Another bad day in Cumbria

[woody67]

I first got the news via e-mail whilst at work and naively said to my wife it would be a prankster with a toy gun......little did I know. Strangely enough, during one of my lectures last week, I mentioned the very low rate of violence in Cumbria, let alone murder. It truly is surreal - I know all the places well where the innocents lost their lives. May these poor souls rest in peace.

Mark

 

[studders]

12 Dead, 25 Injured, some seriously.

I don't care what caused him to lose it, he had No Right Whatever to Gun down totally innocent people.

Like many Cowards of his ilk he took the easy way out after his rampage.

May he rot in Hell.

 

[Dibs-h]

May he rot in Hell.

+1 and then some.

 

[big soft moose]

12 Dead, 25 Injured, some seriously.
.

apparently including his twin brother and the family solicitor.

 

[woodbloke]

Two firearms apparently, and one a shotgun? I dare say that the aftermath of this sorry affair will be further tightening of the gun laws.
Agree with all comments thus far...a very sad day - Rob

 

[Digit]

It's just been reported on Sky news that he was a license holder, with a criminal record!
For God's sake who permitted that? Same as Dunblane, will we see again the man responsible retiring on grounds of 'ill health' on a full pension?

Roy.

 

[Mike.C]

It reminds me of the day a lady friend and I went to pick up two chesterfield settee's from until then a little unknown town called Hungerford. We had just left the area when Michael Ryan started his killing spree, but it wasn't until I got home that evening and turned on the news that I went cold when I found out what happened.

Man's inhumanity to his fellow man still astounds me.

Cheers

Mike

 

[billw]

A sad outcome of this will be some completely OTT knee-jerk reaction by the government, because that is what people want. It is a shame people don't want a rational discussion where this is put into perspective, and people will realise that taking guns away from the sensible people will NOT stop the idiots getting hold of them, legally or otherwise.

If the reaction to someone dying was to ban the item that killed them, then we'd probably see bans on every type of woodworking equipment and tools!

 

[Digit]

Fraid so. The 1997 firearms act that effectively banned hand guns after Dunblane has seen a 400 percent increase in all forms of firearm injuries apparently.

In 2007, the British government was accused by Shadow Home Secretary David Davis of making "inaccurate and misleading" statements claiming that gun crime was falling, after official figures showed that gun-related killings and injuries recorded by police had risen more than fourfold since 1998,

From wiki.
Hardly a successful enterprise as the vast majority will not have been legal firearms.

Roy.

 

[mailee]

That is the big problem with banning firearms, it just drives them underground where they are harder to police. I gave up my guns and shooting after Hungerford knowing what was to come. :roll:

 

[Shane]

I gave up my guns and shooting after Hungerford knowing what was to come. :roll:

Friends of mine were members of a gun club, and give it up cos of that, did that legislation work? obviously not. Bottom line is if someone is gonna snap no amount of law is gonna help, I'm sure the scared masses will want some rash change though.

 

[Benchwayze]

I just don't know what Police Forces are coming to...

On the day after this happened, I counted 15 police officers and two plastic Support Officers conducting a 'stop check' of motorists outside Asda, in Great Barr. Just 30 yards from one of the Midlands' busiest road junctions and causing gridlock! They were all helmets, so the highest rank would've been a Sergeant. I think they caught a dozen offenders against traffic laws, and they called it a success. :roll:

I can't blame the Cumbria Police for this man's killing spree. Nor can I see how they could have caught up with him any sooner than they did. Initial reports would have been sketchy and garbled to say the least. The man was using a vehicle, in a sparsely populated area he knew well.

With so few officers on the streets now, these things are going to happen. Had there been any Police presence, we would no doubt have had a dead officer too. But whoever allowed this man to have a firearm/shotgun certificate slipped up. Unless there's something no one is telling us.

What we don't want is knee-jerk reaction and a poorly conceived ban on shotguns and rifles.

I was seriously considering joining a clay-shooting club. But I suppose now, I will have to take psychological tests, to prove I am sane and a fit person to use a shotgun. For sure no one will be able to own one themselves, unless they are a farmer or game keeper, etc.

I imagine the illegal arms manufacturers are rubbing their hands in glee.

RIP the unfortunate souls who died. My thoughts are with their families and friends.

John