Topic: Top Republican Shot in Multiple Shooting

[SP]

House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise and aides have been hit by gunfire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40275055

[Red-Soldier]

Was just reading this.

[SP]

A strong supporter of the Second Amendment, Scalise has sponsored and cosponsored legislation protecting citizens' right to keep and bear arms. In the 112th Congress, Scalise introduced H.R. 58, the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act, which improves law-abiding citizens' ability to purchase firearms.

http://scalise.house.gov/issues/2nd-amendment

[cdav]

Hope everyone is ok, sounds very scary with the number of shots fired.

Can't help but think if only there was a good guy there with a gun, none of this would have happened (sarcastic Republican response)...

[Red-Soldier]

http://scalise.house.gov/issues/2nd-amendment

Yeah, well, I aint gonna lose any sleep over this, that's for sure.

The Republicans are pieces of shit.  Hope they are delighted with their gun laws!

[stoa]

http://scalise.house.gov/issues/2nd-amendment

Have been reading that as well. I wonder whether this incident will change his views. I'd imagine it won't. It is crazy though that 50 to 100 shots were fired by the guy according to that first report on the BBC.

[stevo7]

Maybe add (US) Republican to thread title.
My first thought is that it's just kicked off in N.Ireland due to Tories shenanigans.
 

[Ray K]

Hope he'll be OK.  The thing is, there's literally nothing more than can be done more than offering Thoughts & Prayers.

David Frum‏ @davidfrum
 Virginia:
No background checks
No licensing
No registration
No permit req’d for concealed carry of long guns
Open carry long guns & handguns


Hush now. It's only Thoughts & Prayers that can be done. Certainly allowing people with mental health problems to buy guns has no impact on cases like these.

[Crimson_Tank]

Not far from my place of residence, baseball practice for a charity game between Dems and Republicans.

Apparently the shooter asked if these were the democrats or republicans before opening fire.

Could have been much much worse had the capital police not been present as the majority whip was at the game, and shot.

[Crimson_Tank]

Hope everyone is ok, sounds very scary with the number of shots fired.

Can't help but think if only there was a good guy there with a gun, none of this would have happened (sarcastic Republican response)...

There were police present, who returned fire, had there not been likely everyone present would have been killed.

Also apparently two of the police were shot while returning fire and protecting those under attack.

[Crimson_Tank]

Rand Paul - Republican Kentucky: "The Capitol Hill police, incredibly brave, probably saved the lives of everybody there. Had they not been there it would have been a massacre because there’s no escape, a guy, if he has got 100 bullets, we had no weapons and no place to hide.”

So if he had advanced on the rest of us, there would have been no chance ... shots were returned by the Capitol Hill police. From what I understand, they both were shot, I hope they are OK. One still protected the scene after being shot.”

[Igor Tripod Biscan]

Which part of the middle east was this terrorist from?

[Crimson_Tank]

"It’s really one of the best things we do, it’s a bipartisan thing, i’ve gotten to know many Democrats through this game. We joke around, it’s collegial, it’s for charity. We’re set to raise 600,000 for the literacy project of the Boys and Girls Club of DC. It’s a good thing. Who would want to kill people trying to do something good. It’s just really sick and very sad. "

[Red-Soldier]

If the shooter did ask if they were the Dems or the Republicans before he opened fire, perhaps he just wanted to shoot all the GOP, and nobody else.

[Giono]

Hope he'll be OK.  The thing is, there's literally nothing more than can be done more than offering Thoughts & Prayers.

David Frum‏ @davidfrum
 Virginia:
No background checks
No licensing
No registration
No permit req’d for concealed carry of long guns
Open carry long guns & handguns


Hush now. It's only Thoughts & Prayers that can be done. Certainly allowing people with mental health problems to buy guns has no impact on cases like these.

His reply to those condemning him for making that point: 

David Frum‏ @davidfrum
There was a terrible fire in London.. Would any British person say in the aftermath “this is not the time to discuss fire safety?"

[Crimson_Tank]

Which part of the middle east was this terrorist from?

When people asked xenophobic questions like this of the recent attacks in Manchester and London people rightly took offense. You may not like the politics of those involved but try to act like a human being.

If there was a charity football match between Tories and Labour to raise money for children in need, and a gunman shot up those practicing, I would hope that you would not be so callous in regards to the victims, regardless of party affiliation. 

[fudge]

yeah to be honest, whilst clearly its abhorrent to see anyone lose their life my sympathy for someone if they've vehemently defended the right to guns is next to zero.

Especially when their continued defence means that other innocent people lose their lives day by day.

[Crimson_Tank]

If the shooter did ask if they were the Dems or the Republicans before he opened fire, perhaps he just wanted to shoot all the GOP, and nobody else.

It was a GOP only practice, the Dems practice at a different location.

Perhaps you are correct, then would this not be a hate crime and thus it should be condemned...  not lauded.

[Nobby Reserve]

 Virginia:
No background checks
No licensing
No registration
No permit req’d for concealed carry of long guns
Open carry long guns & handguns

http://scalise.house.gov/issues/2nd-amendment

Is this what Alanis Morissette was getting at?

[classycarra]

Since it seems like all will survive, I can be a bit more flippant (albeit still concerned for the lives of people in America).

Reports are that the guy discharged 50-100 shots with a rifle (not a machine gun). I thought the justification from gun nuts was that people are safer if there are others with guns. Well, the GOP had their security detail who were no doubt armed. And maybe some of their nutters also carry a gun themselves. Still, couldn't prevent 50-100 shots.. Doesn't seem very effective to me

[Chakan]

Scalise has past more than one law allowing unstable people to purchase guns.

While it's a terrible thing, maybe if they had stricter gun laws it wouldn't have been possible, but we'll never know.

I'm sure Trump will blame Obama.

[Alan_X]

When people asked xenophobic questions like this of the recent attacks in Manchester and London people rightly took offense. You may not like the politics of those involved but try to act like a human being.

If there was a charity football match between Tories and Labour to raise money for children in need, and a gunman shot up those practicing, I would hope that you would not be so callous in regards to the victims, regardless of party affiliation. 

Given the thousands killed by guns in the US every year it's justified to point out the irony of a proponent of the 2nd Amendment being shot in a state with minimal gun control.

I had sympathy for the victims at Sandy Hook, in Orlando, Columbine and the other multiple shooting too numerous to list. Do I have sympathy for this guy? Sorry, no. He could be doing something to stop or at least reduce the death toll but he'd rather allow politics and or money to take precedence. 

Edit* 10 children die of gunshots in the US every day. That's 3,600 dead kids a year. He's been in politics for 20 years, so that's around 75,000 children dead from guns during his political career. Fuck him.

[Igor Tripod Biscan]

When people asked xenophobic questions like this of the recent attacks in Manchester and London people rightly took offense. You may not like the politics of those involved but try to act like a human being.

If there was a charity football match between Tories and Labour to raise money for children in need, and a gunman shot up those practicing, I would hope that you would not be so callous in regards to the victims, regardless of party affiliation.

I don't see how my comment is xenophobic.  It was sarcastic.  32 deaths by terrorism on American soil in 2014 vs 33,599 by domestic gun crime.

Regardless of which political party members were injured, the lack of gun control, registration, background checks, waiting lists etc is the problem, in my opinion

International terrorism is seen as higher up on the agenda due to the vast amount of money that the NRA plows into political campaigning to keep the gun issue off the table

That's how I (and most people who don't live in 'Merika) see it

[The North Bank]

I don't see trump tweeting about gun discussions. Was a van and a knife used?

[Crimson_Tank]

Two men for a security detail of the House Whip.

The others do not have a detail. Had the House Whip miss practice today there would have been no assistance as it took a while for the police to arrive. Heavily armed man shooting at unarmed people with no security would have been a massacre, likely all 25 people in attendance would have been killed, congressmen and staffers alike.

Also the two men in the security detail, they were shot by a man with a rifle, just outside the Nations capital, at a practice for a charity event used to raise money for inner-city kids education. 

[Crimson_Tank]

I recognize the irony.

I really do.

I am an American, I have lived in areas with large numbers of gun crimes ( highest in the states for much of my life) and in areas where there were nearly as many guns as people.

I do think there should be stricter laws regarding guns.

I also do not take pleasure in seeing elected officials shot at a few miles from where my sons lay their head at night.... 

[Igor Tripod Biscan]

Two men for a security detail of the House Whip.

The others do not have a detail. Had the House Whip miss practice today there would have been no assistance as it took a while for the police to arrive. Heavily armed man shooting at unarmed people with no security would have been a massacre, likely all 25 people in attendance would have been killed, congressmen and staffers alike.

Also the two men in the security detail, they were shot by a man with a rifle, just outside the Nations capital, at a practice for a charity event used to raise money for inner-city kids education.

Which makes it far more heinous

[Chakan]

I recognize the irony.

I really do.

I am an American, I have lived in areas with large numbers of gun crimes ( highest in the states for much of my life) and in areas where there were nearly as many guns as people.

I do think there should be stricter laws regarding guns.

I also do not take pleasure in seeing elected officials shot at a few miles from where my sons lay their head at night.... 

I don't think anyone is taking pleasure from this mate, it's just another sad day that guns laws won't be changed or amended because the people who have the power to do it are more interested in keeping the money flowing and fondling the NRA.

Case in point.

Kira Lerner‏ @kira_lerner 1h1 hour ago
This morning at 10 am I was scheduled to cover a House GOP-led hearing on deregulating gun silencers. Another day in America

Kira Lerner‏ @kira_lerner 1h1 hour ago
FYI, bill has the unassuming name: "Sportsmen Heritage & Recreational Enhancement Act."  Rep. Duncan added provision to deregulate silencers

Kira Lerner @kira_lerner 1h1 hour ago
.@RepJeffDuncan also held a "members only" gun silencer demonstration at the Capitol Police Range last week (h/t @joshua_eaton)

Kira Lerner‏Verified account @kira_lerner
Replying to @kira_lerner @RepJeffDuncan @joshua_eaton
UPDATE: House Natural Resources Committee says the hearing on @RepJeffDuncan's bill to deregulate gun silencers has been canceled

[Igor Tripod Biscan]

There was a very good programme on the other night on comedy central by Jordan Klepper from The Daily Show

Jordan Klepper solves guns

He went into some background on the paper based database that holds 'records' of gun ownership

https://www.thetrace.org/2016/08/atf-ridiculous-non-searchable-databases-explained/

The fact that its actually illegal to hold a searchable database due to

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_Owners_Protection_Act

[Crimson_Tank]

I just saw that todays vote on gun deregulation was cancelled.

[Chakan]

I just saw that todays vote on gun deregulation was cancelled.

Gun silencers, making it easier to buy a silencer.

[Crimson_Tank]

Gun silencers, making it easier to buy a silencer.

Yeah, I dont understand the need or want for such things, then again, I dont own a gun so....

[Chakan]

Yeah, I dont understand the need or want for such things, then again, I dont own a gun so....

It's so the animals don't run away when they are shot? Buggered if I know.

Guess the gun companies aren't selling too many silencers and need to move product.

[Chakan]

If only the Senators had guns...

Too soon?

[Igor Tripod Biscan]

If only the Senators had guns...

Too soon?

If only Sessions, Bannon, Donny, Kushner played baseball

Too soon too?

[redbyrdz]

Did he get hurt? Or was he just shot at?


What happened to the attacker?

[CheshireDave]

What happened to the attacker?

In custody.

[Chakan]

Did he get hurt? Or was he just shot at?


What happened to the attacker?

He got shot in the hip, he's in a stable condition. Few others injured.

Shooter in custody.

[redbyrdz]

He got shot in the hip, he's in a stable condition. Few others injured.

Shooter in custody.

Ta, only saw two police got hurt.



Doubt it'll change his mind on gun laws.

[west_london_red]

Given the thousands killed by guns in the US every year it's justified to point out the irony of a proponent of the 2nd Amendment being shot in a state with minimal gun control.

I had sympathy for the victims at Sandy Hook, in Orlando, Columbine and the other multiple shooting too numerous to list. Do I have sympathy for this guy? Sorry, no. He could be doing something to stop or at least reduce the death toll but he'd rather allow politics and or money to take precedence. 

Edit* 10 children die of gunshots in the US every day. That's 3,600 dead kids a year. He's been in politics for 20 years, so that's around 75,000 children dead from guns during his political career. Fuck him.

Bang on the money there Alan.