Australian university gunman kills two

CNN.com ^ | October 21, 2002 | CNN Staff and wires

[Imal]

MELBOURNE, Australia -- A gunman has killed two people and wounded eight others on a university campus in Melbourne, before being captured by police.

The shooting occurred on the sixth-floor of the Menzies building on the Clayton campus of Monash University in the city's south.

[Imal]

This is a story from CNN.com about the shooting. A breaking post and discussion can be found here.

[Arkinsaw]

Superintendent Trevor Parks said the man, of Asian background, had been taken into police custody and was being questioned

Sheesh, why can't they be specific. Is he Japanese? Is he Indonesian? Israeli? Diego Garcian? Saudi? Vietnamese?

Asia is a large place.

[Dr. Frank fan]

This can not have happened. Australia has passed sweeping gun laws, and gun laws prevent criminals from getting guns. Case closed.

[lmr]

"Authorities have determined that the suspect is of earth origin" /sarcasm

[A6M3]

Or maybe an Abu Sayeff terrorist from Mindinao.

[Mr. Mojo]

Let's cut to the chase. ...Is he a member of the religion of death?

[Demidog]

Why is is specific background important? He shot some people and apparently was an honors student at the school.

[HennepinPrisoner]

Let's cut to the chase. ...Is he a member of the religion of death?

Stop that! It's the religion of PEACE....I know because George Bush said it was a peaceful religion! /sarcasm

[lmr]

Islamo-Fascist death cult member would make this whole thing more provocative.

[A6M3]

The Aussie population is all out of guns. Looks like they will have to turn over their butter knives and boomerangs this time.

[Demidog]

Islamo-Fascist death cult member would make this whole thing more provocative.

Well, I suppose. But be carefull what you wish for. Under the patriot act, alot of things are potentially "terrorist" in nature. And after Bush leaves office, the number of angry white supremist crimes might just get reported to titilate and provoke a nation.

[Mr. Mojo]

I know, but the sarcasm is getting a bit old. I prefer to call it [Islam] what it is, and that's a cult of terrorism, destuction, barbarism, ignorance, and death.

[Arkinsaw]

Why is is specific background important? He shot some people and apparently was an honors student at the school.

Big difference if he was an exchange student from Japan who had mental problems versus someone from Syria who had trained in Afghanistan. The former would indicate an isolated situation whereas the latter would indicate another in the latest Al-Qaeda counter-offensive. Pretty important stuff.

[lmr]

If they are crimes then they should be reported. I don't consider speech to be a crime and I don't agree with many surveilance aspects of the Patriot Act, and if the government were to reach too far... Anyhow, a little off subject. I do not think that it is unreasonable to ask what the background of an individual is in the wartime situation we are in, and the fact that Al-Qaeda has been very active lately. I do think that (unfortunately) the significance of any crimes other than terrorism is somewhat diminished, though, almost diminished to the point where we ignore it. It seems to become last page news. I don't feel this is a good thing.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

"Superintendent Trevor Parks said the man, of Asian background, had been taken into police custody and was being questioned"

Sheesh, why can't they be specific. Is he Japanese? Is he Indonesian? Israeli? Diego Garcian? Saudi? Vietnamese? Asia is a large place.

This bothers me too. The British and Australians do this all the time. They know it waters down the news. I always used to wonder why the British white youths were fighting with Asians who I assumed were Indians. Now I know it was the Pakistanis.

[texasbluebell]

I always used to wonder why the British white youths were fighting with Asians who I assumed were Indians. Now I know it was the Pakistanis.

You touched on something I remembered from over a decade ago. We used to know a young French woman who had come here to the US. She was from Lyon, and would complain bitterly to me about all the crime that was happening in her town, committed by "immigrants".

I, being totally uninformed that long ago about the "religion of peace" didn't realize that she was talking about France's now extremely high crime problem from their ME immigrants. I assumed she was an anti-immigrant xenophobe or something of that sort.

How wrong I was about her...

[monkeyshine]

the number of angry white supremist crimes might just get reported to titilate and provoke a nation.

Again?

[exnavy]

I thought the Aussies outlawed guns!!???

[dennisw]

Sheesh, why can't they be specific. Is he Japanese? Is he Indonesian? Israeli? Diego Garcian? Saudi? Vietnamese?
_____________________________

ASIAN can also mean Muslim from Pakistan, India and more...... Even got Muzbots in Thailand these days.

[snippy_about_it]

Well said.