Westroads Mall Shooting

[Lil Bunny]

Everybody, hug some one special to you right now. You never know when you're going to loose them.

Amen to that. Of course we will not get on the fact that I just basically ripped out my DBF and told him he should think before he speaks. I love him but saying we're ignorant for thinking that stuff like that doesn't happen here and those of us who realize that stuff could but it still surprises us are ignorant and need to wake up as well just set me off. Then he says he knew he should have said anything, cue my line and the slamming of a few doors. *hugs beer* Anyone wanna come hang out and watch the updates with me?

Oh, they released the name of the kid. 18 years old. It is a shame.

[Rine]

I really feel for the employees of the one store that apparently had a high number of victims. If that happened at my store--heaven forbid--I don't think I could ever go back there and work.

[Lil Bunny]

Rine, I understand that big time.

I do have to send a major kudos to the employees at Von Maur though. They had training earlier this year on what to do in violent situations (someone enters with a gun, et al). I guess alot of them snapped to action and could be considered heros for the way that they kept it together and helped people out. They were also the ones to cover the victims to help quell the panic that was going on.

By the way Snaps, you're right. I am praying for the kid now. They put up his photo and it made him "human" if that makes sense. I know, I'm odd but having a name/face took me out of rage mode. I'm still mad at him but seeing him as someone's son/friend/cousin/et al took away a lot of my hatred. Again, I'm still mad, just not so, well you know.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I was watching the news coverage this afternoon and then I laid down for a nap. When I stopped watching they were only reporting the 5 wounded.

And now there's nine people dead they didn't report when I stopped watching.

This weekend I'm going down to Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee to finish my Christmas shopping, just because I like that mall. I might be looking over my shoulder a bit more than normal.

[DesignFox]

My heart goes out to you guys in that area. I hope all your friends and relatives are safe.

There was a similar shooting in a mall near me a few months back...thankfully it was no where near as bloody. The gunman killed himself, injured his target, but thankfully didn't kill anyone else. No one I knew was in the mall at the time...

Very scary when it's in your backyard, though.

[CaroPhoenix]

I was stunned when I heard about the Westroads Mall shooting. My mom told me while we were talking on the phone together, it popped up as a news story out here in the DC Metro Area.

Brought back memories for me. It was a treat for my family to go to the Mall back in the early 80's when my Dad was stationed at Offutt AFB. On Sundays, there was a live radio show that was done at the mall. (At least I think it was Sundays, I know it was a weekend). I used to hang out and chat with the DJ's - I though they were awesome!

Ahem .. memories aside, yeah, I hope those wounded recover quickly. I'm praying for those who didn't make it and for all the families involved.

[Pedersen]

The question has been asked here: Why would somebody do something so horrific?

The part that scares me is I think I can answer it. Look at the shooters in these cases. Lots of them feel powerless over their own lives. It doesn't matter what they are shooting: Schools, malls, whatever.

They feel powerless. Unable to connect with people around them. Unable to move ahead in life, to improve their station. Unable to do anything that seems to matter.

They are unimportant people, but on a bigger scale than most.

You see, over 99% of the people in this world will never be written about in history books. We will never have a special made about us. We are unimportant.

But, we matter to the people around us. Our families, our friends, and our lovers. We are important to these people. Because of that, we don't really have it shoved in our faces that we are unimportant very often. And when it does happen, we can easily cope by reminding ourselves that, while we may not matter to the world at large, we do matter to the people around us.

The people who go on these shooting rampages don't have that, or at least feel like they don't.

Also, they tend to feel like the reason they don't matter is because of specific types of people. For instance, if you look at the Columbine shootings, you find two kids who could very well have felt the only reason they didn't matter was the jocks/elites in the high school.

When you're completely disconnected, powerless, and desperate to actually matter to somebody, you find yourself looking at more and more extreme ways of becoming someone that matters.

There was a time when the way to do so was to kill yourself, or at least try. If you woke up, you did matter to somebody. If not, at least your pain was over.

In recent years, instead of just inflicting violence on yourself, the trend has been to make damned sure you matter, by killing some of the people who held you down, and then killing yourself. Finally, in one last act, you matter. You matter to a whole lot of people. And they can't do anything about it. By killing yourself, you've made sure you keep that importance.

You can't be touched, you can't be harmed, and you can't be demeaned.

There was a time I could have been one of those people. Without my family, I would have been. I wouldn't have killed others, but I did have my suicide note written in my mind. I was in high school at the time (graduated in 1989, so it's been a long while, and life is much better now).

I wish I didn't understand it, I really do. But I can easily see how I could have been the shooter in most any of these stories, with just a slight change in circumstances (born later, less supportive family, etc).

Make no mistake: I totally abhor what these people do. It is vile at best, and pure selfish evil at worst. I just offer something of an explanation.

[Lil Bunny]

I hear what you're saying Pedersen and I agree with it pretty much. I'm just trying to figure out where that fine line is you know? I wanted to die so bad but I didn't want to hurt others in the process. What gives me, someone with severe depression and "bad" luck the process of thinking "God, yeah I want people to know and remember me but I'm not going to hurt others?"

I realize this guy was kicked out by his parents for various reasons. However, he was taken in by a family friend that tried to support him. He had some people on his side. He saw himself as a burden but they just wanted to help him. I guess I don't see it and that makes me even more sad.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling. It's just thoughts in my head that are more rhetorical but you know what I mean. I'm still processing here, sorry all.

[XCashier]

I'm still processing here, sorry all.

You have no reason to be sorry. You've had a horrible shock and are still recovering. We're all here for you, and Snap, and anyone else who was there.

[Pedersen]

What gives me, someone with severe depression and "bad" luck the process of thinking "God, yeah I want people to know and remember me but I'm not going to hurt others?"

If I had to guess, I'd say you were brought up to take responsibility for yourself. Just my opinion, but we're going to see things get very bad in this country in the next 10 to 20 years. Very bad.

More and more children are being raised to believe that they are owed a good standard of living, that they are owed a good life. Fewer people seem to be being brought up to try to take care of themselves.

Put that together with everything I said above, and it's a recipe for disaster. Powerless people who think they're supposed to have a good life handed to them by the rest of the world, and aren't getting that life.

I think you can see where things could get ugly, and quickly.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling. It's just thoughts in my head that are more rhetorical but you know what I mean. I'm still processing here, sorry all.

And I will only demand one thing of you, personally. Come to think of it, I demand it of anybody who is being affected by this (you too Snaps!).

Don't apologize for how you feel.

I mean it. Don't apologize for rambling, for trying to express how you feel. Just don't. You've got a traumatic enough event happening, you don't need to add feeling guilty for having an emotional reaction to it. What you need is the chance to understand your own feelings, and come to terms with them.

I'm no psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist. But I can listen/read. Feel free to vent. I'll read every reply, and talk to you. I might not help you resolve anything. Hell, I might say the wrong thing and make it worse (I try not to do that, really). But I will listen.

And feel free to use any of my IM's as well (check my profile), or PM me, if desired. I know how little I can do from here, but I'll do what I can.

[crazylegs]

JUst popped back online after a few days and I've just heard about this, glad to hear all our fellow CSers are all ok. Look after yourselves guys.

[SnapAddict218]

I have to drive right by Von Maur to get to work- this morning there was crime tape on the bushes..inches from my car. Cop cars still blocking entrances... and the news people! Holy cow! Everywhere..I've never seen so many news crews...I'm sure my trailblazer will be in the a background at some point.

It was an erie feeling...the mall being deserted like that. What a striking contrast with the pretty white snow falling and the harsh yellow police tape...the pretty store christmas lights and the searingly bright police strobes.

There is a prayer service tonight not far from here. I think we here at work are thinking about going. Bunny you going?

[monolayth]

Just checking in.....I'm ok........glad I decided to put off shopping...was gonna go there yesterday.

[monolayth]

There is a prayer service tonight not far from here. I think we here at work are thinking about going. Bunny you going?

where and when? i'll be working tonight...but i might get off early with the snow and people will prob want to be with family tonight and not eating out.

[monolayth]

anyone know when they are releasing names?