This video contains very disturbing footage. What is striking is how brave and calm the school board members, particularly Bay City Schools Superintendent Bill Husfelt, prove under pressure. The gunman has been identified as Clay A. Duke.
At one point, a female school board member [Ginger Littleton] who was allowed to leave returned to try to take the gun away. This looks like a case of “suicide by cop” to me.
After security guard Mike Jones wounded Duke, he appears to have shot himself.
I think the video shows members doing precisely what they should do in such a circumstance. The only exception would be Littleton, who was clearly quite brave. It was unlikely that she could overpower Duke and could have caused the gun to go off while it was pointing at the other board members. I also thought it was a commendable act of restraint by the officer not to simply come in firing. He waited to see if the gunman could be persuaded by the board members and only acted when the gunman fired toward the chair. There is an abundance of courage shown by people in this video.
According to this report, Duke’s wife was fired and claimed a violation of her employment rights, but never filed suit. Police have reported that Duke appears to have planned the attacks — circling the date on his calendar.
Nevertheless, this is a remarkably sad video and a sad statement of our times in his economy.
B^3:
It took awhile to be able to do that. And I could only put a few in the center. I think those were lucky shots.
gbk:
I need that book, that was funny. Thanks.
MFM is serious.
Hope that women doesn’t have to spend more than a decade in prison for her crime of assaulting that now dead-guy and placing all those people in further jeopardy of harm.
Aw, no linked images allowed. So click here instead:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/upload/2010/12/trolling.jpeg
Somehow I think that Michelle has this book:
MFM:
Are you really serious? I think it was rather fool hardy of the woman to do that. It could have set the guy off. What is your thinking as how you would convince a jury to send her to the farm?
You might have a point the more I think about it, she was reckless and her actions could have led to a tragedy. If someone had died other than the gunman what could you charge her with?
I think I now agree with MFM at least concerning the woman. She was way out of her league and her actions could have put the school board in greater danger.
Could you get a conviction? Would the DA go after her? I wouldn’t if I were a DA and worried about my position.
People should not be a burden on society to protect themselves from themselves and others. If you cannot defend yourself, stay at home. Simple as that. And, charge that women that assaulted that dead-guy too, she’s more of a criminal than the dead-guy, he never even shot anyone other than himself. Clear case of assault and battery by her.
Updated information via AP:
Fla. shooter’s wife says husband ‘misunderstood’
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iqA1vQl997v9NFhRWMwHluUR-LYA?docId=9be7b23d6222452a8ad1617d8bb3579a
“Police say Clay Duke was a 56-year-old ex-convict who had circled Dec. 14 on a calendar in a mobile home he kept in the woods, evidence he had been planning the attack for some time.”
AGW DENIER,
I hope you’re right. If not, she’s been eating too many paint chips.
“with a 9mm pistol I can hit a grapefruit at 25′”
That’s pretty good. I’m proficient at 7 yards, but that took a good number of trips to the range.
michellefrommadison:
So does this mean my 78 year old mother has no right to expect a modicum of safety when she leaves her house to buy groceries, go to the bank, or visit friends. That she has an obligation to become a martial arts expert and pack a revolver? What about people “defending themselves” inside their home? Does your logic (for what it is) still hold true in this scenario?
michellefrommadison:
This was the outcome, which does not reflect the simple fact people were in harm’s way.
Your statement concerning the guard is just unfathomable, as are your posts. I hope you never need the assistance of anyone, at anytime in your life, because you would obviously have to refuse help based on your beliefs expressed here.
BBB:
she is trolling for gun nuts
Otterray Scribe:
with a 9mm pistol I can hit a grapefruit at 25′ and I am just a weekend/hobby shooter. It isnt that hard.
But I do agree the guard did what he thought was right. MichelleFromMadison is just yanking chains and trolling for gun nuts.
“except for that lady that should be charged with an assault of the dead suspect”
You can’t be serious!
MFM:
Why? You cannot be serious. If your avatar was I love Nancy Grace maybe I would believe you. At least it looks like Nancy Grace.
Has Nancy possessed you?
What I want to know is how this guy got a gun into chambers? At our courthouse they have metal detectors.
This is to anyone who wants to criticize the guard for not killing the gunman on the spot.
First of all, news accounts describe the security officer as Mike Jones, a former police officer. As a trained and certified law enforcement officer, he would have fired at the largest part of the target that might effect a takedown. In other words, his target would have been the suspect’s chest area. Hitting a moving and armed target from across the a large meeting room would be a challenge for the best combat shooter. Officer Jones did knock the man to the floor with his first shots, whereupon the suspect put his pistol to his own head and killed himself.
I fail to follow the convoluted logic of michellefrommichigan that Officer Jones should be fired. He did an exemplary job of putting an end to a very dangerous situation. As for no one there being in direct harm; upon what is that based, Michelle? They were in imminent danger of being shot and killed by an unstable man who just happened to be a lousy shot.
AGW, why are you blaming the security guard? Makes no sense, at least he tried to help out which is more than anyone there except for that lady that should be charged with an assault of the dead suspect. Max her time out in prison too, she put lives at risk more than anyone there doing nothing. It is not our problem if people cannot defend themselves, they shouldn’t leave their own home if they can’y properly defend themselves, it’s not societies problem.
MFM:
So I am incorrect, although I do agree that the woman who struck the man with a purse was not acting rationally. But then she was probably scared witless and you have to give her a little slack under the circumstances.
Why should the security guard be fired? He hit the guy, but again you are probably correct. A man with a weapon who has shown he is willing to use it should have had a round between the eyes.
This could have ended very badly with all dead. But thankfully, this man probably did not want to hurt anyone.
The symbol he wrote on the wall was from the movie “V for Vendetta”.
I actually feel sorry for the man, he was trying to protect his wife. He went about it in a bad manner. Very sad.
Citizen X, just a cipher in the files of government and 2.5 minutes on the evening news.
Anyone that can not physically defend themselves outside of their own home has no business becoming a burden upon society for protecting them from any harm. No person there was in any direct harm, no bullets hit anyone. The suspect killed himself and the security dude should be fired for his failures in completing his job at being able to hit his intended target.
MichellefromMadison:
I believe you said that with a couple of pounds of sarcasm. Am I correct?
Geewillikers OS, after that video put-down, I will think of you as Os-prey…