"theres a reason that violent crime is lower in states like New Mexico, Texas, and Florida..,, that because criminals arent as stupid as some would like to believe.,., theyre lookin for the easy target.,., in a "shall Carry" state where its not a complete circus act to obtain a permit to legally carry a firearm.,., people think twice before attacking someone,.., the criminals count on the fact that theyre the only ones besides the police (who are at least 10 minutes away).,.,., with the weapons.,., "

This is not true the death penalty states are over run with violence.

Omaha Mall Shooting Leaves Nine Dead
By OSKAR GARCIA,AP
Posted: 2007-12-05 21:49:38
Filed Under: Nation News
OMAHA, Neb. (Dec. 5) - A man opened fire with a rifle at a busy department store Wednesday, killing eight people before taking his own life in an attack that made holiday shoppers run screaming through a mall and barricade themselves in dressing rooms. Five more people were wounded, two critically. Witnesses said the gunman fired down on shoppers from a third-floor balcony of the Von Maur department store.

"My knees rocked. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran with everybody else," said Kevin Kleine, 29, who was shopping with her 4-year-old daughter at the Westroads Mall, in a prosperous neighborhood on the city's west side. She said she hid in a dressing room with four other shoppers and an employee.

The shooter — 20-year-old Robert A. Hawkins of Bellevue, according to friends and a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about it — was found dead on the third floor with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his victims were discovered on the second and third floors, police said.

Sgt. Teresa Negron said the gunman killed eight people, then apparently killed himself. Authorities gave no motive for the attack and said they did not know whether he said anything during the rampage.

After his family kicked him out, Hawkins lived for a little more than a year with a friend's family in a house in a middle-class Bellevue neighborhood, said Debora Maruca, who owns the home.

"When he first came in the house, he was introverted, a troubled young man who was like a lost pound puppy that nobody wanted," Maruca said.

Maruca said Hawkins was fired from his job at a nearby McDonald's this week and had recently broken up with a girlfriend. She said he phoned her about 1 p.m. on Wednesday, telling her that he had left a note for her in his bedroom. She tried to get him to explain, but he hung up, she said.

She called Hawkins' mother, went to the Marucas' house, retrieved the suicide note — in which Hawkins wrote that he was "sorry for everything," would not be a burden on his family anymore and "now I'll be famous," she said — and took it to authorities.

Police received a 911 call from someone inside the mall, and shots could be heard in the background, Negron said. By the time officers arrived six minutes later, the shooting was over, she said.

"We sent every available officer in the city of Omaha," Negron said.

The Omaha World-Herald reported that the gunman had a military-style haircut and a black backpack, and wore a camouflage vest.

"Everybody was scared, and we didn't know what was going on," said Belene Esaw-Kagbara, 31, a Von Maur employee. "We didn't know what to do. I was praying that God protect us."

Mickey Vickory, who worked at Von Maur's third-floor service department, said she heard shots at about 1:50 p.m.

She and her co-workers and customers went into a back closet behind the wrapping room to hide, then emerged about a half-hour later when police shouted to come out with their hands up. As police took them to another part of the mall for safety, they saw the victims.

"We saw the bodies and we saw the blood," she said.

Keith Fidler, another Von Maur employee, said he heard a burst of five to six shots followed by 15 to 20 more rounds. Fidler said he huddled in the corner of the men's clothing department with about a dozen other employees until police yelled to get out of the store.

Witness Shawn Vidlak said the shots sounded like a nail gun. At first he thought it was noise from construction work at the mall.

"People started screaming about gunshots," Vidlak said. "I grabbed my wife and kids we got out of there as fast as we could."

Shortly after the shooting, which came three weeks before Christmas, a group of shoppers came out of the building with their hands raised. Some were still holding shopping bags.

Police told people to park their cars at businesses across from the mall and to wait for their loved ones, then directed them to an Omaha hotel to await information.

Nebraska Medical Center spokeswoman Andrea McMaster said it had three victims from the mall shooting, including a 61-year-old man in critical condition with a bullet wound to his chest.

Three victims were brought Creighton University Medical Center; two died and the other was critically wounded, spokeswoman Lisa Stites said.

By Wednesday evening, police were using a bomb robot to access a Jeep Cherokee left in the mall parking lot. Authorities believe the vehicle belonged to Hawkins. Officers had seen some wires under some clothing, but no bomb was found.

President Bush was in Omaha on Wednesday for a fundraiser, but left about an hour before the shooting.

"Having just visited with so many members of the community in Omaha today, the president is confident that they will pull together to comfort one another," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

The Von Maur store is part of a 22-store Midwestern chain. The sprawling, three-level mall has more than 135 stores and restaurants. It gets 14.5 million visitors every year, according to its Web site.

It was the second mass shooting at a mall this year. In February, nine people were shot, five of them fatally, at Trolley Square mall in Salt Lake City. The gunman, 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic, was shot and killed by police.

i agree!

to quote a line from the song Guns Made America Great


"if everyone wore pistols,the rate of crime would drop and we could all sleep easier,no need for the cops"

that is not what she was talking about

she is talking about pulling you legal to carry firearm

and blowing the azzwipe away

But by the same logic., If someone had been able to stop just one of the Columbine kids., Their victim numbers could have at least been reduced by half.,. If not completely stopped just by the fact that they were actually confronted with the possibility of force equal to.,., or greater than their own.., Also.,., to legally obtain a Concealed Firearms permit in my state you must register your information with the state., take an exam on the laws concerning such carry.,., and demonstrate your ability to safely and lawfully use and control your fire arm.,., Your comment of the "crazies" legally having guns..,., Is a valid issue But a VERY small one at that.,., Fact is.,. We dont know who the "crazies" are or not.,., Till they go and do something crazy that is.,. but at least the person must go through the system that may weed him out.,.,, unlike an illegally obtained fire arm.,., which is givin out to whoevers got a little bit of cash on hand.,.,.,

The way I look at it is this.,., Terrible things happen to good, innocent people everyday.,., The police have their place., and do an amazing job., But., as hard as they try., they cannot be everywhere all the time.,.,I take comfort in knowing that God forbid anything happen to myself or anyone around me to threaten their life or limb.,., I have the ability to possibly prevent a great tragedy.,., Instead of just calling the police and hoping they show up in time,.., The average response time of the police in a medium size town., is somewhere around 10 minutes.,., when someone is threatening your life.,., how long do you want to wait?..,., I dont want to shoot anyone,.., But I would if I had to., to save myself or someone else

In this case of the mall shooting.,., the killing didnt stop till the Shooter chose to stop it by ending his own life.,., How many of the victims could still be alive right now if a trained and lawful citizen had been there to at least address the situation instead of just letting it run its course.,.,