Mass-murder in Charleston church

[DoughDoe]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33190735

The killer appears to fit typical sort of mass shooter profile - young, 'loner', male. Apparently he attended an hour's bible study in the black church, before opening fire.

It's not clear if it was a random anti-black hate crime, or if the pastor, one of the dead, a Democratic state senator, was the target. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clementa_C._Pinckney

The killer's getaway vehicle bore Confederate flag plates, and he had a jacket with Rhodesia and apartheid-era South Africa flags. time.com/3926593/charleston-killer-flags/

"I am another one thinking what a contrast between this case and some other reported 'gun' 'incidents'."

What do you mean? It's not like the police waved him off. There is a big difference between a civilian fleeing the scene of the crime before the cops arrived, and a someone being stopped by police.

If law enforcement had been in the church, he would be dead now.

What she means is that the police will kill a black person without a second thought while they effortlessly mollycoddled the white murderer and protected him with a bulletproof vest.
Why should people have to carry guns in church?
I guess you feel that more violence is the answer to everything.

I don't feel sorry for the family of the murderer. they brought him up. they gave him a gun for his birthday knowing what kind of a person he is. I have not one shred of sympathy for them.

Several prominant Republicans have claimed he wanted to kill Christians (just happened to choose black ones) or was on drugs, or had MH problems.
Anything to avoid the motive he stated himself: he hates African Americans and wanted to start a race war.

Charles Cotton, an NRA (National Rifle Association) member, blamed the pastor for his own death and the deaths of his 8 congregants - because they were all unarmed.

Cotton posted on a Texas gun forum that pastor Clementa Pinckney was a state senator who had voted against a law allowing gun owners to carry concealed weapons without permits.

“Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead,”

“Innocent people died because of his position on a political issue.”

Apparently many Americans believe the only defense against a psycho in a crowded room is for everyone in that room to be armed and shooting.

After each US massacre there is usually an upsurge in people buying guns, to feel safe.

Charles Cotton, an NRA (National Rifle Association) member, blamed the pastor for his own death and the deaths of his 8 congregants - because they were all unarmed

That is appalling.

I do feel sorry for the perpetrator's family - it's not their fault he did this, and they will (probably) lose their son over this too.

I think Obama is being brave, and I bloody hope this is the final straw that kicks Congress into sorting out the gun laws. I know nothing about this subject, but I'm just appalled that this apparently civilized country can carry on like this.

I visited Charleston a few years back. Utterly beautiful city, wonderful vibe, wonderful people. I loved it. I have cried for the people of Charleston today.

I appreciate parents aren't totally responsible for how their kids turn out.
However, as with kids who run off to join ISIS, I'd wonder if he learned a basic mindset of "us vs them" from his parents, which made him much more vulnerable to extremists in young adulthood.

My sympathy is 100% for victims, whether of shootings or suicide bombs. This Charleston Victims list shows their photos, with ages ranging up to 87.

They were peacefuly studying the bible, but too many white Americans see a dark skin as somehow threatening, on a 12-yr-old or an 87-yr-old.

Add these fears to easy access to guns and the US should expect such atrocities.

There are conflicting reports about him. He had black friends on his facebook and a black friend of his is on video saying that he wasn't racist.

'Dylann Roof's friend: 'He never said anything racist'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33209654

'The pro apartheid insignia he wore on his clothes must have been ironic.'

Where did the photo come from? Was it on his facebook? Did his black friend (who in another report is his neighbour) know about these insignia?

Americans were not sufficiently motivated to change guns laws and address violence when small children were massacred at Sandy Hooke - they are not going to find the light now that 9 black adults have met a similar fate in Charleston.

education, early intervention, gun control.....they just don't get it.

So deeply, deeply frustrating.

The photo was on his facebook profile

"In Roof's Facebook profile picture, he wears a jacket with two flag sewn into the chest: that of apartheid-era South Africa and white-rule Rhodesia."
..
Some friends said they did not know him to be racist.

'I never thought he'd do something like this,' said high school friend Antonio Metze, 19. 'He had black friends.'

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3129887/Dylann-Roof-21-suspected-murdering-nine-race-hate-church-crime-got-gun-birthday-arrested-twice-year-drug-trespassing-charges.html

Of course it was a race crime. Who said it wasn't? Has anyone said it wasn't?

There are inconsistencies in the reporting about about him. He doesn't appear to have belonged to any racist group, some of his friends, including black friends, say he wasn't racist. He had black friends on his facebook and yet he had a picture with Rhodesian insignia on his facebook profile.

'Fox News for a start.'

'The very fact that the media have tracked down black 'friends' and asked if they thought he was racist suggests that there is a wish to discredit the race element of this crime.'

I think that everyone is trying to understand how someone can go into a church and sit there for an hour in a bible meeting and then kill nine people. It is monstrous and the media and everyone else is trying to understand what drove him to do it, so they are asking his friends and anyone who knew him.

I hadn't seen that Fox clip. That guy is wrong, of course it is a race crime.

'they all seem to think the answer is more guns'

That's America, it's different to here. It's part of the history of America and is in the Constitution as the right to bear arms.

I think it is a matter for Americans. I don't think people like Piers Morgan or any of us have the right to tell Americans what is best for them. Lots of Americans believe that the right to bear arms protects them from the bad guys, and that the bad guys wlll get guns, so they want to be protected from the bad guys.