I have refrained from writing a post about the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting because I've been trying to keep up with the press releases. So far, I've been able to gather the following:
- Police have confirmed that 28 people are dead: 20 children, 6 adults in the school, 1 at a local residence and the shooter
- The gunman's mother was reportedly a kindergarten teacher at the school, and among the dead.
- Reports suggest that the guns used in the shooting belonged to the gunman, Adam Lanza's mother, Nancy, and were legally purchased.
- Adam Lanza had an “altercation” with four staff members at the Sandy Hook Elementary School the day before he killed 20 children and six adults there. It’s unclear what the altercation was about but three of the four staff members were among those killed Friday. The fourth wasn’t at the school that day and is being questioned by investigators.
- Earlier in the week, Lanza tried to buy a rifle but was rejected because the state has a waiting period.
- Adam Lanza actually had four handguns on him—not two as was initially reported. A rifle was found in the car he used to drive to the school.
- The two semiautomatic pistols identified were a Glock and a Sig Sauer along with .223-caliber Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle Lanza used in the shooting were registered to his mother, whom several witnesses identified as an avid gun collector. She apparently taught her kids how to shoot the guns.
- Adam Lanza shot his mother four times in the head before heading out to the school where he carried out a methodical massacre of 6 - 7 year old children.
- The victims, including 12 girls and eight boys, were all apparently killed by the .223 Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle, and each of the victims was hit by more than one bullet. The assault weapon can fire as many as six bullets per second, according to the New York Daily News, and some of the victims were shot as many as 11 times.
This tragic event has once again brought to the fore, the debate for stricter Gun Control Laws. The frequency with which these mass shootings occur and the constant targeting of children is a worrying trend. This is all as a result of the easy access to assault weapons. It beats my imagination why a mother will have in her possession a collection of such deadly assault weapons. It is hoped that this latest tragedy will be the fore runner for stricter control laws in the US.
In 1996, the Australian government enacted sweeping gun control measures after a gunman opened fire on tourists at a seaside resort in Port Arthur, Tasmania killing 35 people and wounding 23 more. Worthy of note is the fact that Australia has not had a similar occurrence since its stricter Gun Control Laws were enacted.
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| Gen. Azazi and Gov. Yakowa: Victims of Saturday's crash |
It was a sad day as well in Nigeria on the 15th of December, 2012 of when a helicopter conveying top senior government officials crashed in Bayelsa State. The officials were traveling to attend the burial ceremony of the father of the one of President Goodluck Jonathan's advisers, Mr. Oronto Douglas when the crash occurred.
In its statement, the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA said all six occupants which included Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and former National Security Adviser, Owoeye Azazi lost their lives. The other victims are Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi Sowole, the pilots of the crashed helicopter; Dauda Tsoho, an aide to Governor Yakowa; Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal, an aide to former NSA General Azazi. May their souls rest in peace.
On a brighter note, Prof Kamene Okonjo Iweala, 82, the mother of Nigeria's Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala regained her freedom from her abductors after five days in captivity. We wish her a speedy recovery from whatever trauma she may have gone through during the painful ordeal.
We hope the President and his cabinet with this, realize the urgency of these unfortunate occurrences and sincerely intensify efforts to stamp out corruption and stabilize the economy which has progressively worsened since he assumed the mantle of leadership.
Malcolm O. Ifi.
Photo source: The Internet
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