"So the actual sentence might not be very different from what it would be for first degree."
Everyone feel better now?
NOT.
If they're lenient, we can expect more of this.
In Canada & the US, are there no requirements for bus riding?...although not as stringent as air travel rules, doesn't anyone have authority to put passengers through a detection device?...(I think they would have found that huge killing knife :^ if they had.
We had a crazy old man go crazy in our little burg 20 years ago, and when he was through shooting up two strip shopping centers and grocery stores-(where I shop), 6 people were dead-(including 2 police officers responding)- and countless wounded.
Oh...and he's still enjoying the largesse of the county system at the taxpayers benefit.
Personally, he's crazy like a fox.
This perp sound like that too.