Las Vegas Shooting

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Kittamaru

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums.
Valued Senior Member
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/l...e-investigating-shooting-mandalay-bay-n806461

Las Vegas Shooting: 50 Killed and 406 Hurt Near Mandalay Bay

A lone gunman released a rapid-fire barrage of bullets on an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas Sunday night, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than 400 others, police said, in the worst mass shooting in modern American history.

From his room on the 32nd floor of a glitzy hotel, the shooter, identified by law enforcement officials as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, fired shot after shot down on the crowd of about 22,000, sending terrified concertgoers running for their lives.

“We heard what sounded like firecrackers going off. Then all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a machine gun. People started screaming that they were hit… When we started running out, there were probably a couple hundred [people] on the ground,” witness Meghan Kearney told MSNBC.
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*sigh* One person with what appears to be 10 or more rifles... just took 50 plus people from their loved ones...

What do we even do about this anymore...
 
Kittamaru said:
What do we even do about this anymore...
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I am sickened and saddened by the senseless waste of life.
My prediction is nothing will be done about this. There will be talk about some form of gun control by congress which will fizzle out in a month or so. The US citizens will go about there business until the next mass shooting and then we will again wring our hands and say, "if only there were some way to stop this". The average American is apparently an idiot.

Oh yeah, the NRA will call for more guns to prevent this from happening again.
 
Gun control doesn't stop this sort of madness, Mr Fawkes. He could have done damned near the same damage with a bus and a bit of black powder.

Why he got into the hotel with that many weapons is another question. How many poor immigrants did it take to carry his arsenal up the service elevator, and will they lose their jobs?
 
I didn't hear about this until this morning which, in my case, was a good thing. My first indication was when I saw a facebook post from my daughter, who is vacationing in Vegas, saying that she was okay. Luckily, she was not near that part of Vegas when this happened. I'm so glad that I didn't learn about the shooting first.
 
Dr_Toad said:
Gun control doesn't stop this sort of madness, Mr Fawkes.
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Guns are a tool... the problem, as you said, is not with the tool. The problem is with the people. Americans on the whole have no concept of measured response... history shows, our first reaction to the smallest perceived sleight is "blow them to hell" and "shock and awe".

Someone with a concealed carry permit could not have stopped this - it was someone on the 32nd story of a building how many dozens (hundreds?) of yards away... I see pictures of cops hiding behind cruisers with shotguns at the ready... what the fuck good is a shotgun, or even a pistol, at that range? Even with a high power rifle, you would need someone who is a damned good shot to be able to hit the guy effectively, between wind, elevation, and range variables...

Dr_Toad said:
He could have done damned near the same damage with a bus and a bit of black powder.
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I'm curious how you posit that would go down (especially since black powder doesn't explode, but rather burns quickly) - if you are suggesting the "load a car with explosives and drive it into a crowd", yeah, sure, it's possible - things like that, though, can be mitigated. There are ways to design these crowded areas so cars cannot get to them (including barriers, gated entry ways, etc). Beyond that - once the explosion was done, that would be about the end of it... in this situation, this guy was able to just keep reloading and firing at his leisure.

Dr_Toad said:
Why he got into the hotel with that many weapons is another question.
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That's not that difficult a question. In my experience, in most hotels, there is no baggage check or anything of the sort. He could have just tossed them into a duffel bag or suitcase and away he went.

Dr_Toad said:
How many poor immigrants did it take to carry his arsenal up the service elevator, and will they lose their jobs?
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Seems like a needless jab at immigrants to me... especially given that they would have zero culpability in this. Their job function doesn't include "digging through peoples possessions to search for firearms". Even if it did... fuck, look at how abysmal the TSA is at catching actual threats.
 
Dr_Toad said:
Gun control doesn't stop this sort of madness, Mr Fawkes. He could have done damned near the same damage with a bus and a bit of black powder.
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Hey, preacherman, these outcomes are what the NRA and its firearm cult want. So, yeah, we're sick of hearing the evangelization.

So, I suppose what I need to ask is if maybe the problem is that you just don't like admitting in public how much mass murder with guns thrills you? You know, like the thought of all those dead people getting you excited to go defend something in the name of the NRA? After all, you're here to recite the creed, just like a good gun cultist, as soon as possible, so we can all know what's really important.

Congratulations on the freedom. Y'all must be so proud.
 
Sarcasm about the immigrant remark, as should be obvious.

Black powder sure as hell explodes. not like C4 or RDX, but well enough to suit Guy Fawkes, hence my first sarcasm.

No, a CFL holder wouldn't do any good against a sniper, and that's the point. Also to the point: Banning firearms will not stop madmen.
 
Tiassa said:
Hey, preacherman, these outcomes are what the NRA and its firearm cult want. So, yeah, we're sick of hearing the evangelization.

So, I suppose what I need to ask is if maybe the problem is that you just don't like admitting in public how much mass murder with guns thrills you? You know, like the thought of all those dead people getting you excited to go defend something in the name of the NRA? After all, you're here to recite the creed, just like a good gun cultist, as soon as possible, so we can all know what's really important.

Congratulations on the freedom. Y'all must be so proud.
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Fuck you.
 
Dr_Toad said:
Sarcasm about the immigrant remark, as should be obvious.

Black powder sure as hell explodes. not like C4 or RDX, but well enough to suit Guy Fawkes, hence my first sarcasm.

No, a CFL holder wouldn't do any good against a sniper, and that's the point. Also to the point: Banning firearms will not stop madmen.
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So, basically, instead of anything constructive or even remotely productive, all you have is snark and sarcasm...

Your absolute disregard for human life is abhorrent... and rather tragic.

Dr_Toad said:
Fuck you.
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Certainly it goes without saying that this is not an appropriate response...? Is this somehow not understood?
 
Dr_Toad said:
Gun control doesn't stop this sort of madness, Mr Fawkes. He could have done damned near the same damage with a bus and a bit of black powder.
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Again, the difference is that buses are useful. Anything useful can be turned into a weapon. That's not an excuse for having weapons that have no purpose other than killing.
 
sideshowbob said:
Again, the difference is that buses are useful. Anything useful can be turned into a weapon. That's not an excuse for having weapons that have no purpose other than killing.
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Admittedly, I'm all for 2A rights and the like... but I think some common sense rules would help tremendously. I've posted before about the idea of doing a "tier" license system for firearms similar to what we have for motor-vehicles, to help cut down on both the accidental deaths/injuries from people going and getting a high cyclic weapon right off the bat and accidentally shooting someone due to recoil, but also because the additional structured hands-on time could help instill a sense of respect for the tool that is, currently, sadly lacking in a lot of people.

However, the larger part is, we need to address the underlying issue. Why are people resorting to mass shootings? Sure, some of them are probably just psycho and a danger to themselves and everyone around them... why, though?

Simply put, we aren't going to get rid of guns at this point; they are too pervasive and too omnipresent. Admittedly, I'd love to see high cyclic weapons banned because, lets be frank, they serve no purpose beyond mass-murder; to my knowledge, they aren't legal to hunt with in most places, and besides - if you can't do it with one or two shots, pumping thirty or fifty into the animal is just going to leave it swiss cheese'd.

No... common sense gun control regulations coupled with better mental health services seems like it would be the best place to start.
 
Kittamaru said:
One person with what appears to be 10 or more rifles... just took 50 plus people from their loved ones.
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I was at the Mandalay Bay a few weeks ago for Solar Power International. I remember thinking how hard it would be to evacuate everyone from that massive complex if there was a disaster. (I was thinking more along the lines of a fire or blackout, but still - that's a lot of people that can be put at risk by a single event - or a single person.)
 
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This is one of the places taking blood donations in the aftermath of the shooting... it is at the point where some places have 5+ hour waits to donate.

...

Why does it take something terrible to bring people together to do good...?
 
Kittamaru said:
This is one of the places taking blood donations in the aftermath of the shooting... it is at the point where some places have 5+ hour waits to donate.
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I tried to donate here this morning, but ever since they raised the minimum hemoglobin from 12.5 to 13 they generally won't take my blood. (I average around 12.8-12.9.)
 
Where I live it's difficult (very difficult) to get your hands on automatic weapons. Of course there's a black market, but if you get caught with an "illegal" weapon, you end up in jail for a few years.
If you get caught with a loaded weapon, even if you have a license--jail (exceptions exist for people out hunting, of course, but not for people driving vehicles or anywhere in a populated area). No licence? A few more years.

What's the big deal with gun control? Why do Americans own so many guns? What are they scared of?
 
arfa brane said:
Where I live it's difficult (very difficult) to get your hands on automatic weapons. Of course there's a black market, but if you get caught with an "illegal" weapon, you end up in jail for a few years.
If you get caught with a loaded weapon, even if you have a license--jail (exceptions exist for people out hunting, of course, but not for people driving vehicles or anywhere in a populated area). No licence? A few more years.

What's the big deal with gun control? Why do Americans own so many guns? What are they scared of?
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It's been pounded into the neurotic sector's heads that "They're coming for your guns". This is how the NRA survives, Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD). Faux News lives off FUD and the gun dealers thrive on it.

And remember, most Americans don't own a gun. And most gun owners own just one.
 
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