Many killed, many injured
Oh great. Yet another one.
At least 10 people killed in a mass shooting at a community college in Oregon.
The Oregon State Police confirmed that at least 10 people were dead at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
The sheriff’s office in Douglas County, which includes Roseburg, told CBS News that the threat was over but would not comment on the condition of the gunman.
There were many other injured victims, according to multiple law enforcement sources. Some of those injured are in critical condition.
The goddam Second Amendment should be repealed.
Based on some initial reports, it’s looking like this guy is another Elliot Rodger style internet misogynist. He posted to 4chan about a “beta male uprising” and warning others of the shooting. A hospital is reporting that all the victims they are treating are female. But if I learned anything from the Elliot Rodger incident, it’s that if there’s at least one male victim then that somehow “proves” this has nothing to do with misogyny.
Dave Futrelle is following the story
http://wehuntedthemammoth.com/2015/10/01/umpqua-community-college-shooter-apparently-announced-his-plans-on-4chan-yesterday/
“The godamn Second Amendment should be repealed”.
I doubt that would make any significant difference to the carnage unless it was accompanied by a nation-wide confiscation of semi automatics or a buy back scheme and the probability of that ever happening in the US seems vanishingly small.
Re:
In the matrerial Futrelle posted, that meme comes up, but it seems so far to be people answering his initial ‘Don’t go to school tomorrow if you’re in the northwest’ post. I see two: ‘Is beta uprising finally going down?, and there’s another later one after the shooting–allcaps: ‘beta uprising is now’, both not apparently him though.
The thread is pretty thick with that stuff, though, heavy on the catchphrases of memetic virulent misogyny (hrm… that should be an acronym, if it isn’t already), including the post ‘/r9k/ needs a new martyr to stand alongside our hallowed Elliot’. It’s the same old toxic stew, around him, at least.
There’s a name coming out now, too: Chris Harper Mercer.
@Lady Mondegreen:
Just a warning to everyone that David’s post contains some horrible comments from 4chan users. The denizens gleefully encourage the shooting then rejoice when it actually happened.
Whether the person who made the announcement is the same person who carried out the shooting is irrelevant. Whether the people encouraging the murders and/or rejoicing in them after the fact think they’re being ironic is irrelevant. For all those people knew, they encouraged and were therefore partly responsible for the murders and then congratulated the murderer and enjoyed the fact that this happened.
It is not an easy thread to read so click with care.
From USA Today (it was the first one to come up on Google, but the issue has been mentioned on Daily Beast and Slate)
Douglas County sheriff John Hanlin was one of hundreds of sheriffs around the country who in 2013 vowed to stand against new gun control legislation. In a letter to Vice President Joe Biden, he wrote that “any actions against, or in disregard for our U.S. Constitution and 2nd Amendment . . . would be irresponsible and an indisputable insult to the American people.”
This is the law enforcement official in charge in Roseburg.
PS: there was some indication that the shooter asked about his victim’s religion? Or is this another ‘don’t let not knowing anything stop the reportage’ thing?
John, yes, I’ve seen reports he asked about Christianity specifically, and shot the Christians in the head, shooting for the legs, otherwise. Not sure how corroborated, at this point, but dunno, sure seems to be in lots of generally responsible press; I figure it’s probably decently corroborated. So I expect they’re reacting also to this.
It may be a bit of a misnomer, mind, if I can get all picky, calling him an atheist–dunno if more will come to light to clinch that either way–there are lots of people who call themselves ‘spiritual but not religious’ who still have various notions about gods, and lots of people who rail against ‘organized religion’ who’ve no problem with theism or ‘faith’ in general. And note also, from the dating site, he’s looking for a ‘wiccan or pagan’ partner–this doesn’t strongly suggest to me his quibble with religion hails from the general materialist/empiricist/their epistemology is a disaster camp–but it’s fair enough to say it sure looked like he had some kind of hate on for Christians, specifically, at least, on top of that ‘dislikes organized religion’ thing. And the popular imagination does tend to call that ‘atheism’…
That said, I obviously can’t quibble that he was antireligious, at least; this much he clearly was. And as I am that, too, generally, people generalizing from that to ‘must be hateful and violent’ isn’t thrilling me, exactly, here (does it buy me any distance from this that a) I tend to dislike religion however ‘organized’ or not it may be, and b) I kinda loathe that ‘spiritual but not religious’ trope?)…
Distance or no, tho’, if part of this was about misogyny (not real clear yet, waiting also on this; as noted, there’s been rumours and his apparent involvement in that 4chan group does point a particular direction), I’d put it as underscoring that atheist/skeptic movements in general have to be serious about cleaning this stuff up in their own ranks. As if some of us didn’t know this already, mind, given the measurable overlap between atheist and skeptic groups and much of that net misogyny everyone’s been talking about some years now.
… and absolutely, we have to take responsibility for cooling down/reporting anyone advocating violence, outside that.
I expect there will some run on this one, it being so explicit, people blaming this on ‘hateful’ rhetoric from critics of religion. I find it hard to be too cranky about that; people are dead, here. There’s always been such a cultural tide against any criticism of religion, however responsible and reasonable; this will reinforce it. I figure the best anyone can do is have sympathy. There’s a lot of confusion around all of this stuff, always has been; I’m not sure it’s anyone’s fault individually they’ll demonize unbelievers in general when that’s been such a tide for so long, and especially when they’re given such apparently excellent reasons as this…
What can I say? Me, as cynical as I am about efforts to silence unbelievers (and I do think there will be efforts to do exactly that, as always, absolutely), I also feel some sympathy for anyone suddenly that much more convinced I eat babies, and hide beneath my hair and in my underwear horns and a tail. Guess I’ll try to resolve not to respond in kind. I don’t know quite what made this shooter what he became, but everyone’s going to have to have cool heads here, I guess. As always. Maybe cooler than we’ve had, even. I’ve always been one for calling nonsense nonsense, but if it dehumanizes anyone, yes, it can contribute to this stuff.
And I dunno… it does seem to me this whole culture, these cut-off people, living only through their keyboards and screens are maybe part of the problem, too. As there’s probably quite the overlap with atheism/skepticism there, too, maybe we should be looking at what we can do about that, too. Encourage people to get more engaged with their communities, in more positive ways, and in the non-electronic space, especially.