Two Reported Dead in Mall Shooting

[SC1903A3]

We'll see how this turns out. The story says that up to 10 people have been shot. Everything is still being sorted out by the police.

http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=7455348

Update 3:35 PM. Fox News reports the shooter is contained. They've got live coverage going on right now.

Update 3:40 PM: Fox News is reporting 1 dead and 10 wounded.

Update 4:11 PM: Latest word from Fox News states 9 dead 5 wounded. Police are saying the shooter is dead.

[1stSSPZ]

I am very possibly incorrect, but it seems like I read something about Nebraska being a CHL state but the city of Omaha is not! Can anyone confirm?

[txinvestigator]

I just heard reports on the radio. People there are reporting that in several places in the mall people were cowering in corners, backrooms, etc.

[Skiprr]

NBC reporters on the ground just reported that there eight confirmed dead, and five are hospitalized, two of those in critical condition.

The shooter was evidently a 19-year-old who had a pending court date (I don't know the charges), and who left a suicide note saying in part that he "was going out in style."

Not sure I can make sense of the Nebraska carry laws. Evidently in 1988 "Initiative Measure 403" was added to the state constitution; in part, it reads: "and the right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes, and such rights shall not be denied or infringed by the state or any subdivision thereof."

Which would seem to me to preclude a city's ability to pass laws contradicting Measure 403. But evidently Lincoln, at least, has done just that. Not sure about Omaha, but the city enacted an Ordinance (sometime after after that constitutional measure) that requires a person to take training and apply for a permit to "open carry" within city limits.

[stevie_d_64]

I just heard reports on the radio. People there are reporting that in several places in the mall people were cowering in corners, backrooms, etc.

Yep...Some assumed the position rather well...

Sorry if my humanity has been beaten down too much by all of this...I'm just ready for the inevitable gun-control template to be played into this,

and ther usual call for banning this and that,

and how can this happen,

and we need to close the gunshow loophole,

and we need to re-ban high capacity magazines,

and the shooter was a loner (new one),

Someone else can run with the rest of this...

[dukalmighty]

Heres my take if i have the means to stop and repel an attack i will run to the sound of gunfire,albeit using cover and concealment as i advance, but i ain't taking fists to a gunfight,they reported the police arrived on scene in a blazing six minutes.I think they reported exactly how people react to a situation they cannot defend against,hide and hope all those years of playing hide and seek have taught you how to hide really good.It doesn't even have to be a firearm if the gu was waving a knife and stabbing people the sheeple will run

[yerasimos]

I hope the injured people recover as much as possible and their doctors, nurses, friends and family are able to comfort and heal them, and that everyone touched by this tragedy finds the strength to deal with the trauma and continue with their lives as best they can. For the friends and family of those killed, may they find some peace and closure.

While remembering the victims in our thoughts and prayers, the rest of us have to be ready for those who would use this crime as a pretext to infringe upon our rights to the means of personal protection, and thwart these opportunists as appropriate in the legislative arena, media and public opinion. I hope the NRA and other organizations can stall and squelch any rush to push through gun control legislation.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Incidents like this illustrate why more people need to get their CHL's and to actually carry when they go out.

The police took 6 minutes to arrive on scene. This is not a jab at the police. They are only human and cannot be everywhere, nor would we want them to be.

Think of how many people can be killed in 6 minutes.

The only way shootings like this can be minimized, or better yet, deterred is for armed people to be on the spot ready and willing to use force when needed.

If enough people had CHL's and routinely carried, nuts like this shooter who "want to go out in style" would not be shooting up malls because they would know that all that would happen is that they would be shot down like a dog after squeezing off a couple of rounds at most.

Maybe he just would have jumped off a tall building instead.

[FightinAggieCHL]

I'm not sure how you can turn this into an anti-gun argument. He wasn't allowed to carry a gun into the "gun free zone," but he did anyways. And because of the "gun free zone," the only people who were without guns were the people who needed them! It just shows that people bent on killing other people will find a way to do it, even if it means *gasp* breaking the rules.

[Jason73]

How is it that this guy walked into a CROWDED shopping mall with an SKS and somehow got to the 3rd floor of a dept. store UNDETECTED?!?!

Westroads Mall is at 10000 California St # 1221, Omaha, NE 68114, the nearest police station is at 7400 Dodge st, which is 2.4 miles away .

It would take less than 5 minutes driving 30 mph, the police would drive much faster (I would think), but it took 6 minutes for the police to respond. (this is not a criticism of the police btw)

I think this once again proves that CHL's are a good idea and we should not be limited to where we can carry.

[kryten67]

It looks as though this Mall is not posted with no gun signs. http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum35/6463.html
My question is how many licensed civilians were there and what were there reactions?? It only took a few minutes so reaction time was critical I wonder how some others would react? Would you stay with family and stay defensive or secure family and go after the perp? I for one with secure the family and if he was in my immediate area get a fix on him and take him out. Its a tuff scenario and will be played out more and more as these psycho's give up on there anti deppressants and go out in a blazing mess. Lots of questions race through my mind and will wait to see how this plays out. My thoughts and prayers to the victims.

[stevie_d_64]

Well looking at the law of averages...Considering that states that have effective CCW programs, we only populate about 1% of any states citizenry...

Apply the odds of one, or complicate it even more by adding even one more person being in any given place and time out in the community being there to "stop" a person like this is almost improbable...

Everytime something like this happens, we all talk about, and feel comfortable with what "WE" would do in a situation like this, and I personally feel comfortable knowing those revelations are true measures of good character in our community...

I do though go back and remember what happened to a friend of ours in Tyler, Texas a while back...He made the ultimate sacrifice...I am not saying that would happen to one of us, but it is a possibility...And that should be something that should be considered as a personal gut-check in what you have to make yourself, no one can help you figure it out either in that are you prepared to accept that as an outcome of your actions...

Remember we are not law enforcement (most of us), our circle is close to us and rarely extends out beyond where it normally should be...

Just some things to ponder while we soak up all the usual numbing information coming in on this unfortunate incident...

[Photoman]

A few thoughts on this one:

1. Taking a pistol to a rifle fight is a fearful thing and should be done with great caution.

2. It is my understanding that current police/SWAT theory on these types of situations is to contain first and then negotiate. I pray that this theory changes SOON as terrorism, domestic or otherwise, is counting on a delayed response in order to inflict as much damage as possible before being neutralized.

3. Another example that solitary suicide is a thing of the past.

[stevie_d_64]

BTW, the media has once again (its taken a bit longer this time to start the discussion) brought up the "military assault rifle" type issue in the updates this morning...

Thats all I've heard so far...Anyone seen what it is that the shooter actually used???

I know its petty, and possibly not a real issue, but I am checking off on my list of "inevitables" that I use to keep track of how these incidents are portrayed...

I know...I need a real hobby...

[Keith B]

BTW, the media has once again (its taken a bit longer this time to start the discussion) brought up the "military assault rifle" type issue in the updates this morning...

Thats all I've heard so far...Anyone seen what it is that the shooter actually used???

I know its petty, and possibly not a real issue, but I am checking off on my list of "inevitables" that I use to keep track of how these incidents are portrayed...

I know...I need a real hobby...

EDIT: It has been posted in the media that it was an SKS. Apparently he had shown his landlord a Russian SKS, but she thought it was too old to even work. Not sure if it was the same one, or a different one. They did say it had a large clip.