Killapocalypse!

[Zalius]

SAMSON, Ala. – A gunman killed at least nine people on a terrifying rampage across two Alabama counties Tuesday, burning down his mother's home, killing members of his own family on their porch and shooting apparent strangers as he drove by, authorities said. He then fatally shot himself.

Police were investigating shootings in at least four different locations in three neighboring communities, all of which were believed to be the work of a single gunman named Michael McLendon. Investigators declined to comment on a motive for the shootings, in which at least four other people were injured, including a child.

The afternoon of bloodshed began when McLendon burned down the house in Kinston where he lived with his mother, Lisa McLendon, according to Coffee County Coroner Robert Preachers. Officials located Lisa McLendon's body inside the house, but they had not been able to get inside the still-burning house to determine a cause of death or whether she was a 10th victim of her son's killing spree.

He then headed about 12 miles southeast to Samson, in Geneva County, where he shot and killed five people — four adults and a child — at a home. He killed one person each in two other homes.

The identities of all the victims were unknown, but Preachers said they included other members of the shooter's family.

"He started in his mother's house," Preachers said. "Then he went to Samson and he killed his granny and granddaddy and aunt and uncle. He cleaned his family out."

"We don't know what triggered it," Preachers added.

McLendon also shot at a state trooper's car, striking the vehicle seven times and wounding the trooper with broken glass.

He then killed someone at a Samson supply store, and another person at a service station.

Samson contractor Greg McCullough said he was pumping gas at the station when McLendon opened fire, killing a woman coming out of the service station and wounding McCullough in the shoulder and arm with bullet fragments that struck his truck and the pump.

more: Ala. gunmen kills 9, himself in shooting spree

[Skjie]

Stricter gun laws or something. Also, banning TV and Video games.

[Firedemon]

Holy shit...

[Souj]

how wounded can you get from glass off a car that got shot at?

[Olo401]

Just wow..

[Fhloston]

Just heard about this on the drive home. Pretty fucked up, but would make a good movie.

"He started in his mother's house," Preachers said. "Then he went to Samson and he killed his granny and granddaddy and aunt and uncle. He cleaned his family out."

Edit: Now that I think of it, sounds familiar.

http://www.geocities.com/samhainethos/h5hand.jpeg

[Pikarya]

how wounded can you get from glass off a car that got shot at?

Glass in eye? Cuts to face? You have obviously never been in a wreck before.

[Mayareira]

10 shot dead' at German school

At least 10 people have been killed in a shooting at a school in south-west Germany, police say.

Most of the dead are thought to have been pupils at the Albertville secondary school in Winnenden, north of Stuttgart.

Reports say the gunman, thought to be a 17-year-old former pupil wearing black combat gear, fled into the town centre.

A search is underway with helicopters circling over the town. Police and rescue teams are at the school.

GERMAN SCHOOL ATTACKS
# 2006: A former pupil injures 11 students at a school in western town of Emsdetten before turning the gun on himself.
# 2002: A former pupil kills 17 people in his school in the eastern city of Erfurt, then kills himself.

Earlier reports said a suspect had been arrested, but German police say the gunman is still on the run.

The incident is reported to have begun around 0945 (0845 GMT).

"We have to assume a death toll in the double-digits," a spokeswoman for the interior ministry in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg told the Reuters news agency.

"These are students," she said.

The editor of the local paper, Frank Nipkau, told television channel N-TV that eight pupils and two adults were among the dead.

About 1,000 children are thought to attend the school, in the town some 20km (12 miles) north-east of Stuttgart.

In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below.

BBC NEWS | Europe | '10 shot dead' at German school

Yeah, happened today as well.

[Aerin]

Heard that he lost his job recently, guessing that's why. Wouldn't surprise me if something like this happens again in the next month.

[0ni0n]

Since inevitably we will get into gun law discussion, lets just get this out there.

Are recurring shootings a justifiable cost to the second amendment?

[Elvis]

Where's Paul Rudd to save the day!?

[eunhye]

I think it's only on the national news to begin with because "random white person a" shoots "more than one random white person". How many more black people are shot by other black people in urban areas, every day? It's only important because a white person killed another white person. Fuck that shit.

[Jodwahh]

Pretty sure the news is in the fact he butchered most if not all his family then went on a random shooting spree, rather than the whitey shoots more whiteys thing.

[Dimmauk]

Since inevitably we will get into gun law discussion, lets just get this out there.

Are recurring shootings a justifiable cost to the second amendment?

Lets protect assault rifles and high caliber hand guns. Guns are great until one of your family members gets shot and dies. Most guns can kill people, some are designed for sport hunting and some are designed only to kill people.

[Araelus]

My first though: it's Alabama and none of the dead had a means of defending themselves against lethal force? Handgun, shotgun, kitchen chair, knives, a shovel, whatever. Beat that shithead until he stops shooting.

"Someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back!"-Mal
(Ethically and legally, it's better to "stop" them, though.)

Stricter gun laws or something. Also, banning TV and Video games.

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman (who has made a lifelong study of the psychology of killing) has argued extensively in favor of banning media that desensitizes people to killing other human beings. The murder rate stays "low" in part because medical technology has advanced alongside weaponry.

So the second part of your statement has merit, although it turns out that people will still kill people regardless of what tools are available. Didn't Max™ post something ages ago about humans being rather crafty tool-users?

From one perspective, some guns are murder machines. They have one use - to take life from another. Their presence in society encourages and enables horrendous killings. If they were removed from the purview of the public (and safely kept by the police, right) then the violent crime rate would drop.

Uh, England would like to have a word with you.

From another, all firearms are designed to project small pieces of dense metal at a high velocity in predictable and repeatable trajectories. Who or what that trajectory intersects is up to the person holding the firearm.

They don't even emit murder radiation.

So which is it? (or to avoid a possible false dichotomy, third/fourth/etc. views?)

[Zalius]

BBC NEWS | Europe | '10 shot dead' at German school

Yeah, happened today as well.

killionaire!

[FNH]

Lets protect assault rifles and high caliber hand guns. Guns are great until one of your family members gets shot and dies. Most guns can kill people, some are designed for sport hunting and some are designed only to kill people.

only 6% of gun crime comes from "assault rifles", not everyone that goes on a rampage has access to them. Hunting rifles or Shotguns are used more often as far as long guns go.

high caliber hand guns

That's ambiguous, please narrow that down.

Most guns can kill people

All things considered firearms can kill people

[Araelus]

an aside: FNH - oblique reference to Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, or something else?

OT: an interesting gun poll relevant to the discussion that is either at hand or is going to happen.

[Headspace]

That poll isn't biased at all.

[FNH]

yes.


The article says automatic weapon, giving the article the benefit of the doubt that they aren't dumbasses, I'm going to guess that was an illegally acquired firearm since they are mad expensive and require the top scrutiny from the BATFE and FBI in the ivestigation for a civvie to own an NFA Class III. I don't think a 20 year old working at a factory in south AL living with his mom could afford that.