The shooter of a weekend mass shooting identified. |
As expected, the blame game.
An active shooter doesn't care about the politics, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, your finances, your family, your plans that day, your successes, your failures, and most importantly, your life.
The Philadelphia Police nabbed the gunman who shot and killed five over the weekend.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and the U.S. Representatives of Pennsylvania were informed of the mass shooting.
The suspect was a Black person. I don't know of the terrorist identified as a transgender or a cross dresser. But pictures circulating through the internet show the person. The terrorist wore body armor and randomly shot at people.
Sources say that suspect is 40-year-old terrorist, who lives in the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace. The home is just a few blocks from the shooting scene.
The terrorist has yet to be charged, but District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference he expects the terrorist will be charged soon with multiple counts of murder.
Sources say the suspect made disturbing posts on social media prior to the gunfire. Sources say the terrorist, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, owned the guns used in this mass shooting.
This is not the first time the terrorist has had run-ins with the law. The terrorist has misdemeanor drug and gun charges from 2003, which led to probation.
Meanwhile, police have released the names of the five people who were killed:
- Daujan Brown, 15/M, unknown residence
- Lashyd Merritt, 22, from the 5500 block of Greenway Ave.
- Dymir Stanton, 29, from the 1700 block of S. Frazier St.
- Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31, from the 1600 block of S. 56th St.
- Ralph Moralis, 59, from the 1700 block of S. 56th St.
Police say two children, a 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy, were shot and wounded. Another 2-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman were injured by flying glass.
Authorities say the 33-year-old woman is the mother of the 2-year-olds, who are twins. She was driving the children when her car came under fire.
"What happened last night in our Kingsessing neighborhood was unimaginably disgusting and horrifying," Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at Tuesday's news conference.
It all started around 8:30 p.m., on the eve of Independence Day, in the area of 56th Street and Chester Avenue in the southwestern part of the city.
Police say people called 911 to report a shooting and others flagged down officers.
Police say at least 50 shots were fired at the scene and multiple vehicles were struck.
Arriving officers found gunshot victims at the scene. As officers began to put the victims in their patrol cars to take them to the hospital, they heard more gunfire and ran towards the sound. That's where they encountered the terrorist.
Lashyd Merritt was gunned down. |
Police say officers were able to chase down and corner the terrorist in the rear alley of 1600 Frazier Street. Police say the suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest and had multiple magazines. The terrorist also had a police scanner, an AR-style rifle and a handgun, investigators say.
Police say there is no known connection between the victims and the shooter, and investigators do not yet know a motive for the gunfire.
Residents were shocked to learn their neighbor is accused of this violence.
"He speaks to everybody. He helps out with everybody," one neighbor said. "If you parked on the curb and the cop comes, he'll knock on your door and tell you like they're about to give you a ticket or whatever."
Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday that "this country needs to examine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous people's hands."
"A person walking down the street with an AR-style rifle and shooting randomly at people while wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines is disgraceful, but an all too common situation in America," Kenney continued.
It was an emotional scene late Monday night outside Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, as family members of those who were killed found out the news that their loved ones had died.
Investigators initially believed four people were killed. The fifth victim, Wamah, lived alone and wasn't found until several hours after the shooting. Investigators believe Wamah was the first victim killed.
The two children who were shot were taken to an area hospital where they were placed in stable condition.
Police say a second person was taken into custody Monday night after allegedly picking up a gun and firing shots at the mass shooting suspect. That person has since been released. Krasner said Tuesday it appears, at this point, that the person's actions were justified.
"When you are under fire in a mass shooting, there are rights to protect others and rights to protect yourself," Krasner said.
The far right already are placing the blame on the Black community, targeting the LGBTQ community and of course claiming it was a Black Lives Matter supporter. The very fact that the terrorist managed to either legally purchase the firearm should be the issue.
Three innocent lives lost. |
If a white person shoots a Black person, the shooter is given the benefit of doubt. White shooters are given glowing profiles about their perfect lives and how friends noticed something but refused to do something. When it comes to Black shooters, automatic vilification. They don't see mental illness. They see it as gang violence, allegedly fatherless homes, Democratic policies or the need for more firearms. The far right and Republicans exploit gun violence in the Black community for culture wars and racism.
This is the mugshot of the mass shooter. |
I dismiss this ridiculous notion that criminals are the problem, not the guns. Firearms are often obtained through legal purchases.
THE JUNK FOOD MEDIA AND POLITICIANS ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE BY AMPING UP POLARIZING RHETORIC.
1. Run - If you hear sounds like firecrackers, popping sounds or suspicious activities around a large gathering (i.e. malls, stores, clubs, public gatherings), if you can flee, run away from the shooter. Do not run in a straight path of the sight. Move around and zig-zag if possible to keep yourself out the line of fire. It's best to not film a shooter commiting the act. If you are willing to risk your life for a viral video, more power to you but its best to stay out of the line of fire by running away.
3. Fight - If you are willing to risk your life or willing to film the incident, you have no choice but to fight. Make sure you grab something that is powerful enough to disarm a shooter. Do not confront a shooter in the midst of sight. Make yourself not visible if you're trying to fight. Do not think being a "good guy with a gun" is going to stop a bad guy. The cops don't see good guys trying to stop bad guys. They see active shooters and they will shoot anyone who is armed regardless of the matter. If you're ready to fight, be prepared to die. It's best to not be easily seen if you're trying to stop a shooter. If you're a conceal carry and attempt to disarm an active shooter, you are willing to sacrifice your life to save lives. You are willing to go hero, you could die a hero or an idiot.
4. Realize - Mind you, that the types of firearms used by shooter are based on capacity which limits the time of reaction. As with rule 3, you have only less than a second to make a reaction when the shooter is set on sights. So there's no real solution to save your life in the event of an active shooter. The best thing to do is understand, that anywhere in the United States could be a target of a mass shooting. Congress isn't doing a damn thing about it.
The website Officer Down is a memorial to those who were killed in the line of duty. Those who don't get their names mentioned in the junk food media. Also the website the National Gun Violence Memorial also keeps record of the many individuals killed by gun violence.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
The call number to the U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official phone number, 202-224-3121. Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence.
GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES.
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