 PM
May the victim's families and friends find some comfort in that the world is thinking of and praying for them during this difficult time.

Horrible, just horrible.

Ive always been a dreamer
07-21-2012, 10:26 PM
This is another horrific, senseless crime committed by another madman. Although I am a big advocate of gun control, I honestly don't think it would have stopped this evil man. The people who commit these kinds of acts are so deranged that they will find a way - the fact that a gun is illegal won't stop them. There's certainly not an easy answer on how to prevent these kinds of attacks, but it seems to me we have to figure out a better way to identify the mentally instable individuals who are capable of committing these kinds of violent acts. Every single time this kind of thing happens, we always hear that "no one saw this coming". There must be a better way of identifying and dealing with these disturbed people before rather than after they harm innocent people.

My heart goes out to these victims and their loved ones. Once again, a community will have to deal with the painful healing process from the act of a terrorist.

Topkat
07-22-2012, 02:25 AM
There is really no way to know which person is going to "snap" and commit a mass murder. This guy had no criminal record. He had no terrorist affiliations. You can't throw people in jail for saying something a bit sick or being mentally ill. There is no reason any civilian needs an assault weapon. This is a military weapon that is easily available to anyone! That is just insane to me?? It is not a hunting weapon or for protection.

These weapons should only be allowed in the military, not on our streets. I do want to see politicians rally for gun control. This guy was crazy, but to easily buy this assault weapon & over 6,000 rounds of ammunition made it so easy. I do think that if this gun was not available for sale, this could have been avoided or had many less victims. How many more mass murders do we have to have before something is done about it??? To say we need to identify these people & get them help is just not realistic. There are way too many crazies out there & they are buying guns every day!

Prayers to all the victims & their families. This tragedy affects their lives forever.

Glennhoney
07-22-2012, 02:42 PM
There is really no way to know which person is going to "snap" and commit a mass murder. This guy had no criminal record. He had no terrorist affiliations. You can't throw people in jail for saying something a bit sick or being mentally ill. There is no reason any civilian needs an assault weapon. This is a military weapon that is easily available to anyone! That is just insane to me?? It is not a hunting weapon or for protection.

These weapons should only be allowed in the military, not on our streets. I do want to see politicians rally for gun control. This guy was crazy, but to easily buy this assault weapon & over 6,000 rounds of ammunition made it so easy. I do think that if this gun was not available for sale, this could have been avoided or had many less victims. How many more mass murders do we have to have before something is done about it??? To say we need to identify these people & get them help is just not realistic. There are way too many crazies out there & they are buying guns every day!

Prayers to all the victims & their families. This tragedy affects their lives forever.

I agree..."GUN CONTROL"....is desperately needed...:weep:

Brooke
07-22-2012, 04:21 PM
I think the problem with gun control is that any time it's brought up they are trying to make all guns illegal and then you get all the sport hunters upset. Why can't they separate out these types of guns from hunting types of guns? I agree tk, these assault weapons should not be available for anyone to buy except the military. Yes, hunting guns kill people too, but you wouldn't have these mass murders like this.

sodascouts
07-22-2012, 04:31 PM
I'm a moderate on this issue. I think people should be able to buy hunting rifles and handguns for self-defense. As a woman living alone I've even considered buying a handgun myself in case someone broke in and attacked me. I had a break in several years ago and it scared the crap out of me; I realized that if those two men had been real robbers instead of just drunk frat boys, I would have been completely defenseless.... and probably would have wound up dying a very ugly death. I finally decided against buying one because I figured I'd be that person who gets the gun wrestled out of her hand and gets shot with it! Still, I don't blame those who decide they need the protection.

However, as for these assault rifles and machine guns... I agree with TK and Brooke. There is NO reason why they should be sold to any private citizen. These are weapons designed for one thing: taking out a LOT of people. There is NO reason why anyone outside the military should possess such guns.

Topkat
07-22-2012, 05:06 PM
I think the problem with gun control is that any time it's brought up they are trying to make all guns illegal and then you get all the sport hunters upset. Why can't they separate out these types of guns from hunting types of guns? I agree tk, these assault weapons should not be available for anyone to buy except the military. Yes, hunting guns kill people too, but you wouldn't have these mass murders like this.

Brooke, there was a ban on assault weapons after the Columbine shooting, however it was not renewed, & expired in 2004. There was a separate law regarding these particular weapons. It was not designed to prevent people from hunting, or the right to "bear arms" for protection. People need to stop assuming that "gun control" bans ALL weapons. The laws were banning only THESE assault, semi-automatic & automatic , basicly machine guns!! Yet, some just go nuts & refer to these rights. Back then, when these laws were written, there were no automatic weapons. These are for the military, & should be sold only for that purpose. They are not something you need in your home to shoot an intruder.

To easily stockpile weapons is a sure sign that something bad is going to go down, but the law allows it. This one guy had enough ammo for a small army. Every state has their own laws on this. I hope that people rally their Congressmen to ban these weapons in their states. It's a hotbed of politics with the NRA, but there needs to be stronger laws in every state, not just 5.
America has the 2nd highest gun deaths in the world. Brazil has the highest.

Ive always been a dreamer
07-22-2012, 09:40 PM
I also agree that assault weapons should be banned. As I said before, I am an advocate of strong gun control and enforcement. I do think that would cut down on some shootings. But, as I also said before, I don't know if an assault weapons ban would have made a difference in this case. People who are deranged and hell bent on committing mass murder are not going to let the law stop them - they will get their hands on what they want, legal or not. As Topkat mentioned, there was a ban in effect in the '90's, and it didn't stop the Paducah, KY, Columbine, or other massacres during that time.

That's why I say we have to search for other answers, and do more to prevent these massacres by trying to identify behaviors in deranged people before they act.


There is really no way to know which person is going to "snap" and commit a mass murder. This guy had no criminal record. He had no terrorist affiliations. You can't throw people in jail for saying something a bit sick or being mentally ill.

Well, I couldn't disagree with this statement more. There are definitely ways to identify sociopathic behaviors. My point is we just need to get a lot better at doing it rather than accepting the idea that there is no way to tell that someone is a psychopath until after they snap. We may not be able to "throw people in jail for saying something a bit sick or being mentally ill", but we can commit them to a mental institution and try to give the help they need before they harm others.

Topkat
07-23-2012, 12:13 AM
Dreamer, you misunderstood my statement. I think the ban was put into effect after the massacre in Columbine, which was in 1999, but each state has their own laws. When the laws expired, mass shootings went up again. As in Virginia Tech, in 2007 & the shooting of the senator. I'm not sure when those other events happened. It did help prevent mass murder. Why give these nuts easy access to these weapons? If they are hellbent on chaos, let them go through as much red tape as possible.

Another point I have to disagree with is that you cannot commit someone to a mental institution without their permission or unless they have already committed a serious violent crime. Metal hospitals usually don't keep patients very long,. They put them on meds & send them out the door. Pscyopaths act very normal, which is why when this happens, many that know them or live next door are shocked. Many serial killers are psycopaths or sociopaths. This guy was very smart; studying neuroscience at grad school. Never had more than a speeding ticket. Tell me how anyone knew this would happen? Even if he showed signs of metal illness. The only one's that could have known is the guy that sold him the guns & ammo. It seems his parents have had some clues that he was ill. I guess we will see what comes out with this guy because he is still alive & eventually it will come out. Now they are saying that he was obsessed with Batman.

TimothyBFan
07-23-2012, 10:31 AM
What a very sad situation and I've been thinking a lot about the families of those involved all weekend, including the shooter's family. I can't even imagine.

As for gun control----I am one of those that believes guns don't kill people, people kill people. I think there has to be a happy medium. I was brought up around guns and have always respected them. We were taught the correct way to use them, clean them, store them, etc.... I agree that assault rifles shouldn't be on the market but I'll be darned if I will tell anyone who can buy a gun that they don't have a right to own one. Especially this day in age. BUT I did see someone on FB actually state that if people had been permitted to carry, then maybe lives could of been saved because they could of taken the guy out. Well I say, probably not, there probably would of been more killed if you got people just opening up and firing randomly. This isn't the old west! And who knows how anyone will react in a situation like this. Geesh!

It will be interesting to see what becomes of this guy. Hopefully he'll give insight into the why he did it. It's obvious it was something he'd been planning but why? This one seems a bit stranger than some others in the past since this guy seemed to be in no trouble and was obviously a very bright individual. What went wrong?

Topkat
07-23-2012, 02:45 PM
The gun control I am talking about is "assault automatic weapons" not regular handguns or rifles for hunting. There is a huge difference. Assault weapons, like machine guns AK47 or AR-15 guns. No civilian needs these kind of weapons to defend their home or property. These weapons are designed for war & mass murder, yet they are easily available to anyone with a drivers licence. Everyone just goes nuts when they hear the words "gun control" Nobody is going to take away your gun, even though I don't believe in them, I don't object to homeowners having reasonable guns, but when someone can order 6,000 rounds of ammo on the internet as easy as ordering a book on Amazon.com there is something wrong here! Everything he bought was perfectly legal & easy to get. That's where the laws have to be changed. Don't think "gun control" means all guns. We need to get assault weapons off our streets or this will be happening again & again. Aren't you tired of hearing that innocent lives are taken in mass shootings? I sure am.

As for that movie theater; that guy was in full protective gear, so it would have been useless to shoot at him. All they needed was a few more guns going off in there with people running & screaming all over the place. That is not the answer here.

I urge you to ask out presidential candidates to speak up on their views on this & sign the petition. All out lives are at stake here.
Please visit Bradycampaign.org

Ive always been a dreamer
07-23-2012, 06:18 PM
Dreamer, you misunderstood my statement. I think the ban was put into effect after the massacre in Columbine, which was in 1999, but each state has their own laws. When the laws expired, mass shootings went up again. As in Virginia Tech, in 2007 & the shooting of the senator. I'm not sure when those other events happened. It did help prevent mass murder.

Sorry Topkat – I did misread your post. However, I’m almost positive the assault weapons act was enacted during the Clinton administration. I think the ban was originally signed into law for a period of 10 years. So if you are correct that it expired in 2004, that means it was enacted in 1994, which sounds about right to me. So, I’m almost sure that the Paducah, Jonesboro, and Columbine massacres all happened while the law was in effect. Again, I am still in favor of the law, but it is, obviously, not going to single-handedly stop the acts of some deranged individuals.


Another point I have to disagree with is that you cannot commit someone to a mental institution without their permission or unless they have already committed a serious violent crime. Metal hospitals usually don't keep patients very long,. They put them on meds & send them out the door. Pscyopaths act very normal, which is why when this happens, many that know them or live next door are shocked. Many serial killers are psycopaths or sociopaths.

Well I don’t agree entirely with your assessment here, but I do realize that you can’t just commit anyone to a mental institution. I don’t agree that psychopaths act very normal, although I would agree that sometimes it may be difficult to detect their behavior. So that’s the point I was trying to make. Since gun control is only part of the solution, we need to revise our laws when applicable to help us deal more effectively with these sick individuals.


Tell me how anyone knew this would happen?

Well I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I think it starts with awareness. In virtually every one of these cases, there were clues that people reported after the fact. I’m no psychiatrist, but I know there are tests that can help detect sociopathic behaviors and other mental illnesses. One thought is that maybe we could begin testing children when they enter school to screen them and establish baseline behaviors for mental illnesses, just like we screen them for other health problems and basic knowledge levels. These tests could be repeated periodically to help to identify significant behavioral changes in individuals.

Again, I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I strongly believe our society needs to begin taking actions to address these problems so that we can improve our chances of preventing these horrific acts.

Topkat
07-23-2012, 07:45 PM
Sorry Topkat – I did misread your post. However, I’m almost positive the assault weapons act was enacted during the Clinton administration. I think the ban was originally signed into law for a period of 10 years. So if you are correct that it expired in 2004, that means it was enacted in 1994, which sounds about right to me. So, I’m almost sure that the Paducah, Jonesboro, and Columbine massacres all happened while the law was in effect. Again, I am still in favor of the law, but it is, obviously, not going to single-handedly stop the acts of some deranged individuals.



Well I don’t agree entirely with your assessment here, but I do realize that you can’t just commit anyone to a mental institution. I don’t agree that psychopaths act very normal, although I would agree that sometimes it may be difficult to detect their behavior. So that’s the point I was trying to make. Since gun control is only part of the solution, we need to revise our laws when applicable to help us deal more effectively with these sick individuals.



Well I’m definitely don’t have all the answers, but I think it starts with awareness. In virtually every one of these cases, there were clues that people reported after the fact. I’m no psychiatrist, but I know there are tests that can help detect sociopathic behaviors and other mental illnesses. One thought is that maybe we could begin testing children when they enter school to screen them and establish baseline behaviors for mental illnesses, just like we test them for other health problems and basic knowledge levels. These tests could be repeated periodically to help to identify significant behavioral changes in individuals.

Again, I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I strongly believe our society needs to begin taking actions to address these problems so that we can improve our chances of preventing these horrific acts.

Dreamer, I stand corrected & you are right it was during the Clinton administration. I don't know what the answer is. I am just so frustrated watching these mass murders happen so often.

I don't know that these mental issues can even be detected at a young age. I'm no psychiatrist either, but I do know that some disorders like schizophrenia don't usually appear until the late teens or even early twenties.
The one thing I know is that when someone is stockpiling weapons & ammunition, that is a sure sign that there is something wrong.

We can only offer our sympathies to those affected by this tragedy & hope that something can be done to prevent them, whatever that may be. Our legislators need to address the problem because it seems to be happening more & more often. Seeing this stuff has really gotten to me, so my apologies for sounding off. Just so upset seeing this going on.

Brooke
07-24-2012, 10:34 AM
The one thing I know is that when someone is stockpiling weapons & ammunition, that is a sure sign that there is something wrong.


Surely it will come out that someone had a clue what this guy was doing or that he was acting strangely? That or he became a complete recluse for a few months before this?

thelongrun
07-27-2012, 09:39 PM
How stupid this mad World has become.
Poor souls may they RIP.

Tiffanny Twisted
07-29-2012, 09:42 PM
:-xi just heard tonight that the lady whose little girl died and she was shot in the head and stomach had a miscarraige.

it is so sad..now she has lost another child too . so sad