Firefighters ambushed in Webster, NY
The Associated Press reports that 2 firefighters were killed in an ambush in my old stomping grounds east of Rochester, NY. Two others were injured;
The gunman fired at the firefighters when they arrived shortly after 5:30 a.m. at the blaze near the Lake Ontario shore in the town of Webster, Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. The first police officer who arrived chased the suspect and exchanged gunfire with him, authorities said.
“It does appear it was a trap” for the first responders to the fire, Pickering said at a news conference.
Authorities didn’t say how the gunman died or whether anyone might have died in the fire itself.
It’s doubtful that the weapon that shooter used was an assault type weapon, otherwise that fact probably would have been mentioned by the police and there is an assault weapon ban in New York which bans weapons with bayonet lugs, pistol grips and flash suppressors – you know those things that make those weapons so dangerous.
Obviously, in the wake of these two tragic deaths of first responders, someone will call for a ban on all weapons, since they can’t blame it on assault weapons.
In other gun news, a man was found dead from gun shot wounds in his car in Northeast DC where most guns are banned. Another man died from his wounds in an unrelated shooting where yet another was found dead Saturday, but not to worry, murders in DC are on the decline says the Post;
The number of homicides in the District has been declining; based on available records, the shooting Saturday was the first attack in the city in months in which two people were killed.
So, the odds are good for you if you travel DC with someone else, only half of you stand a chance of being killed.
ADDED: While we’re at it, a 12-year-old girl, who was home alone had to protect herself with a gun in Oklahoma last week;
During that time, the intruder made his way through the house. St. Clair’s daughter told deputies the man came into the room where she was hiding and began to open up the closet door. That was when the 12 year old had to make a life-saving decision.
“And what we understand right now, he was turning the doorknob when she fired through the door,” said the Bryan County Undersheriff Ken Golden.
The bullet hit the intruder, who deputies identified as 32-year-old Stacey Jones. He took off but did not get far before officers took him down.
“He was sitting down, the policemen had him apprehended at the end of the block. All I saw was some blood coming down his back. I’m not exactly sure where his injury was, but I saw some blood there,” explained St. Clair.
Sometimes only a good girl with a gun can stop a bad guy.
Category: Guns
Obviously, for those of Joey’s and Insipid’s persuasion, we must immediately ban the following, houses that can be set afire, fire, of course, a phone, used to call 911, roads, so no one can go to fires, fire trucks, and fire fighters./sarc.
Condolences to the families of those who were killed and wounded.
Hmmm, is D.C. saying that it’s OK if there are only single homicides, the multiple homicides are bad?
And, in Sacramento, Ca., a homeowner and his family are alive, and one asshat is dead, and two wounded, when he defended himself and his family with a gun. http://www.news10.net/news/article/222195/2/1-dead-in-Sacramento-home-invasion
The second thread, Armed Man Protects Slumber Party, will teach me to read beyond the first one.
Now let’s not go crazy, expecting facts to enter “the conversation”. Incidentally, I loathe the use of the word “conversation” in that manner. Usually it means “you listen, I preach” from all sides.
Some NY news site just endangered lives by making an interactive map of permit holders.What good can come from this info being so readily available? I think this information should be as protected as your SSN at the very least.
http://www.lohud.com/interactive/article/20121223/NEWS01/121221011/Map-Where-gun-permits-your-neighborhood-?nclick_check=1
true aeromech, but then again one would think twice before trying to mess with someone who you know may be armed.
What’s going on here though, open season on firefighters? There must be more to the story.
Just heard a report that the shooter in NY had a previous conviction for shooting his grandmother? How exactly does he get out of jail, get a gun, and kill people with the strong gun laws of NY. (Don’t answer-rhetorical question).
The sad thing about this is that it’s only gonna hurt people in need of immediate attention by EMS personnel. This happened in 1994/1995 in south Phoenix. Some “dark green” gang members didn’t like the ‘red’ engine, they wore blue, and took a shot at it. It was E-16, my bother’s crew! They turned away and, as it turns out, the guy that was having the heart attack died. Two more people died in the month Fire had to wait for PD escorts into the ‘hood. After “Granny Nancy” died, the names of the a$$holes who took the original shots made their way to PD. The three involved, all known gang members, received sentences from 10 yrs (accomplices) to 22 yrs (shooter). When their crime was revealed, and the ensuing deaths, the shooter was shanked and died in prison. RIP Bros.
The newspapers that publich legal gunowners info always say that it is publically available information. If they did that in my neighborhood I would challenge them to make a map of other publically available info like convicted felons (car thieves, rapists, burglars) in my neighborhood so I know who to keep an eye on. Caught the tail end of the firefighter shooter press conference and the shooter is (was) a convicted murderer in jail from 81 to 98.
How about a publically available list of “prohibited persons” so if someone suspects someone with a gun is a convicted felon they can report it.
You know how arsonists will set a fire, then hide somewhere to watch it?
Don’t be at all surprised if it comes out that this guy just wanted to kill some easy targets, set the fire and lay in wait for them.
@ #2- Are you saying your getting old faster, amigo? Merry Christmas 😉 #6- locks only stop honest folks, never bad guys. #8- Don’t know where you live but your state police may have such a website just for tracking rapists, molesters and other sexual deviants.
Police say the shooter was a felon. Richard Spengler. Convicted in 1980 os beating his grandmother to death. Sentenced to 25 years. Paroled in 1998. Released in 2006.
He was living with his sister at the time of today’s fire/ambush. She is missing and they are searching the site for her.
#10 Yes my state WA has a sex offender site. My point is that the press is happy to report the locations of legal gun owners with the object being to somehow shame or embarass them. I think it would be a better public service to let everyone know where the convicted thieves, assaulters, carjackers and released murderers are in my neihborhood.
Jonn, I’m with you up until the update about the girl that shot the armed intruder. That happened over 2 months ago
http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/10/19/police-12-year-old-girl-shoots-home-intruder-while-hiding-in-closet/
Jabatam, I know it sounded familiar but the only date reference I could find at the link was “Wednesday”. Oh, well, it bears remembering regardless.
@Yas Yas, I remember that. I currently work in Helicopter EMS, and since it’s often just me, a paramedic and a pilot, we frequently talk about the possibility of assaults or getting stuck somewhere remote without means to defend ourselves.
There are parts of some of the reservations here in AZ that we won’t fly FW aircraft into because of people shooting at the aircraft. Ugh. It’s Christmas, can’t the losers and aholes take a break for a few days?
9-1-1 call the firefighter said “assault weapon” to the dispatcher. Guy who committed it killed a member of his family with a hammer, was paroled by our sweet criminally negligent justice system, and couldn’t have owned any firearm legally.
Stupid gonna stupid.
Unfortunately, the phenomena of setting a fire, or simply reporting one, then ambushing the responding firefighters is nothing new. It happened quite a lot across the country during the civil unrest of the 60’s and has had localized popularity off and on since.
Here’s hoping that this is a lone wolf kind of a deal and not the beginning of a trend.
I guess, somehow, this is all our fault.
Oh yeah it’s definitely relevant and will be 20 years from now