Tag Archives: Antioch

Let slip the dogs of panickmongering

Oh dear, another mass shooting involving an AR-pattern rifle.

First the report:

BREAKING: Multiple People Have Just Been Killed In A Gun Free Zone!!
A man wearing nothing but a coat stormed a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee before dawn Sunday and shot four people to death, according to police, who credited a customer with saving lives by wresting a weapon away from the gunman.

An almost naked guy shoots up a breakfast shop in the middle of the night. I think it’s safe to suspect mental health issues.

But the details get interesting. Because you know this will — and probably has been by the time you read this Monday morning — be used to rally the victim disarming people controllers. Let me don my Carnac the Magnificent turban and make a few predictions.

  • The control freaks will cry for an “assault weapon” (when they aren’t calling it an assault rifle) ban.
    It wasn’t an assault weapon under Illinois or Tennessee law. Define, then ineffectively ban it.
  • Background checks!
    The weapon was legally purchased in Illinois. Which means the fish bait had a FOID (background check) and had another background check when he purchased it.
  • Waiting periods.
    He bought the rifle in 2011; seven years ago. How long a waiting period do thet want? (he asked rhetorically)
  • Military grade weapons in the hands of civilians!
    Too late, that already happened. Perhaps Congressslime Cooper will tell us what nation on the planet routinely issues semiautomatic firearms to its regular troops as its standard weapon.

As we’ve seen in recent psychopath-induced tragedies, sometimes law enforcement plays an unfortunate role. This one?

Chumbucket was known to both local Illinois law enforcement and the FBI. Looks like state and local LE in Tennessee had some encounters with him, too. It seems young Mr. Asshole was arrested in DC scaling the White House fence for an impromptu Presidential interview. At a guess, he was under indictment for federal trespass (prohibited person).

On the bright side, Illinois authorities cancelled his FOID and confiscated his guns (supporting the “under indictment” theory). On the down side, they gave the guns to his father whom they belive handed right back to our little prohibited (and now unlicensed) person. Oooh; unlawful transfer, and no background check.

So a troubled prohibited person, known to authorities in two states, and federal LE, unlawfully obtained firearms and did a bad thing.

Here’s another similarity to other shootings: The perpetrator wasn’t stopped by the police. Citizens stepped up. (To be clear: in Ocala, the SRO moved quickly towards the fire not knowing the shooter had surrendered. It simply took time for him to arrive, and he still had him in cuffs three minutes after the shot. He did right.)

In this case, the hero was James Shaw Jr., who had the testicular endowment and intestinal fortitude to tackle an armed shooter while himself unarmed. Before the cops could arrive.

Note that recurring theme: Before the cops could arrive. Even when they aren’t displaying Broward County-level cowardice, it takes the cops time to get there. It’s nice to have the capability to help yourself while waiting.


Carl is an unpaid TZP volunteer. If you found this post useful, please consider dropping something in his tip jar. He could use the money, what with truck repairs and bills.

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