Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman shot

[seamusTX]

The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party, Bill Gwatney, was shot by a man who came to his office in Little Rock and asked to speak with him. Mr. Gwatney is reported to be in critical condition.

The shooter fled but was later shot by police and arrested.

This is the most detailed story that I could find:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... /1001/news

This story is still evolving. You ca find the latest news here:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=u ... tnG=Search

- Jim

[Iggy Pop]

The shooter probably wasn't hugged enough, as a child.

[seamusTX]

The suspect died.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZT1 ... wD92HJM280

- Jim

[ProudNativeTexican]

I am sure that Obama will use this to push more anti-gun crap during his campain.

[CainA]

The guy he shot(chairman) is dead too.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/13/ark ... index.html

-Cain

[KBCraig]

The KATV (Channel 7, Little Rock) article contains this bit of brilliance in the comments section:
"HOW DID HE GET IN THE BUILDING WITH A GUN IN HIS POSSESSION??"

Ummm... through the front door, Einstein.

I never cease to be amazed at people who think that words on paper, or signs on doors, will serve as talismans against evil.

[Owens]

I wonder...was anyone in the office legally armed? Probably not. What if? Maybe things would have worked out differently.

[Iggy Pop]

I wonder...was anyone in the office legally armed? Probably not. What if? Maybe things would have worked out differently.

An office full of democrats. All they have to do is call the police and everything will be ok.

[seamusTX]

According to news reports, the shooter had been fired from his job at a Target store yesterday morning. He apparently threatened people at the Arkansas State Baptist Convention after shooting Mr. Gwatney.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZT1 ... wD92HVCD00

It seems he was just someone who snapped under pressure and wanted to make an impression.

Arkansas has the highest level of concealed-carry licenses among the shall-issue states. I'm sure quite a few Arkansas Democrats have licenses, but with two or three people in an office, the probability that one would have a weapon is still low. This type of incident unfolds in seconds, and few people would be ready to respond.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Update: The man wasn't fired. He walked off the job after writing derogatory graffiti about Target management on the wall.

Police found the name and address of the victim in the shooter's home, so it was not simply a random act.

Antidepressants appear to be involved.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZT1 ... wD92I6IKG4

- Jim

[iratollah]

I wonder...was anyone in the office legally armed? Probably not. What if? Maybe things would have worked out differently.

An office full of democrats. All they have to do is call the police and everything will be ok.

Y'all must be confusing these folks with Yankee Democrats. Most Southern Democrats I know own guns. Some actually know how to use them. One of the true yella dog Democrats I know even has his Distinguished Rifleman badge. Hope you don't miss your targets as badly as you missed this one.

[TX Rancher]

I wonder...was anyone in the office legally armed? Probably not. What if? Maybe things would have worked out differently.

There’s a good chance someone in the office being armed wouldn’t have made any difference to Bill Gwatney…he probably would have been shot anyway.

As Jim stated, these things unfold in seconds. Unless there’s a relatively long lead up to the shooting, or the attacker produces the weapon and decides to talk for awhile, the likelihood of intervention stopping the shooting is slim.

It always works out differently in the movies, books, IDPA matches, and our minds eye when we think about how we would respond. But reality is often quite different…

Could it have made a difference after the initial shooting if someone there was armed (not including Mr Gwatney)? Possibly…maybe even likely, but Mr Gwatney would still be dead.

To me a better scenario would be for Mr Gwatney to have been armed and taken some training…preferably reality based against another human. In that scenario he may have survived...his odds certainly would have been better.

The next best would be to have everyone in the office trained and carrying.

The best scenario would have been to have armed guards and metal detectors at the entrances, only allow legally possessed weapons in (that includes CHL’s), and have the office staff legally carrying. But figure the odds on the last two happening.

[seamusTX]

IMHO, it's impossible to stop a determined, thoughtful assassin who is also suicidal. You might be saved by luck or the grace of God. Remember, John Hinckley Jr. got off six shots within arms' reach of the Secret Service.

If you put metal detectors and armed guards at the door, the guards become the first target. They could be shot from a distance or distracted by accomplices.

Having armed personnel on the scene stops massacres, but not the first shot.

BTW, police still have not released further information about the killer's possible motives.

This story is in the media in every country on earth that has English-language web sites.

- Jim

[pedalman]

Update: The man wasn't fired. He walked off the job after writing derogatory graffiti about Target management on the wall.

Police found the name and address of the victim in the shooter's home, so it was not simply a random act.

Antidepressants appear to be involved.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZT1 ... wD92I6IKG4

- Jim

Uh, with all due respect, the presence of antidepressants do not necessarily establish the existence of a "nutjob".

On the other hand, discontinuation of an antidepressant can be problematic. But this is an operator error, not a drug error.

Consumption of antidepressant != insanity

[seamusTX]

I did not say that use of antidepressants caused this man to go berserk. Millions of people have used them with good effects or at least no harm. However, there is some evidence that they can cause some people to become unstable, either while taking them or discontinuing their use.

"Some evidence" is not proof.

When you look at the facts that we have from news sources, the man had no history of criminal activity or mental illness. He had a reasonably good record at his job. Something caused him to snap. Maybe it was a brain tumor or injury. We may never know.

- Jim