1/17/2011

Tucson Is Not Alone...


Over in Boston...

The emotionally racked trial of a former Pelham police chief charged in connection with the accidental shooting death of an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair came to an end yesterday with a jury acquitting Edward Fleury, who cried at the verdict.

Fleury, 53, was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and multiple counts of furnishing a machine gun to a minor. Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn., lost control of an Uzi submachine gun and shot himself in the head in front of shocked onlookers that included his father and brother. The jurors had viewed chilling video footage of the youth’s death, which occurred in October 2008, before they rendered their verdict.

Several members of Fleury’s family embraced him after the verdict was announced in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield, said his lawyer, Rosemary C. Scapicchio of Boston.

Down in Alabama...

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Lawsuits filed Friday in connection with the deadly mass shooting at UAH last year contend university officials could have prevented Amy Bishop from gunning down her colleagues.

Two similar lawsuits filed on behalf of the families of UAH professors Dr. Maria Ragland Davis and Dr. Adriel Johnson - who were both killed Feb. 12 during Bishop's rampage in a UAH biology faculty meeting - argue that the University Provost Dr. Vistasp Karbhari failed to follow policy in dealing with Bishop's deteriorating mental state.

Over in Dallas...

Charges are possible against whoever left a loaded shotgun where an 11-year-old boy was able to get access to it and accidentally shoot and kill an 8-year-old friend inside a northwest Dallas apartment Thursday afternoon, police said.

"Charges could be filed against anyone who may have made this weapon accessible," said Dallas police homicide Lt. David Pughes.

Homicide investigators were working Friday to determine where the gun was being kept when the boy, whose name was not released, got it.

He shot and killed Keiveon Johnson about 3:45 p.m. at the apartment in the 4000 block of Harvest Hill Road near Interstate 635 and Midway Road, police said.

A 6-year-old boy suffered minor injuries and a 9-year-old boy in the apartment was uninjured, police said.

In Miami...

One woman was killed, five people injured, when gunfire broke out in north Miami-Dade.

Police said it happened just before midnight in the 1900 block of NW 92nd Street. Family members said it began when the 22-year-old woman began arguing a boyfriend who had just been released from prison after 8 years.

As the argument grew heated, police said two men pulled guns and started shooting.

When officers arrived they found they found the injured individuals and a car riddled with bullets. There are indications the car was hit with bullets as someone tried to chase after the shooter.

One of the injured was treated on the scene. The remaining five injured people were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center where the 22-year old woman was pronounced dead. Police said the injuries to the four other people are non-life threatening.

2 comments:

Sunny Badger said...

I'm not sure the Tucson shootings were politically motivated. Or maybe all the shootings in the nation are politically motivated.

I'm not sure what the difference is if an innocent 9 year girl girl gets killed at a political function or if a another child gets killed in a drive-by in the ghetto.

I think someone must be nuts to start shooting outside a grocery store at people meeting a Congress woman and I think someone must be nuts to drive by and start shooting people on the street.

Perhaps President Obama should attend a memorial service for one of these other kids killed by random acts of gun violence. Perhaps that's just life in the bad part of town. Perhaps it's more important to make a statement when the shooting impacts the middle class at a suburban shopping center.

Roadkill said...

Well put, Sunny. I didn't care for your post, but I think your comment is spot on.

By the way, I would like to recommend to you and your readers a meaningful piece on ML King. It is found on a center-right blog, but the author clearly recognizes the greatness of King. In that I habitually re-read the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" every January, I found it reassuring that other conservatives feel the same reverence for MLK as do I. Here's the link:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/01/028147.php