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conflicting reports, Facebook, garden state plaza, gunman, Laurie Romanelli, LAX, mall shooting, media, NBC News, New Jersey, nj, Nordstrom, paramus, police, Richard O'Malley, security, shooter, shots fired, SWAT, TSA, White House
Once again we were faced with the madness. A man, in a helmet with the visor down, dressed in combat clothing, and carrying a rifle, was able to walk into the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ and start shooting. Witnesses say between two to five shots were fired. How was this man able to enter the mall? Where was security?!
Most police activity took place outside the entrance to Nordstrom. As of midnight, EST, officials are reporting one shell casing found at the scene and the shooter has not been located.
My status on Facebook regarding the shooting had several people commenting. Richard O’Malley, a New Jersey resident, had this to say, “You aren’t ever safe, anywhere. You are always a potential victim. The question is always, “Is there someone easier than you to attack?”. And in NJ, the law has made us all fair game.” Laurie Romanelli, another New Jersey native said, “The worlds gone nuts! I had to go to willow brook the other night ( tho I prefer GSPlaza) it’s nothing but kids hanging out getting in trouble!!! My kids were never allowed to do that!!!”
The information surrounding this event is all over the place. The shooter’s in the mall, the shooter’s long gone, there were two shots fired, there were five shots fired. Of course in all the chaos there are bound to be conflicting reports. NBC News is reporting that only one shot was fired. This shooting comes on the heels of the shooting at LAX airport last week, where a New Jersey man is accused of killing a TSA agent and injuring 4 others. He also, was able to get by security, before he was wounded and taken into custody. Are Americans in such dire straights that they feel the only way out is to take others with them?
This brings me back to a discussion several of my friends and I have been having regarding the amount of information that is told to us by the media. People who have an axe to grind find they can get their ten minutes of fame because the news agencies will give them that moment.
Do you think the media tells too much or do you feel you need to know everything that’s happening during a given event? So why, then, does the local news make the rounds, for hours at a time, while the White House gets to sit back and tell tales?
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Sadly, look for more of the same, as a younger generation finds it harder to cope in a languishing economy. Any attempt to try and curtail the problem will only be a topical remedy, far from a solution. The country has turned away from the basic principles on which it was founded. It’s amazing that anyone is surprised at the outcome.
If there is a silver lining in this particular episode it’s that the gunman was the only casualty. It’s sad that any human life was lost but a huge consolation that innocent people who went to a shopping trip at the mall were spared and returned home to their loved-ones.
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Interestingly, this turned out to be a suicide, with no intent to hurt anyone but himself.
I don’t think the media reports should be less detailed. Information is always our friend. Burying our heads in the sand, doesn’t make these things not happen, it just makes us an easier target.
Remember, these reports make national news, that’s only 1 person in 300,000,000+. It isn’t common, at all, but it seems we hear about it “more often” it is just that our communication is better.
What saddens me most, is that this guy could’ve killed hundreds of people, yet the laws in NJ don’t allow us to protect ourselves. Just look how long it took police to respond and assess this situation. You want easy victims, go to NJ, your leaders have lined you up for the bad guys.
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