Why were 20 people shot dead and 24 injured in El Paso today, and what’s causing the recent trend since the 90s of mass shootings and massacres.

[Aexodus]

Most but for a few of the topic currently going in the ‘pit do not interest me, so to remedy the situation I’ll make a thread. I looked at what was on BBC and the headline was a grim but important subject. Hopefully we won’t screech and posture like I see elsewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49221936

Twenty people have been killed and another 24 injured in a mass shooting in the city of El Paso, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has confirmed.

He described it as one of the deadliest days in the state's history.

The massacre happened at a Walmart store near the Cielo Vista Mall, a few miles from the US-Mexican border.

A 21-year-old man is in custody and is believed to be the sole gunman. Mr Abbott praised the police officers who apprehended him.

The suspect has been named by US media as Patrick Crusius, a resident of the Dallas area.

Now, anyone who says this has nothing to do with the 2nd amendment is deluding themselves. You don’t see this for example, happening as much in Canada or in the UK. Now the UK is a much smaller country, but even when you adjust for population size there are much less shootings here.

Obviously more guns in circulation means more opportunity to shoot people. That’s just a statistical fact. But I don’t think it means that there will inevitably be mass murders. A discussion I find more interesting is why were there less mass shootings in the decades before the 90s, when gun laws in the US were either the same or more liberal than they are today.

[Vanoi]

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/police-el-...opstories.html

According to this source the shooter has posted a manifesto the police are looking over. They are also investigating this shooting as a possible hate crime.

[Love Mountain]

I believe the problem to be access to firearms. It is notoriously easy. It's not just about legal guns of course, majority of gun crime is caused by illegal guns. But how do guns become illegal? The vast majority of illegal guns were once legal. The key, in my opinion, is to make gun owners accountable for weapons. Eliminate private gun trading. Make sure that every firearm is registered, that way we can keep track of what gun goes where. The big issues with sensible gun control is the next-generation of technologies. Firearms are increasingly more modular, which means that guns can be assembled and disassembled, sold by parts, etc. Guns are also becoming easier to manufacture. 2nd Amendment activists have been trying to manufacture firearms for years and they've found some success in this regard. I think that many ATF regulations should be abolished. I'm not against firearms, in fact, I quite like them myself. However, we need to hold people accountable. Both the sellers and the buyers. And we need to make sure people with firearms, are sensible, knowledgeable of the law governing firearms, and do not intend to misuse them.

Make psych evaluations of some kind, required, and mandate registration and training. Abolish dumb laws like magazine size, regulations on barrel length, etc. There is a very sensible middle-ground that can be reached to start a path towards reducing such tragedies. Gun control won't solve these things overnight or even within a decade. It'll take a long time to register every single firearm, to substantially reduce the number of available illegal guns, and to change the culture around firearms themselves. Firearms should be treated as a privilege, not as a right.

[TheLeft]

So, so sad.

I'm not sure what makes me feel worse. This tragic shooting, or the fact that this will happen again. Soon.

[Aexodus]

Firearms should be treated as a privilege, not as a right.

I agree with your sentiment, but this one statement does rustle the jimmies of 2nd amendment supporters as it implies gun ownership is not a right. Not saying I agree with them.

[Gaidin]

We in America don't give two about shooting victims. Wrap your head around that and get used to the idea.

[Aexodus]

I doubt people don’t care about shooting victims.

[Gaidin]

If we did we'd do something.

[the_mango55]

Another 20 dead due to white nationalism and right wing radicalization.

Meanwhile, I'm sure the concerned people on this forum will get us that long list of victims killed by Antifa any day...

[TheLeft]

Can someone from the far/alt-right remind me how "Antifa are the real terrorists..."

[Aexodus]

Another 20 dead due to white nationalism and right wing radicalization.

Where are ye sourcing that from?

Can someone from the far/alt-right remind me how "Antifa are the real terrorists..."

Antifa are also terrorists.

[Vanoi]

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/el-...tes/index.html

FBI is opening a domestic terror investigation into the incident.

A couple articles i've been browsing are all starting to indicate the shooter has some kind of manifesto and that this attack could have been racically motivated.

[Knight of Heaven]

Was the shooter part of a political right wing radical terrorist group? or was just the action of one deranged man?

[Vanoi]

Was the shooter part of a political right wing radical terrorist group? or was just the action of one deranged man?

Nothing indicating so far he was part of any right-wing group.

[mongrel]

I see that the shooter is one of Trump's 'very fine people'.

Why people with daft ideas about white populations being replaced have a tendency towards committing mass shootings.

[Vanoi]

I see that the shooter is one of Trump's 'very fine people'.

Wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. Would be the third racically/hate motivated mass shooting since 2015 though.

[mongrel]

Antifa are also terrorists.

What's the casualty list beyond a few bloody faces and some milkshake stains?

Wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. Would be the third racically/hate motivated mass shooting since 2015 though.

I suppose my 48 hr rule should apply. That said, if the manefesto does belong to the shooter it must be noted that it expressed fears of the same daft theory about the “replacement” of white people that motivated the Christchurch massacre.
* The original idea came from David Lane ,convicted white supremacist terrorist.

[Daruwind]

I see that the shooter is one of Trump's 'very fine people'.

Isn´t main reason for Canada and EU not having so many incidents the public health care? I run across a few articles suggesting that public health care is very efficient in catching people with possible future mind problems. And because you are able to identify them early, you can work with them and usually prevent such events because usually it takes longer time period to develop from minor problems into mass shooter...

(not saying the public healthcare is without its own problems..)

[NorthernXY]

The first step in in national tragedy is to find out what team the perpetrator is on and blame them for it.

[Vanoi]

The first step in in national tragedy is to find out what team the perpetrator is on and blame them for it.

If ideology motivated him to commit this act then yes its partly to blame. Whatever the ideology may be.