Posted on 06/02/2010 9:37:13 AM PDT by OldDeckHand
LONDON - British police said the death toll from a shooting spree in northwest England earlier on Wednesday had risen to 12.
A taxi driver described as quiet but friendly went on a shooting spree across a picturesque rural area before apparently turning the gun on himself, police said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Stop with the facts, will ya? If you keep that up, people might start to take FR seriously again and go back to considering liberals the knee-jerkers.
Sick comment in this context. Don’t laugh over those girls’ deaths.
Seems like the mugging started the downslide.
And then...
“I never really thought much of him as a man.YIKES! Be on the lookout for short fat balding men!
“He didn’t have much character to him. He was quiet and moody. He was short anyway but in later life he got fat and lost his hair.
The saddest story I read was the elderly twin sister who was murdered. He called her over to the cab and then shot her at close range. Horrendous and abhorrent. God bless her and all those who were murdered, their families and all the people of Cumbria.
Thanks for that info, that’s very helpful. I bow to your knowledge on this. I am not a legal expert.
Well that’s very noble and courageous of you, but unwise strategy.
That doesn’t really surprise me. US and UK law are a lot more similar than they are different, the one is after all based upon the other. (Especially in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania - the constitution there initially drafted by one John Locke I understand?)
And it bought him a load of legal crap here in the UK too.
When lives are in danger
Though your own is in doubt
You have to go in
You don't have to come out
I'd never throw my life away - but accept a risk that might pay off - that's different.
I think we will have to disagree on this. I dont think any level of gun control or gun freedom stops guys like this. The guy has flipped his lid and he is simply not rational. Whether concealed carry would help prevent run of the mill crime where criminals are armed (which is far more common after all) is a completely different argument. I personally think that as violent crime accelerates in the UK the case for carrying firearms is more justifiable. But its something I regret. I would prefer it didnt have to happen.
Thank YOU for being prepared to take the lead in defending the free world.
I dont know what the figures were for the US.
I saw an an interview with a cabbie. The shooter called over a third man (also a cabbie) and shot him at point blank range. He then went after the guy who was being interviewed. He hit the deck, but was shot in the back. The shooter jumped in his cab and drove off. The interviewee then crawled to the third cabbie to give first aid, but as he said “he wasn’t there anymore.” Those were the words he used. The guy literally had no face. Blew it completely off.
Truly horrible.
I have heard that stabbings, and beatings are not rare at ALL in the UK though. I wonder what the statistics are in comparison to gun crimes... From what I remember, the incidence of fatal stabbings and beatings rose sharply after handguns were banned. Fatal stabbings also, as I recall, were used for a proposal from a member of Parliament seeking to ban knives. IIRC, it was the country’s chefs who raised hell over that proposal!
The figures for the US are very much higher, but then the population is a lot larger as well. I don’t know how it would compare percentage-wise.
Plus, I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think there are as many gangs in Britain - especially not gangs who can walk across the border to get there! ;)
There are many things that come into play here (in the US) when you are discussing gun crimes. As others mentioned the murder rates are much higher in our urban areas, but with the exception of ‘random events’ (robberies gone wrong, etc...) they are almost EXCLUSIVELY limited to gang-bangers killing each other or hitting innocents in the line of fire during their retribution or drug-selling turf wars. And, they really ARE wars!
Another statistic that is included in the US death rates, but NOT accurately are those persons killed during the commission of a crime by armed citizens. Everything gets lumped in together which, IMHO, is NOT fairly representative of what is really going on.
I will echo another poster who mentioned John Lott. His research, IMHO, is unparalleled.
How sad for all involved... Sounds like some of the postal worker shootings here in the US some years back (hence, where the term “going postal” came from). Perhaps there is more to the story than is coming out now — sounds like a disgruntled worker situation to me.
Seeing that this did all start in a confined area, and the perp then got away, I do wonder whether armed citizens could have stopped him BEFORE he became a drive-by shooter...
I neglected to mention this in my posts to you, but my prayers are going up for all those affected by this tragedy.
And of course, you are perfectly correct that most violence and murder (in both countries) tends to be restricted to certain areas. Usually urban areas.
Well the latest info is that he did a couple of the shootings on the previous night, and that two of the victims were his own twin brother and the family solicitor (lawyer). Apparently there was a family argument involving a will.
Oh, and thank you for the prayers.
Yeah, I replied to your #75, you replied to my #73.
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