Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, 6 YTBN Shot, Killed In Tuscon AZ

Pengwuino

True, this is overly speculative. I'm sure we'll see what happened before the night is over.

turbo

There is a lot of speculation here, in large part by people with little (apparent) familiarity with modern firearms. I have a Glock model 20 with 3 full clips. It takes a little more than a second to eject a clip and slam another one in, so 16 rounds x 3 as fast as you can pull the trigger. You don't need a machine-pistol to kill a bunch of people in a crowd.

Let's settle down and find out what actually happened.

DevilsAvocado

I pray to 'Einstein' that you are right.

nismaratwork

Yes, but they'd have to be a crack shot with a handgun, and evade counter-fire. Spray and pray is still the most likely explanation, but in theory you're correct. Remember that above all, this is an attempted (so far) assassination of a public official at point blank range. Clearly the rest was just more for him, and I don't know that picking people off is likely. It's mostly speculation however, but that's why I made this in GD. Remember that these kind of people share common beliefs, common goals (not specific, but personal) to make themselves a part of what they see as 'right history'... hence I suspect his "mein kampf" and "communist manifesto" love.

DevilsAvocado: It's the first thing I thought, and if I were to bet, it's still what I'd put money on. HOWEVER... this guy loved 2 really really REALLY nasty books... or rather, books which espouse a terrible world-view.

I have to say, in this case I think pengwuino is right... this guy reeks of, 'LOOK AT ME!', and just latching on to what his type sees as 'powerful' ideologies.

rhody

jarednjames,

Yeah, I get the guilt by association thing, lets let the FBI, etc... do their work and let the chips fall where they may. I would be willing to bet by Monday we will know much much more, although probably not every last detail. In these days of instant access to information 24/7 in near real time, I can't even begin to imagine what his family and friends must be experiencing at the moment. There is nothing else for me to say in this thread so I will bow out here. This plain sucks.

Rhody...

nismaratwork

Consider: You're a right wing, Palin-loving psychopath who thinks it's your mandate to kill this woman. You shoot her in the head... why do you open fire on a crowd, and a 9 year old girl? That's a mass-killer, spree-killer... that type... they're more alike than not, and their ideology is always window dressing.

Stress + Nuts + Means/Motive/Opportunity = Tragedy.

Ivan Seeking

What incredible irony! Guess who read the First Amendment on the floor of the House the other day.

nismaratwork

Better the first than the second in the irony department. I find it disturbing to see someone alive and vital, who's fighting to live as I type.

Jimmy Snyder

I never went to www.sarahpac.com before, but I went there just now and I couldn't find the target map. Does anyone know where to look, or did she perhaps remove it. There is a statement of sympathy for the victims of the shooting.

DevilsAvocado

It’s gone, you can find it here.

Ivan Seeking

True!

It seems that she was incredibly lucky. According to Sanjay Gupta on CNN, who is himself a neurosurgeon, that the attending neurosugeon expressed optimism that she will recover, is highly significant. One would not normally expect this given the nature of the injury.

It was a Glock 9mm, which is not something you would expect to survive at point blank.

Averagesupernova

We all are. You included. You just haven't been pushed far enough yet. I'm not saying the shooter is or isn't crazy. Most people refuse to believe that they are capable of something like this. Main difference between people is how much 'pushing' and in what way.

Jimmy Snyder

I meant where to look on Palin's site. Apparently she did take it down.

Newai

It was originally on her FaceBook page.

JaredJames

As I posted elsewhere on PF previously, my only experience with the Tea Party is a clip from TV of a guy ranting how he wanted "all commies to die" and then threatened to kill the camera man "if he was a commie" (he said he wasn't and the guy let it go).

He was screaming and shouting and someone I believe would do as he said. I always find it disturbing to see people like this.

I know it doesn't represent the whole Tea Party, but it only takes one with this mentality to take things a bit to seriously (as with that list).

Ivan Seeking

Thanks.

DevilsAvocado

I guess you’re right.

As a little boy, I loved guns and I used to hunt with my granddad in the woods and win shooting contests, etc, but that went over as a teenager, when my electric guitar became my gun of love.

This is clearly some "cultural clash", if I didn’t know better, I would guess that you guys are professional hitmen for god’s sake. I have absolutely no idea what caliber it takes to blow a hole in a human skull, and I’m proud of it.

I guess, and I hope, that you and Pengwuino are right. BUT, this reasoning builds on the fact the crazy gunman and Gabrielle Giffords was in the same place by pure chance and nothing more...

It’s maybe useless and dumb to speculate anymore.

My thoughts go to the 6 killed and injured...