The Boston Globe reports this morning “4 dead after police standoff at a Colo. townhome” — in now-infamous Aurora, CO:
Four people, including an armed suspect, died after an hours-long police standoff Saturday at a Colorado townhome, authorities said.
Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson said a SWAT team was called after gunshots were heard at the Aurora, Colo., home at about 3 a.m. Investigators said three victims, all of them adults, appeared to have been killed before officers arrived.
Carlson said the suspect shot at officers at about 8:15 a.m. and was killed during a gunfight about 45 minutes later when police entered the home. It remained unclear if officers shot the suspect or if he shot himself.
Of course, we don’t know any of the specifics yet. I’m not sure it matters. I find this particularly ironic coming on the same morning that I read and welcomed the announcement of a “Sabbath to Stop Gun Violence” this weekend.
This unnecessary, savage, and pathological carnage will continue until civilized Americans put a stop to it.
Not to mention countless one off incidents that would not have been caused had there been no gun present. The New York Times just had a gut wrenching article yesterday about restorative justice, and the crime in question was a crime of passion that all parties conceded would not have happened had there been no gun present. The murderer would not have killed his girlfriend and not gone to jail, his girlfriend would still be alive, and six lives (the parents of the victim and the murderer included) would not have been ruined forever. Same with that terrible incident with the Kansas City Chiefs player killing himself and his girlfriend. Those casualty figures need to start getting as much attention as the mass shootings since they are just as important and just as linked to guns.
No mass shootings in Europe or Australia, much lower rates of gun violence. I am heartened that the Biden Commission wants to get further than just assault weapons and clips and may push for a Canadian style registry and mental health checks too.