WASHINGTON, June 14: After the gruesome Texas school shootings that claimed
the precious lives of 19 little children and two teachers, there has been a
new awakening across the US on the urgency to put an end to the gun culture
nourished by the Republicans' support to the arms industry. Most Congressmen
are burning the midnight oil to find ways to mitigate the problem of gun violence
even as tens of thousands rallied across the length and breadth of the country
on the weekend under the banner of 'March for Our Lives' for a new gun regime.
America is not safe anymore, says CNN, the US media group. Since the Texas
incident, there have been 17 episodes of mass shootings killing dozens of innocent
people. An incident is described as mass shooting when three or more people
become the victims.
Even the Supreme Court judges are not spared. In the past at least half a dozen
federal judges had been shot dead.
Kavanaugh escapes bid on life
US Supreme Court judge Brett Kavanaugh had a providential escape as his gunman
had a sudden change of mind. The man from Los Angeles, Nicholas Roske, had purchased
a gun with the sole purpose of shooting judge Kavanaugh and had arrived at the
judge's home in ordinarily safe Chevy Chase, a Washington DC suburb falling
in the neighbouring State of Maryland, last Wednesday.
Since a leaked report (by Politico) of the Supreme Court overturning the historic
1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide appeared in the
press recently, the judges have been the target of attacks at the hands of
the advocates of abortion rights, with protests held even at Kavanaugh's gate.
Kavanaugh is a conservative jurist appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Strangely enough, Roske claimed he himself called the police as he changed
his plan just under the wire at Kavanaugh's house at the dead of night. He called
911 to stop his own alleged plot and said he needed “psychiatric help” and had
“been hospitalized multiple times.” In fact, he had spotted a marshall posted
at the gate and so he did not turn to the gate and instead walked straight.
The marshall was on duty in accordance with the new security bandobast after
the recent pro- abortion protests.
The police on arrival also seized ammunition, a crow bar, pepper spray and
other items from 26-year old Roske's custody.
Nicholas Roske told the police he was as well concerned about the Texas school
shootings and worried if Kavanaugh would vote aganst gun control measures in
an upcoming case.
Wisconsin ex-judge shot dead
Ten days ago, John Roemer, a former county judge in Wisconsin, was shot dead
in a targeted attack by a man earlier jailed by the judge 15 years ago. Roemer
was found zip-tied to a chair. Douglas Uhde, 56, who shot John Roemer, died
of "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" four days later. Roemer, 68, was
killed in his New Lisbon, Wisconsin, home on June 3.
In July 2020, US District Judge Esther Salas' son was killed in an attack that
was targeted against her. Lawyer Roy Den Hollander showed up at Salas’ home
posing as a FedEx delivery person. Den Hollander fatally shot Salas’ 20-year-old
son, Daniel Anderl, and wounded her husband, Mark Anderl. The judge was in another
part of the home at the time and was not injured.
“We’re seeing these threats increase in number and intensity. That’s a sign.
That’s a signal,” Salas had said then.
Judge Rowland Barnes was shot on the eighth floor of the courthouse at the
Fulton County in downtown Atlanta in 2005.
Round-the-clock security for judges
In recent years, the court has stepped up security for the justices.
The round-the-clock security given to the judges after the protests over the
leaked report on the abortion case may have saved Kavanaugh's life.
And now the bid on Kavanaugh could lead to tighter security for judges.
Mass shootings in the last one month
There have been 246 mass shootings in 2022 so far, according to the Gun Violence
Archive. The gun casualties were almost same for the same period last year also.
In the last one month there has been an unusual spurt in the incidents.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (June 12): Two women were in the hospital
after two separate shootings in Kensington Sunday early morning.
Philadelphia (June 10): A teen, 14, was killed in a northeast Philadelphia
shooting in a residential area. Teenagers were planning to “march for their
lives” for new gun laws same night.
Saginaw, MIchigan (June 9): Police were investigating two fatal shootings
that occurred on Saginaw's West Side on Thursday afternoon.
Oakland (June 9): A 16-year-old boy was killed and another person was
injured in an Oakland shooting. Maryland (June 9): Three people died
in a shooting at a Maryland manufacturing facility on Thursday. The suspect
was later caught.
Texas (June 9): Gonzalo Lopez, 46, who escaped from custody serving
life sentences, killed Mark Collins, 66, and his four grandsons, south of Dallas.
Oakland (June 7): Two men were killed in shootings in Oakland within
an hour of each other late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
Birmingham (June 6): One man is dead and a woman suffered life- threatening
injuries after they were shot while sitting in a van. The male victim fatally
shot was in the driver’s seat of a van.
Grand Rapids, Michigan (June 5): Grand Rapids police said that two groups
had a "long-running feud" that led to a killing in the heart of Grand Rapids'
downtown early Sunday. It was a confrontation between a wedding party and others
selling goods.
Mesa, Arizona (June 5): Two people were dead and two more were injured
after a shooting outside a Mesa bar just before 2:30 am Sunday.
Macon, Georgia (June 4): One man was killed and three others injured
in a shooting in an abandoned house in East Macon Saturday evening.
Summerton, South Carolina (June 4): A drive-by shooting at a South Carolina
high school graduation party killed a woman and wounded seven other people on
Saturday night.
Philadelphia (June 4): Two teenagers, 18 years old each, killed two
bystanders in the South Street mass shooting that left three people dead and
11 others injured over the weekend.
Virginia (June 4): A 20-year old man was dead and seven others injured
in gunfire during a graduation party on Saturday.
Socorro, Texas (June 4): Five teens were wounded in shooting at West
Texas house party at 1 am Saturday at a home in Socorro, a town on the Mexican
border near El Paso.
Hempstead, New York (June 4): Police responded to a call of shots fired
in Hempstead late Saturday, where they found four people with gunshot wounds.
A 19-year-old died in the Saturday night shooting.
Chesterfield, Virginia (June 3): Six people were shot Friday night –
one fatally – after a shooting broke out at a large party.
Iowa (June 2): A man fatally shoots two women before killing himself
in the parking lot of an Iowa church on Thursday. He had been romantically involved
with one of the women and faced harassment charge in the court.
Oklahoma medical facility (June 1): Michael Louis purchased an AR-15-
style rifle three hours earlier for the attack at Tulsa's Saint Francis Hospital
in Oklahoma. Four people were killed before he shot himself. The shooter's target
was a doctor who had performed a surgery on him earlier. He had post-surgical
pain. Dr Preston Phillips was among the four shot.
Memorial Day weekend in US (May 30): Forty shootings between Friday
afternoon and Monday night, mainly in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Philadelphia (May 30): Fourteen people were shot and killed in the city
of Philadelphia over the Memorial Day weekend.
Chicago (May 30): Nine killed in a series of shootings across Chicago
over the weekend.
Charleston, South Carolina (May 30): Ten people, including a 17-year-
old, were injured in downtown Charleston late Monday night.
Chattanooga, Tennessee (May 30): Six teenagers were shot and wounded,
two critically, Saturday night when multiple people opened fire after group
fight.
Oklahoma (May 30): One person was killed and seven were injured after
a shooting broke out during a Memorial Day festival in Oklahoma.
Houston (May 30): Four people were wounded in gunfire at a Houston house
party Sunday night.
Phoenix, Arizona (May 30): A teenager was killed and five injured in
Phoenix shooting.
Michigan (May 30): A shooting outside a Michigan bar left a 19-year-old
man dead and six other people injured early Sunday morning.
Henderson, Nevada (May 30): Seven people were injured, two critically,
Saturday when gunfire erupted on a freeway in Henderson.
Memphis, Tennessee (May 30): Four people were shot Friday night near
a rogue car show
Anniston, Alabama (May 30): Six injured in shooting at a graduation
party in Anniston, Alabama, on Friday.
Florida (May 28): A Florida open house party shooting left four teenagers
hospitalized on Saturday night in Malabar, Brevard county.
Colorado Springs (May 28): One person was killed following a shooting
off South Academy Boulevard Saturday morning
Ecorse, Michigan (May 28): A 27-year-old was fatally shot at Renaissance Estates
of Ecorse Saturday night. His is the fourth shooting that has taken place at
Estates this week.Ladonte Brooks- Rivers was a young father who was shot 10
times. Residents are fearful as violent crimes are escalating.
Michigan (May 27): A mother and her 3 small children were found dead
in their home in Mecosta Township on Friday from apparent gunshot wounds.
Texas school (May 24): 18-year old Salvador Ramos fatally shot 19 students
and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. He was shot by police.
California Taiwanese church (May 15): The gunman, David Choua, is a
Taiwan-born Chinese immigrant motivated by hate for Taiwanese people. One died
and four others were critically wounded.
Omaha, Nebraska (May 15): An overnight shooting leaves two people injured
Sunday morning.
Buffalo, New York supermarket (May 14): Ten Black people were killed
at a grocery shop in Buffalo in a racist attack by a White 18-year-old Supremacist
(of replacement theory) gunman, Payton S Gendron, who was later arrested.
Omaha, Nebraska (May 8): Police were investigating after four walk-in
shooting victims showed up at a hospital early Sunday morning.
