Category: Crime

There’s No Way the Media Is Touching the Latest Trans Mass Shooter Story

Mia had the details this afternoon about the wannabe transgender mass shooter, who was arrested but known to authorities for years due to aberrant and violent behavior. The FBI picked up Elizabeth Ballesteros West, formerly Francisco Frank Paramo, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, for allegedly plotting a mass slaughter of supposed ‘transphobes.’ West also shoved a shogun into the mouth of his father in 1993 and pulled the trigger, though the firearm failed to fire.

There’s ‘guess that party,’ a game that pops up when a Republican gets into ethical or legal trouble, though party affiliation vanishes from the reporting like Houdini when Democrats find themselves in similar circumstances. We’re rehashing another fan favorite for this story: will the media cover it? The answer is hell no.

The LGBT aspect aside, West is a neo-Nazi. As Mia noted, the would-be mass killer was happy to move to Eugene because there was an absence of blacks and Mexicans. West had numerous racist social media posts, along with images of Nazi flags. Just read the insanity:

According to a 23-page affidavit authored by an FBI special agent who specializes in behavioral threat assessment and terrorism-related crimes, the federal law enforcement agency was alerted all the way back on September 26, via an anonymous tip, that West was threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his workplace and accusing coworkers, his apparent targets, of “transphobia.”

In his threat posted to a Facebook “transwoman” support group, West claimed he was being “bullied by trans phobic a**holes” at work. At the “end of my rope” and “left with no alternative,” West indicated that he intended to “go out in a blaze of glory.”

“Well, I wish I had better news to tell but what I’m writing to you right now is the fact that I’m at the end of my rope[.] I’m probably gonna get fired from his job. I’m […] supposed to be called into the office this morning so I wonder what lies are going to spew in order to justify firing me. I’m too old to keep looking for jobs and I’ve had it up to here being bullied by trans phobic a**holes I am left with no alternative. I’ll probably have to go out in a blaze of glory. I’ve been preparing for this moment a long time at least then I’ll be remember I have no family no friends…So there really isn’t any point living anymore? I’m just gonna have to do what I have to do and pray for the gods to forgive me,” West wrote in a post to the Facebook page “TRANS WOMAN SUPPORT GROUP.”[…]

West’s dead boyfriend had owned a Nazi flag. Following his passing, West found the Nazi flag and kept it. West has “mixed feelings” about Nazi sentiments, the FBI affidavit says, is “juxtaposed” on the political climate in Israel, and thinks the Israelis treat Palestinians in the same manner that the Nazis persecuted the Jews during the Holocaust. West is also angry that U.S. immigrants enjoy welfare and food stamps on his tax dollars, yet he is unable to benefit from the same social programs.

In November, the FBI began tracking West’s alarming activity on X’s platform. There, he describes himself as a “Nazi dominatrix from Hell, who is tired of the blackening of America and Europe and ready to stand up to the Black orcs and the Jewish wizards.” Previously, West’s profile picture featured a Nazi flag, and his X biography stated he’s “an older woman trying to find her way.”

Mia noted the interviews the FBI had with West, the long history of disturbing posts, and the research he did to commit suicide—this person was severely mentally ill. You have mental health playing a major factor here, too. Either way you slice it, the media has zero interest in reporting on this story if they hope to weaponize it against Republicans.

I’ll use the lexicon of the PC police here: It seems every mass shooting, including attempts, featuring these individuals who are part of the alternate lifestyle is more insane than the last. Sure, the Left is going to point out that more ‘cisgender’ people have committed mass shootings. The problem is that these same folks have been peddling the narrative that mass shootings are an exclusively white, male, and Republican problem. At times, it’s been framed as some social defect or an illness. We now have multiple transgender mass shootings and like-minded plots being unearthed, and it’s another reminder of how a) authorities seem to know about all the perpetrators, regardless of how they identify, and b) how mental health always seems to be at the forefront of all these shootings.

It’s not a new story, but one that never gets old because the establishment media will never cease protecting the holy grail of liberal narratives.

Updated information on Mass Public Shootings from 1998 through October 2023

Between January 1st, 1998, and October 25th, 2023, 52.5% of attacks used solely handguns, and 16.8% used only rifles of any type—thirty-five percent of attacks used solely rifles or rifles in conjunction with another type of gun. Given the debate over pistol-stabilizing braces, the Excel file we provide lists the guns used in each attack, and two of the attacks used AR-15-type handguns with a pistol-stabilizing brace.

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What We Know About the Iowa School Shooter

The now-deceased suspected gunman who shot at least six victims—killing one, a sixth-grade middle schooler—at a small-town high school in Perry, Iowa, early Thursday morning has been identified by authorities as 17-year-old student Dylan “DJ” Butler.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assistant director Mitch Mortvedt confirmed at an afternoon press conference that Butler “made a number of social media posts in and around the time of the shooting.” Investigators are working to “secure” those pieces of evidence, Mortvedt said. When asked about footage circulating online, Mortvedt said he hadn’t seen the video in question.

According to a since-deactivated TikTok profile that many are claiming belong to Butler, the last TikTok video posted to the page @tooktoomuch featured a selfie taken in what looks like a bathroom stall moments before the shooting took place.

“[N]ow we wait,” read the clip’s caption as the rock band KMFDM’s song Stray Bullet played in the background. A blue duffle bag sat on the ground. An emoji of the gay Pride flag was featured in the TikTok page’s bio and an image of an anime girl was selected as the profile picture’s avatar. In another TikTok video, the account used the hashtag “genderfluid.”

According to a series of Reddit posts that Butler appears to have authored, he interacted with transgender and “femboy” forums.

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Iowa School Shooter Made Several Social Posts Before Killing 1, Wounding 5 Others

and the usual

Word to the wise; What the ‘big time’ crims use always filters down to the lesser jackals.

Suspected Foreign Gangs Breaking Into American Homes, Multi-Antenna Device and Advanced Tactics Points to Chilling Reality

President Joe Biden’s immigration crisis is hitting home in an all-new way.

For border state residents, of course, the long, national nightmare has been ongoing since before Biden took office. More recently, Democratic-run cities like New York and Chicago have felt the pain.

Now, upscale homes in what used to be considered safe neighborhoods are getting a taste, too. And one dangerous piece of technology is playing a role.

According to WXYZ-TV, Detroit-area law enforcement agencies have formed a task force to crack down on a sophisticated group of thieves that has been targeting high-end homes across the country, but especially in Oakland County, Michigan.

Oakland County, just north of Detroit’s Wayne County in the southeast corner of the state, has been the scene of high-profile home robberies by a suspected international crime organization that appears to be drawing members mainly from the South American country of Chile.

What makes the group particularly dangerous is its practice of using jamming devices to incapacitate security systems and cellular phone communications in the target homes.

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What we know about the deceased UNLV gunman, ABC News reports
ABC News reports that 67-year-old Tony Polito is the gunman who killed three and hospitalized 1 at UNLV.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — 67-year-old Tony Polito is the deceased gunman of the UNLV shooting that took place Wednesday afternoon, ABC News reports.

ABC has been able to verify a LinkedIn page and a website that is believed to have been operated by Tony Polito.
ABC says Polito is the gunman, armed with a handgun, who killed three and hospitalized one. The news outlet says there are multiple victims of the shooting. Reports came around 11:59 a.m.

Polito’s home is believed to be in the 300 block of Arroyo Grande, where the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was granted a search warrant to continue investigating.

ABC says detectives have retrieved his phone and are now examining it for contents of clues about what could have motivated the killer’s attack. Since the victims killed were not students, it suggests to investigators that the rampage was not random and could have been targeting certain people because of some previous relationship or interaction.

AP reported that Polito unsuccessfully sought a job at the school.

Polito is said to have ties to North Carolina and Georgia, where he previously worked as a college professor.

On his personal website, Polito has published a 15-page document on the Zodiac Killer, claiming to have decoded some of the cryptic messaging from the Zodiac Killer. The website also lists the various courses he seems to have taught, with syllabi and schedules, the most recent one being a Business class from 2017 at East Carolina University.

On the website, Polito also has writing about Las Vegas; although it is not clear when these were written. He wrote that he had the pleasure of making more than two dozen trips to Vegas in the last 15 years.

He also shared numerous links to news articles and references to travel guides for Vegas on his website.

On LinkedIn, Polito describes himself as a “Semi-Retired University Professor” living in Las Vegas. His most recent and only listed position is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University, where he listed that he worked between 2001 and 2017. Polito has also listed his Ph.D. in Philosophy and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Georgia and Duke University, respectively.

He has numerous endorsements from his colleagues at East Carolina University for his skills in student affairs, public speaking and teaching.

Channel 13 is working to confirm additional information about the four known shooting victims.

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AP: Las Vegas shooting suspect was a professor who recently applied for a job at UNLV

The man suspected of fatally shooting three people and wounding another at a Las Vegas university Wednesday was a professor who unsuccessfully sought a job at the school, a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press.

The gunman was killed in a shootout with law enforcement, police said.

The suspect previously worked at East Carolina University in North Carolina, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information publicly.

Police didn’t immediately identify the gunman, the victims or a possible motive.

Reports of shots fired at about 11:45 a.m. sent police swarming onto the campus while students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms.

Police said the shooting started on the fourth floor of the building that houses UNLV’s Lee Business School. The gunman went to several floors before he was killed in a shootout with two university detectives outside the building, said UNLV Police Chief Adam Garcia.

Authorities gave the all-clear about 40 minutes after the first report of an active shooter.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,….“

Potential Mass Shooting in Denver Stopped by Police, not Gun Control

Authorities in Denver still aren’t sure what Joshua Mitchell’s plan was, or if he even had one, when he abandoned his car on a busy street and walked a mile to a city park while armed with a rifle, but after Mitchell was shot and killed by officers police discovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition in multiple magazines on his person and in a knapsack.

Mitchell didn’t fire any rounds before police arrived on the scene at Commons Park on November 20th, but there were multiple 911 calls made from parkgoers alerting authorities to a man who was chasing people and yelling at them while carrying a long gun. When the first officers showed up at the park, Mitchell was seated on a park bench, but refused to drop his gun when officers told him to do so. Instead, he allegedly raised the rifle at one of the officers and squeezed off several rounds, prompting them to fire back in response.

Body-worn camera footage shows both officers told Mitchell to drop his weapon twice before Mitchell began shooting. He started shooting approximately 15 seconds after the officer on the hill exited his vehicle.

The two officers fired seven rounds during the shooting, Clark said. Police approached him after it appeared he had dropped the rifle to see if they could provide medical aid. Mitchell was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

Police Chief Ron Thomas said officers may have prevented a greater tragedy from occurring that day.

“I want to acknowledge that any time a life is lost it’s certainly a tragedy and I don’t want us to lose sight of that today,” Thomas said. “I do think there’s evidence to suggest that had the officers not taken the actions that they took that there could have been an even greater tragedy given some of the things that we’ve discovered in our investigation.”

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Former Kentucky FBI agent pleads guilty to federal charges, admits taking guns from storage

A former Central Kentucky FBI agent pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges after he illegally took guns from an FBI storage office, according to court records.

Michael Van Aelstyn, 45, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and possessing an unregistered firearm, according to court documents. He was originally charged with possession of a firearm made in violation of the National Firearms Act, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful transfer of a firearm to an out-of-state resident, according to a May indictment.

Van Aelstyn is alleged to have removed two illegal firearms from a suspect’s home, transported them to an FBI office for storage, and later removed them from the evidence room, taking them to his residence, according to court documents.

Van Aelstyn also gave an AM-15 multi-caliber rifle to a man identified in court documents as “MH,” and told him “he should not let anyone else know the source of that firearm.”

Another gun, a Cugir Mini Draco pistol, was allegedly destroyed by Van Aelstyn and thrown away, according to court documents.

Van Aelstyn also illegally possessed a 20-gauge Winchester shotgun with a sawed-off barrel, which was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, according to the plea deal.

His attorney, Thomas Bullock, declined to comment Tuesday.

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Police are investigating a shooting at the Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio

Police are responding to a report of a shooting with multiple victims at a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, Monday night.

The Beavercreek Police Department responded to a report of an active shooter, according to Enquirer media partner Fox19.

The Dayton Daily News said there were at least three gunshot victims, according to reports. A CareFlight medical helicopter took flight around 9:50 p.m. for Miami Valley Hospital. The Greene County Coroner’s Office also was called to the scene. Law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions in Greene, Montgomery and Clark counties responded to the store, where police could be seen inside on the grocery side.

“There is no active threat at this time,” the department said in a Facebook post.

Beavercreek is home to about 46,000 people and is a western suburb of Dayton. In 2019, Dayton was the site of a mass shooting in its Oregon District. Connor Betts killed nine people and wounded many more before he was shot and killed by police.

In 2014, John Crawford III was shot and killed by a police officer at the same Walmart where the shooting occurred in Beavercreek Monday. Crawford was holding a pellet gun that he had picked up in the store.

Czech News Crew Covering APEC Robbed at Gunpoint in Stringently Gun-Controlled San Francisco

A news crew from the Czech Republic was robbed at gunpoint Sunday evening while in the Bay Area to cover the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that “Czech TV journalist Bohumil Vostal was capturing what he thought would be a majestic shot — San Francisco’s iconic City Lights bookstore, steeped in the gathering dusk — when three masked assailants approached with guns pointed.”

The suspects were able to get away with over $18,000 worth of equipment before fleeing the scene in a sedan.

Vostal indicated that by taking the equipment, the suspects also managed to take footage which had been shot while the Czech crew traversed San Francisco.

KTVU noted that Bay Area stations “often send armed guards with reporters and photographers” as their crews cover stories in San Francisco.

San Francisco is located in California, the state with the most gun control of any state in the Union.

California has universal background checks, an “assault weapons” ban, gun registration requirements, a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, a limit on the number of guns a law-abiding citizen can buy each month, a ban on campus carry for self-defense, a ban on K-12 teachers being armed for classroom defense, strict regulations on firearms Democrats refer to as “ghost guns,” strict regulations on firearm marketing practices, a background check requirement for ammunition purchases, and numerous other gun and ammunition controls.

While California is No. 1 for gun control, FBI figures showed the state was also No. 1 for “active shooter incidents” in 2021.

WE HAVE OBTAINED EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE NASHVILLE COVENANT SHOOTER’S MANIFESTO

BREAKING: Nashville Trans Manifesto Leaked “I Hope I Have A High Death Count”; Shooter Specifically Targeted Students With “White Privileges” And Was “Ready to Die”

  • Louder with Crowder has exclusively obtained three pages of Nashville shooter AudreyHale’s alleged manifesto.
  • Hale, a transgender 28-year-old man going by the name “Aiden” Hale, entered The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Green Hills, Tennessee – killing six, before being shot and killed by responding officers.
  • The manifesto detailed thoughts Hale had leading up to what was referred to as “DEATH DAY”, as well as a timeline in which the shooting would take place.
  • Audrey Hale: “Can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m ready…I hope my victims aren’t.”
  • Hale: “I hope I have a high death count.”
  • Hale: “Kill those kids!!!”
  • Hale: “going to fancy private schools with those fancy khakis + sports backpacks w/ their daddies mustangs + convertibles.”
  • Hale: “Wanna kill all you little crackers!!! Bunch of little faggots w/ your white privileges”• Hale: There were several times I could have been caught especially b—ack in the summer of 2021.
  • Hale: “It might be 10 minutes tops. It might be 3-7. Its gunna go quick.”

[NASHVILLE – Nov. 06, 2023] Louder with Crowder is publishing three pages of the long-awaited Nashville transgender mass shooter’s manifesto. These pages of the manifesto were exclusively obtained by MugClub Undercover.

The never-before-seen manifesto details how Audrey Hale planned to carry out the targeted massacre.

In the pages reviewed and corroborated by MugClub Undercover, Hale said she hoped to have a “high death count” and wanted to “kill” kids with “white privileges.”

Also included is a timeline of events, as Hale wanted them playing out:

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So the guy merely went to a place no one had thought to search yet. It’s like a recital by different performers of the same piece to see the variations on the theme.

To paraphrase Thufir Hawat;
The shooter legally buys a gun or two, then later, enters someplace familiar, randomly kills people, then usually either commits suicide at his discretion of place and time or engages law enforcement to commit ‘Suicide by Cop’.
It follows the familiar mass murderer pattern.

Maine mass killing suspect found dead, ending search that put entire state on edge

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — The Army reservist who opened fire in a bowling alley and then at a bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people, was found dead Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot, ending an intensive two-day search that had the state on edge.

Robert Card, a firearms instructor who grew up in the area, was found dead in nearby Lisbon Falls, Gov. Janet Mills said at a Friday night news conference.

“Like many people I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” Mills said.

April Stevens, a Lewiston resident who knew one of the victims, said she was relieved to learn that the “monster and coward” who inflicted so much pain was no longer a danger.

“I’m relieved but not happy,” she said. “There was too much death. Too many people were hurt. Relieved, yes, happy, no.”

Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) southeast of where the second shooting occurred Wednesday evening. He declined to divulge the location but an official told The Associated Press the body was at a recycling center from which Card had been fired.

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Fed up people leaving crime-ridden cities, blame Biden.

A majority of people have had it with the surge in crime and are leaving and avoiding dangerous cities, trying to cope with the wave of shootings and carjackings or simply giving up on their situation, according to a new law enforcement survey.

The National Sheriffs’ Association/TIPP survey shared with Secrets shows that many blame President Joe Biden and his open borders agenda for the surge.

“Americans are experiencing an increase in crime in their neighborhoods over the past year,” said Sheriff Jim Skinner of Collin County, Texas, and the chairman of the association’s government affairs committee.

“Most Americans are dissatisfied with President Biden’s crime control policies, notably Republicans and independents. Weak immigration policies contribute to an increase in crime. Dissatisfaction spans ideological lines, with conservatives, moderates, and liberals all expressing concerns about these policies,” he added in an analysis of the new survey.

While government reports are conflicting on whether crime has surged beyond city limits, inside cities such as Washington, D.C., the rise in carjackings, holdups, and theft has risen dramatically and often the attacks are filmed and posted online.

Screen Shot 2023-10-23 at 10.23.40 AM.png

As a result, many believe crime is up and some people are deciding to leave dangerous cities.

Skinner said, “As a result of increased crime, many American families have been impacted, with some feeling helpless and even considering relocating. Others have reported coping with the changes. Communities facing rising crime rates have witnessed reduced visitation or abandonment, highlighting the tangible consequences of increased crime on people’s behaviors and choices.”

What’s more, people are avoiding crime areas. According to the analysis, “Communities with increased crime are being abandoned. For example, nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents have either reduced or stopped visiting communities with increased crime. While a third (34%) have reduced, another 29% have stopped altogether.”

Law enforcement, and especially the National Sheriffs’ Association, had a good relationship with the Trump administration but not with the Biden White House. Skinner said that the group has reached out to the White House with some ideas to cut crime, but they have not heard back.

Skinner listed the group’s ideas for curbing crime. They include:

  • Increasing border security and doing more to stop the illegal importation of drugs.
  • Prosecuting gun crime. “Armed criminals committing murder with guns will not simply put down their weapons because the law bans the weapon. Violent criminals will always find a way to obtain a gun,” the agenda said.
  • Reevaluating no bail laws.
  • Doing more for mental health.

3 dead, 3 injured after shooting at Denver party

DENVER (KDVR) — Three people died and three others were injured after a shooting early Saturday morning, according to the Denver Police Department.

The shooting occurred in the 12400 block of East 39th Avenue. Around 1:37 a.m., officers responded and found a victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

That victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to police, it was later found out that five additional victims were self-transported to local hospitals.

Two of those victims were pronounced dead at the hospital. Three others were expected to survive. All of the victims were adults, according to DPD.

The preliminary investigation indicated there was a party at an industrial storefront. According to DPD, there was evidence of shots from at least two firearms at the storefront.

“The party was happening in one of those units and we don’t know yet what escalated to the gunshot,” Matt Clark with the Denver Police Department told FOX31. “We have evidence guns were shot both inside and outside of the unit and multiple guns were involved.”

Investigators were working to determine the circumstances that led up to the shooting and who was involved.

“A combination of people running, and fleeing the scene. There was a lot of vehicles. Probably about 25 vehicles in the area,” Juan Munoz, whose video camera captured the end of the shooting told FOX31.

No arrests had been made as of 10 p.m.

Wants to appear ‘tough on crime’

Newsom Announces $267 Million Program to Combat Organized Retail Theft.

In another effort to be perceived as “doing something about the problem,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $267 million initiative to combat organized retail crime.

“Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs,” Newsom said. “With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions. When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they’ll walk straight into jail cells.”

To put it delicately, that’s a load of crap.

First of all, police have to catch the criminals. While they apprehend some of them, most get away. And even when arrests are made, good luck seeing many of these criminals at trial when their bail is a joke or even non-existent.

As far as prosecutions are concerned, you have to have state’s attorneys willing to enforce the law and put these people in prison. But we know that’s not going to happen. So even if they’re convicted, the chances of the thieves going to prison are small. Instead, the criminals will be back on the streets preparing for their next payday.

The Messenger:

Individual sheriffs offices and police department will be awarded over $23 million each in funding to be used for creating “fully staffed retail theft investigative units, increase arrests, install advanced surveillance technology, train loss prevention officers, create new task forces, increase cooperation with businesses and the community, target criminals in blitz operations, as well as crack down on vehicle and catalytic converter theft.”

The Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program will partner with law enforcement agencies in seven counties and 34 cities across the Golden State.

Is organized retail theft — or shoplifting — really that much of a problem? Popular Information doesn’t think it is.

2023 data from most major California cities, however, does not reflect a significant increase in shoplifting or organized retail crime. In San Francisco, larceny-theft, which includes shoplifting, is down 5.6% year-to-date. Burglary in San Francisco is down 6.8% year-to-date. In San Jose, burglary and larceny are both down nearly 20% year-to-date. In Los Angeles, burglary has decreased 2.7% year-to-date, but theft has increased 14.1% year-to-date.

Taken as a whole, the available data suggests organized retail crime does not appear to be a growing problem in the nation or California. So is combating organized retail crime the best use of $267 million in taxpayer dollars?

What matters far more than dollars and cents on this issue is the perception that retail smash-and-grab thefts are out of control and something needs to be done.

The videos of these robberies are terrifying. Shoppers are thinking twice about going into a brick-and-mortar retail store. Hence, Newsom’s totally useless program that looks good on the nightly news but doesn’t do a darn thing to change the situation.

Robberies won’t stop until store owners make it too difficult for the thugs to steal from them. Whether its armed guards or putting merchandise under lock and key, store owners will figure it out eventually.

Gun Free Zones are murder magnets.
Arm yourself because no one else will save you

Jacksonville update: Assailant avoided not one, but TWO secure targets before going to the third

A few days ago, we learned how the assailant in the white supremacist attack on the Dollar General store in Jacksonville, FL avoided a hard target and went for an undefended one instead. From the previous article:

Jacksonville assailant found a soft target after security scared him away from the first

Prior to the shooting, the gunman had been turned away from the campus of a nearby historically Black university, Edward Waters University. There, he refused to identify himself to an on-campus security officer and was asked to leave, the university stated in a news release.

“The individual returned to their car and left campus without incident. The encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by EWU security,” the school said.

It was obvious why the assailant ran away from there. An armed on-campus security officer arrived. That would have meant an immediate confrontation, which the assailant did not want. He wanted to take his own sweet time ending the lives of innocent, unarmed victims.

It turns out, however, that this was not a one-off occurrence. The assailant had initially planned to attack a different Family Dollar store and ran away from there also because he saw the possibility of immediate armed resistance. CNN’s newer report states this (archived links):

The Jacksonville gunman’s dad called 911 after the deadly rampage started. Here’s what he said about his son

Authorities have released details from a 911 call made by the father of [***] – the gunman who killed three people in what authorities called a racially motivated rampage at a Dollar General store in Florida. […]

After the gunfire started, [***] texted his father and told him to go into his room, where the father found a will and a suicide note, Jacksonville’s sheriff said. […]

[***] had been getting psychiatric help and was on medication, but it looked like his son had stopped taking his medication because there was a full bottle that was filled on July 23, his father told the operator.

The father said he called the Clay County Sheriff’s Office a few years ago when his son threatened to kill himself.

[***] flunked out of college, then worked at Home Depot and was “pretty much been living in his room” after losing that job, his father told the operator.

The same factors – mental illness, self-isolation, unemployment – play out in a lot of these incidents. Clearly, this man was sick to begin with. At some point, he also went down the path of hate.

Investigators believe the gunman originally intended to attack a different dollar store – a Family Dollar he visited just minutes before driving to the university, Waters told CNN’s Abby Phillip on Monday night.

Waters believes the sight of a security vehicle arriving at the store and parking outside deterred the shooter.

“I don’t think he wanted to have any confrontation with someone that would create an issue for him or stop him from doing what he wanted to do,” Waters said.

“He had a goal in mind,” the sheriff said. “I think he wanted those stores – one of those stores. I don’t know why.”

So, the assailant first went to a Family Dollar store, saw a security vehicle, drove away to Edward Waters University. a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), again encountered security there, and finally ended up at the Dollar General where he committed his atrocity.

Duval County Sheriff T. K. Waters does not think that the assailant intended to attack the HBCU:

Surveillance footage shows two young African American men getting into the car next to the suspect’s as he was sitting in the lot, the sheriff noted. That bolsters Waters’ belief that the gunman didn’t intend to carry out an attack at the university, he said.

“He had the opportunity to do so, and he did not,” Waters told CNN on Monday.

The shooter immediately started to drive away after being approached by a security officer, and he was followed until he left campus, Edward Waters University President and CEO A. Zachary Faison Jr. said.

This is where I disagree with the Sheriff. We have seen enough assailants target universities and colleges. I am skeptical that this man parked by a HBCU just to prepare and drive two minutes down the street to a dollar store for his attack.

Assailants love target-rich environments with unarmed targets. They are on a kamikaze mission, and all they want to do is take as many people as possible with them. That’s why they avoid hard targets and go for softer ones instead. It’s not much different from a thief who encounters two bicycles, one securely locked and another poorly secured, and goes for the “low-hanging fruit.”

The lesson learned here is to harden targets and for the people to be prepared. Statistically, public mass shootings by a stranger are exceedingly rare. But if you are concerned about it, take steps to arm yourself, get trained, practice regularly, and be prepared to shoot back.