Posted on 07/21/2012 12:31:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Denver shooting suspect James Holmes purchased some 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the internet before carrying out hismassacre at a midnight screening of Batman.
The ammunition was part of a massive arsenal he gathered in the run-up to the killings, which also included four guns legally purchased at local gun shops.
His weapons were two Glock pistols, a 12-guage shotgun, and a high-powered AR-15 assault rifle fitted with a drum magazine allowing a fire rate of 50 to 60 rounds per minute.
Dan Oates, the chief of police in Aurora, Colorado, where Holmes killed 12 people and injured 58 others, said: ’He purchased four guns at local gun shops and through the internet he purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition, more than 3,000 rounds of 0.223 ammunition for the assault rifle, 3,000 rounds of 0.40 caliber ammunition for the two Glocks in his possession, and 300 rounds for the 12 gauge shotgun.
“Also through the internet he purchased multiple magazines for the 0.223 caliber assault rifle including one 100-round drum magazine which was recovered from the scene.
“Even if it was semi-automatic I’m told by experts that with that drum magazine he could have got off 50 to 60 rounds within a minute. As far as we know it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in the theatre.
“My understanding is that all the weapons he possessed, he possessed legally and all the clips that he possessed, he possessed legally and all the ammunition he possessed, he possessed legally.”
Holmes is also believed to have joined a casual sex website where he apparently hinted at his plans for his killing spree, asking potential suitors: “Will you visit me in prison?”
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Don’t sell yourself short, return fire could have had a dramatic effect even if it failed to completely stop him. His surrender in the parking lot tells us lots about the degree of his resolve when confronted.
Don’t take the news reports about “body armor” as being any more accurate than any of the rest of this reporting. We have far too many reporters giving varying descriptions of the suspect’s clothing for anyone to make an assumption that he was dressed in actual ballistic protection. A ballistic helmet is an appearance. Throat and groin protectors are great against baseballs and hockey sticks. A tactical vest only implies that it’s got lots of pockets.
In addition, train with those problems in mind. There are targets beyond center of mass. Never reinforce failure if your first rounds don’t perform as expected. Enough said.
Most likely he used his student loans and grants. He didn’t register for another semester at school.
Grad school grants would easily buy everything with money left over.
Your first observation is right on, however for your second, consider the possibility the perp had no intention in paying off his credit card debt. His simple plan was to stiff the credit card company. If someone was planning on no future, imagine how much they could purchase with a credit card.
With all the other gear, he may have had the up-armored vest. So, aim for the mask.
Take care
Plus 6,000 rounds, this stuff is not cheap. Where did this college student get the money for all of it?
Re-weapons training: Note that the shotgun was apparently abandonded. it would be time consuming to re-load for him after he emptied the magazine (5 rounds?) and then did the most firing with AR-15 semi and Glock semi; both of these are magazine fed, thus easier for a novice to reload. Also, based upon the time in the theater, he didn’t bother with reloading magazines; thus he probably had several magazines for the AR and Glocks. In speculating here — perhaps he thought there would be shootout, giving him time to reload mags & shotgun. And 6,000 rounds is a heck of a load to carry into the theater through the back door. It also sounds like some (most?) of the ammo was left in his room. Also, how many rounds would/might he have used up in practicing with the guns.
Probably around $5,000. Bargain hunters could do better. Easy enough to put on most credit cards, even if they weren’t acquired over a longer period of time. How does anybody buy $5K worth of stuff?
He never held a job. Mommy and daddy bought all his toys.
Student loans?
AR-15s are not high powered. They are perhaps adequate as a coyote rifle, and superb as a varmint rifle.
The Denver shooter would have done more murder with a loaded M-1 Garand with two 8 round clips in his pocket.
The AR-15 is an semiautomatic rifle, not suitable for WWII assault weapon tactics because it has no automatic or burst capability.
Vietnam tactics had soldiers shoot at known AND SUSPECTED targets, so that the enemy would keep his head down, rather than fire at assaulting US infantry. The smaller lighter round permitted US infantry to carry enough round to shoot at all the ‘suspected’ targets. The trade off to get the more round is an inadequately performing round. Tactics currently are to shoot known targets at least twice, and for a dangerous target, to keep shooting until it is neutralized.
Not like he was going to actually pay it off anyway.
Student loans? Easy cash, delayed repayment, low rates.
“Did Obama hold a sympathy press conference about FT Hood other than that remark he made while giving a speech to some group”
There may have been but I don’t recall one.
So that would be something like: BANG-one thousand-BANG-one thousand-BANG-one thousand-BANG... Right? Kinda like an old-timey revolver?
Doncha just love "journalists"? I wonder this one soiled herself as she wrote this breathless account of the drum magazine. On the plus side, at least she didn't call it a "clip".
The no guns allowed signs are code for Squantos don’t spend his cash or time there .....
He wouldn't need body armor for a theater full of unarmed people, he would need it for a shootout with police to get into the theater.
I don't see that forethought as the thinking of one person.
If this guy was accepted into a PhD program in science, it is likely he was on a fellowship. Could have been getting $25,000 a year. Of course, he would be expected to do a lot of research for one or more professors. So, if this is the case, he is not exactly unemployed.
I would think he could have gotten a real nice credit card based upon his high likelihood of being able to eventually pay it back.
LOL Me too. Pay-per-View. Besides, Aurora is sort of Chicago by the foothills.
If I had a shot and took it, it wouldn’t have worked. He was in all over body armor with a ballistic helmet.
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You are selling yourself and your weapon short.
Civilian body armor when struck by as small a caliber as a 9mm transmits force that can do a lot of damage to the wearer. It can break ribs, knock some people down, etc. At the very least it would throw off his aim.
Newer military armor transmits less force to the wearer but it is still substantial and it takes a strong person to keep shooting after just a couple of hits.
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