[sunnykerr]

Fire ravages New Jersey boardwalk a year after Sandy A stretch of beachside boardwalk in the US state of New Jersey has been ravaged by fire, nearly one year after Superstorm Sandy tore through the area. The fire started near an ice cream shop on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through buildings in two towns, authorities said. An estimated 50 businesses were damaged or destroyed in the blaze. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called the damage "unthinkable" in areas already struggling to rebuild. The fire started at about 14:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Thursday and was swept northward by winds of up to 40mph (65 km/h) through the popular tourist towns of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights, which was the setting for MTV's reality show, Jersey Shore. Roughly 400 firefighters contained the fire about five hours later by digging a 50ft (15m) trench in the sand to stop its progress. Officials said the blaze had been completely extinguished by Friday afternoon. Seaside Heights mayor Bill Akers told the New Jersey Star-Ledger newspaper the fire could have been much worse if construction equipment used to dig the trench had not already been near the boardwalk. But many residents were still in disbelief. "We asked a lot of our people after the hurricane, and now we're going to ask again," he told the newspaper. Governor Christie said several firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. A local government spokesman told the Associated Press news agency that three police officers leaving the scene of the fire were also injured when they fell from an emergency vehicle on Friday. All were in stable condition. Authorities continued their investigation into the fire on Friday but reported no evidence it was suspicious. A local official called it "another tremendous wrench" in the recovery of a tourist area already hard-hit by Sandy, which tore through the north-eastern US in October 2012, causing billions of dollars of damage and killing more than 130 people.

Source

Couldn't have happened in a worse place, really.

[quaist]

Tragic news from Washington:

Shooting at Washington Navy Yard D.C. police said that at least 12 people are dead after as many as three shooters went on a rampage at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday. The U.S. Navy said shots were fired around 8:20 a.m. at the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters building, where about 3,000 people work.

The WP has a live blog following the events as more and more information about this is coming in.

[sunnykerr]

Washington Navy Yard gunman named as Aaron Alexis A gunman who died after killing 12 people at a naval installation in Washington DC has been identified as a former Navy serviceman. Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, died in a gun battle with police during the rampage at Washington Navy Yard. About a dozen others were wounded in the attack, which began at around 8:20 local time (12:20 GMT) on Monday. US President Barack Obama ordered flags be lowered to half mast at the White House and Capitol Hill. He said he mourned "yet another mass shooting" and condemned the "cowardly act". 'Complete shock' Alexis was formerly a petty officer 3rd class who served full-time in the naval reserve from 2007-11, said the US Navy. It is not yet clear why he left the military, or how he gained access to the facility. Nor is a motive known for the attack. An unnamed Navy official told Reuters news agency that Alexis had been discharged after a series of "misconduct issues". He was working as a contractor, two defence department officials told the Associated Press, though it was unclear if he was assigned to Washington Navy Yard. US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus told CNN that Alexis had been a contractor in the "information technology area". Witnesses said the gunman sprayed bullets at office workers in a cafeteria and in a hallway at the heavily secured installation in the US capital. Washington DC police chief Cathy Lanier told reporters that the attacker "was engaged in shooting with police officers" when he died. "There is no question he would have kept shooting," she added. Police initially responded to reports of two other armed suspects, but have since ruled out one of them, a white male. They said they were still looking for someone described by witnesses as a black male, 40-50 years of age, wearing olive kit and carrying "a long gun". As news of the shooting emerged, emergency vehicles and law enforcement officers surrounded the complex, and helicopters hovered overhead. The US Senate buildings and six nearby schools were temporarily placed on lockdown as a precaution, while flight departures were briefly suspended at Reagan National Airport. Patricia Ward, who works at Washington Navy Yard, said she heard three shots, a pause, and then four more. "Everybody was panicking and trying to decide which way to get out," she told reporters. Washington Mayor Vincent Gray told a news conference the attack had been "horrific". Among the victims was a man in his 60s who died of a gunshot wound to his head, said officials at George Washington University Hospital. One police officer was shot in the legs, a female civilian was shot in the head and hand, and another woman was treated for a shoulder wound. All three were expected to recover, said Washington Hospital Center officials. The Washington Nationals baseball team called off their game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night at Nationals Park, not far from Navy Yard. The shooting occurred at a building that serves as the headquarters for the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, purchases, builds and maintains ships and submarines for the Navy. Washington Navy Yard is the US Navy's oldest shore installation, first opened in the early 19th Century, according to the Navy.

Source

It's so shocking.

It always is so shocking, isn't it?

[quaist]

It is. Seems like the way he acquired his weapon was perfectly legal, so no bigger discussion expected to be triggered in that regard.

[sunnykerr]

Considering it seems like the gunman had been undergoing treatment for mental illness, I find it really sad that people don't expect that there will be a conversation.

[quaist]

Plus, authorities should seriously be re-considering if they're doing enough to make sure access to facilities such as the Navy Yard isn't given to anyone without proper evaluation. Which apparently, they're aiming to do now.

But of course, I'm right there with you that the US needs to talk about gun control yet again. In fact, they should never have stopped to in the first place.

I'm afraid, however, that if the Newtown shooting didn't change things, so won't anything else.

[sunnykerr]

Well, what I've read online so far is that people tend to think the guns weren't the issue here, the mental illness was.

And, obviously, they have a point.

The fact that no one seems troubled by the fact that he managed to buy a shotgun on an invalid gun licence (which is why he couldn't buy a different kind of gun) and an out-of-state address is completely bizarre to me.

Sure, mental illness was obviously at play here. And, for sure, that should be part of the conversation because the United States (no more than Canada) has a bad record when it comes to addressing mental health issues, especially in veterans.

But I think, as you rightly point out, access to guns and to that specific area were both crucial in the creation of this tragedy.

He could have been as mentally ill as it gets, if he hadn't been able to buy a weapon and ammunition, and then access the Navy Yard, the story would have had a completely different ending.

[sunnykerr]

Details continue to emerge about why this man should never have been able to get his hands on a gun or get access to the Navy Yard:

Details of the gunman and the shooting continue to emerge. Alexis, a former Navy reservist, reportedly had a history of mental health problems and gun-related brushes with the law. He had sought treatment for insomnia at two Veterans Affairs hospitals in the last month, according to media reports. Law enforcement officials said the IT subcontractor had carved the messages "better off this way" and "my ELF weapon" on the stock of his sawed-off Remington 870 pump-action shotgun. All victims were killed in hallways or their offices, not in the building's atrium as media outlets previously reported. Alexis also gunned down a security guard and took his Beretta handgun, Mr Comey said.

Source

The same article also claims a local SWAT unit was ordered to stand down instead of aiding in the incident.

Apparently, miscommunication was rife on the law-enforcement side while this was going down.

[Ann357]

Goodness, the story is certainly "fluid".

A sad example of government incompetence is emerging - with managing contractors, security clearances, base access, emergency response, etc.

[sunnykerr]

And the idea that a person who can't buy this firearm because of faulty identification can still buy that other firearm.



Seems to me that if identification is problematic for one kind of weapon, it should be problematic for all of them.

But there's no doubt that the SWAT situation reveals some very problematic flaws in response to these massacres.

And, let's face it, since they keep happening, you have wonder why there aren't actual plans in place for how to deal with them.

[quaist]

Seems like Obama's given up fighting on that front

[Ann357]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) Seems to me that if identification is problematic for one kind of weapon, it should be problematic for all of them.

I don't understand this sentence. Was the killer using false identification to get his security clearance and purchase the shotgun? I haven't read that...but the media has done a poor job of presenting the facts of this crime and I may have missed it.

As an FYI, below is a link to an article about the purchase of the shotgun that seems mostly factual. It points out this for those who are unaware of USA laws:

It is illegal for gun dealers to sell handguns to such out-of-state buyers, but the Firearms Owners' Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1986, opened up interstate sales for shotguns and rifles. Virginia gun laws require only that an out-of-state buyer show valid identification, pass a background check and otherwise abide by state laws in order to buy a shotgun in the state.

Federal Gun Laws Didn't Block Navy Yard Shooter - ABC News

A terrible shame that the killer was not prosecuted for his previous arrest...and perhaps this would have been prevented. A failure of our justice system.

I've also read that he never tried to purchase any other weapons.

[quaist]

Thanks for posting that article. One line there, a quote of the legislative director at the Violence Policy Center says it all in my opinion:

"That's the road we've been on for a while: The convenience of gun owners always seems to trump the right of victims not to be shot."

[sunnykerr]

Ann One of the articles I linked above said that "It is illegal for gun dealers to sell handguns to such out-of-state buyers, but the Firearms Owners' Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1986, opened up interstate sales for shotguns and rifles. Virginia gun laws require only that an out-of-state buyer show valid identification, pass a background check and otherwise abide by state laws in order to buy a shotgun in the state. Alexis was never prosecuted for two misdemeanour charges involving guns."

That's what I meant. It seems to me the law in Virginia has a lot of loopholes. His identification (as someone from out of state) didn't allow him to buy firearms, except for the shotgun he bought.



I fully agree that it makes no sense to have a law like that. What's the point, really?

The other side, the part where his mental-health record wasn't taken into account is another part where gun laws fall short, apparently.

It seems a person can legally buy a firearm in Virginia even if they have a mental-health record unless they've been committed against their will.

Which is... Well, I find that problematic, personally.

[sunnykerr]

Hillary Clinton says she's 'realistic' about potential White House campaign WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton says in an interview with New York Magazine that she is wrestling with running for president again but remains "pragmatic and realistic" as she considers a potential White House campaign in 2016. The former secretary of state told the magazine in an article posted online Sunday that she will do whatever she can "to advocate for the values and the policies I think are right for the country." Clinton said she would continue to weigh the factors that would influence her final decision but offered no timetable for an announcement. "I'm not in any hurry. I think it's a serious decision, not to be made lightly, but it's also not one that has to be made soon," Clinton said. "This election is more than three years away, and I just don't think it's good for the country." It was Clinton's first interview since departing as President Barack Obama's top diplomat in February. The former first lady and New York senator compared it to meeting someone at a party "and they look over your shoulder to see who else is there, and you want to talk to them about something that's really important." "In fact, maybe you came to the party to talk to that particular person, and they just want to know what's next. I feel like that's our political process right now. I just don't think it is good." The former first lady is the leading contender for the Democratic nomination if she chooses to run. Democrats are watching her moves closely for any indication of her decision, which could have a major influence on whether others decide to enter the race. Potential contenders include Vice-President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Asked in the interview if she wrestles with running for president, Clinton said, "I do, but I'm both pragmatic and realistic. I think I have a pretty good idea of the political and governmental challenges that are facing our leaders." In the interview, Clinton says she is enjoying spending more time with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and having a more normal life after two decades in national politics. "We get to be at home together a lot more now than we used to in the last few years. We have a great time; we laugh at our dogs; we watch stupid movies; we take long walks; we go for a swim," Mrs. Clinton said. "You know, just ordinary, everyday pleasures." The former president said in a separate interview that aired Sunday on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS that any decision by his wife is "a long way ahead. I think she would be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as a done deal, ever, by anybody. But I don't know what she's going to do." The Clintons are holding their annual Clinton Global Initiative meetings in New York this week.

As much as I think she'd make a fine candidate, part of me feels like she deserves a break.

I just think it's refreshing that she's not making any announcements.