Navy Yard shooting victims and a media review – Jumping to conclusions

Twelve victims were killed and eight others wounded yesterday by another nutcase who took his anger out on people he probably never met. Here are a list of the victims and some info about them.

Say a prayer for these folks, their family and friends.

• Michael Arnold, 59
• Martin Bodrog, 54
• Arthur Daniels, 51
• Sylvia Frasier, 53
• Kathy Gaarde, 62
• John Roger Johnson, 73
• Frank Kohler, 50
• Mary Francis Knight, 51
• Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46
• Vishnu Pandit, 61
• Gerald L. Read, 58
• Richard Michael Ridgell, 52

Michael and his wife, Jolanda, had been married for more than 30 years, Hunter said. They had two grown sons, Eric and Christopher. Martin was father of three girls between the ages of 16 and 23 started life in Woodbury, NJ, according to an obituary notice released on Tuesday. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1981. You can learn more about all of the victims using your standard Google search, or you can click on their names above to be redirected to a site with more information.

Breaking News

As many of you know, this is not and never has been a “breaking news” website. Certainly we’ve covered a lot of news stories that “are breaking” but it’s not what we do, or can do. One thing is absolutely clear when these tragic events occur and “journalists” are reporting on the story as events unfold. Almost everything you hear is bunk.

Yesterday as I was watching a few minutes of CNN, I mentioned to someone that I was willing to bet the guy didn’t even have an AR. I said it off-the-cuff and kind of figured he had an AR-15 since everyone and their mother was saying he did, but as it turns out, he did not have one. That didn’t stop politicians from kicking into gear demanding we do something about “assault” weapons.

So far it looks like the nutjob had purchased a shotgun and walked into the building. He may have taken pistols from security staff inside the building. From our buddy John Hinderaker at Powerline.

[T]he FBI now says that early information about the firearms used by Alexis was wrong. Apparently he brought only one weapon, a shotgun, into the Navy Yard, and used that weapon along with two handguns that he obtained from murdered guards. At this point, the word is that no AR-15 was involved in the shootings. Of course, this news should also be regarded as tentative.

Assuming the latest version is correct, there are multiple ironies. Liberals were already beating the drums for another effort to ban “assault weapons.” Oops. And last night, Dianne Feinstein seemed poised to offer legislation banning ownership of multiple firearms; yet, if the latest report is true, Alexis may have brought only one weapon to the Yard. We also can’t help noting that the shotgun is Joe Biden’s favorite firearm.

We’ll have to see what the fallout is here concerning gun retention when it comes to victims that are ambushed in a building. We have a lot of schools who now have armed security in the building. In this case, first impressions indicate the shooter may have been able to wound and kill more people because he got two pistols – almost assuredly with “high capacity” magazines – from security staff after he killed or wounded them.

Details are thin, but again it looks like the shooter – you’ll note I’m not using his name – was having mental health issues and was being treated by the Veteran’s Administration. I’m wondering if he was on medication recently or in the past. From the AP.

U.S. law enforcement officials are telling The Associated Press that the Navy contractor identified as the gunman in the mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard had been suffering a host of serious mental issues, including paranoia and a sleep disorder. He also had been hearing voices in his head, the officials said.

Aaron Alexis, 34, had been treated since August by the Veterans Administration for his mental problems, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation in the case was continuing.

Of course, U.S. law enforcement officials were telling us yesterday the bozo was using a “high-powered military rifle” so continue to take what you hear the next day or so with a big bowl of salt.

As we move forward, let’s take notice of what direction politicians go here. As usual, there will be a significant number of proposals that would have done nothing to prevent the Navy Yard shootings, Sandy Hook, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech or Columbine as examples. An assault weapons ban would have done nothing to stop yesterday’s tragic events, Fort Hood or the Virginia Tech massacre for the simple fact the gun-control crowd’s definition of an “assault weapon” was not used. Rifles were not used. Magazine capacity limits would not have stopped the shooting yesterday either. What kind of mental health legislation will they suggest if any? How exactly would that work?

Again, prayers to the friends and family of those killed and wounded yesterday.