Washington Post: Alexis had honorable discharge
The Washington Post dug into Aaron Alexis’ past a little deeper today and it turns out that he did indeed have an honorable discharge;
But the Navy clarified Tuesday that while the service had originally sought to kick out Alexis with a general discharge, those proceedings were moving slowly, and it was unclear whether the Navy had sufficient cause to push forward. So when Alexis applied on his own to leave the Navy in early 2011 with an honorable discharge, the service granted his request, the official said.
The Post also reports that his military record was pock-marked with misbehavior;
Alexis was cited at least eight times for misconduct for offenses as minor as a traffic ticket and showing up late for work but also as serious as insubordination and disorderly conduct, said a Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the gunman’s personnel record.
In addition to shooting the tires in Seattle, shooting the ceiling in Fort Worth, it seems that he shot through the wall in room in which he was living with his boss. But, you see, everyone let him off. If he had been prosecuted for just one of those incidents, he would have been unable to buy a gun. If the Navy had not given him an honorable discharge out of convenience, he probably wouldn’t have a contractor job.
Police contacted him in Virginia and he told them that voices were coming to him through the walls and ceilings of his hotel rooms after a verbal altercation with someone on a flight from Virginia to Rhode Island.
He always carried a gun and he always drank heavily and no one saw how the two could be a problem along with his breaks with reality. His actions yesterday were completely Alexis’ actions, he remains solely responsible for it. But there were signs that no one was willing to report or prosecute. There’s certainly no case for writing new laws here.
ah yes, the great ingredients – booze, guns, and a loonie – disturbed, not shaken.
But of course, according to Huffpo, it’s all the Navy’s fault. Of course had he been arrested and charged in the 2004 incident he wouldn’t have been allowed to enlist. Who knew?
Unreal… oh the hotel incident was in Rhode Island according to other news sources. Who the hell knows.
just saw a story via AP that says the RI police contacted the Navy and warned of his mental problems.
Where to start!
Of course, all responsibility for his anti-social behavior rests squarely and solely upon him. And may G-d be more forgiving than I am right now.
That said, there were plenty of opportunities for all manner of authority figures to take corrective action against his well documented bad behavior. After all, most of them were being paid to do exactly that. If they could figure out what is acceptable behavior on any given day.
As confusing as those definitions are for the sane among us, can you imagine how confusing the mixed signals are to someone who is already delusional? Not excusing bad behavior at all here – simply saying that no favors are being done for the insane and otherwise mentally short changed when faced with a world with no clear rules for behavior.
I can understand that the arrests wouldn’t have shown up in the background check for the gun purchase, but not for the secret clearance. I used to work for a company that did online credit and criminal checks for apartment rentals and the criminal databases had two components – arrests and convictions. We didn’t use arrests but I would think a check for a secret clearance would include them to see if there was a suspicious pattern of behavior.
I read something a bit ago about an arrest in Atlanta as well.
More info:
WASHINGTON (AP) — An attorney for a Virginia gun store says the man identified as the Navy Yard gunman bought a shotgun and ammunition there the day before the rampage.
Michael Slocum said in an email that Aaron Alexis visited Sharpshooters Small Arms Range on Sunday. He says Alexis rented a rifle, bought bullets and used the range. He then bought a shotgun and 24 shells. Authorities say he had a shotgun with him when he entered a building at the Navy Yard on Monday and started firing, killing 12 people.
Slocum says the store ran a federal background check on Alexis and it was approved. Law enforcement visited the range Monday, reviewing video and store records.
The store is located about 15 miles from the Navy Yard.
The New York Times admits that Virginia State Law prevented Alexis from buying an AR-15;
The gunman who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday test fired an AR-15 assault rifle at a Virginia gun store last week but was stopped from buying one because state law there prohibits the sale of such weapons to out-of-state buyers, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
So he had to buy a Remington 870 pump shotgun.
The lawyer, J. Michael Slocum, said in an e-mail that Mr. Alexis bought a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun and approximately two boxes of ammunition, or about 24 shells. The purchases were approved after the store owner conducted the required federal background check, Mr. Slocum said.
“After the terrible and tragic events at the Navy Yard, the Sharpshooters was visited by federal law enforcement authorities, who reviewed the Range’s records, including video and other materials,” Mr. Slocum said.
So are they going to ban pump-action shotguns or the rifles which had nothing to do with the crime?
That’s why when I was a Company Commander, I would never let them apply for an honorable discharge if there was reason to put them out for cause. I always pushed and got general discharges for offenses. I wish more people would hold others accountable.
Can we ban crazy people yet?
I think they ought to institute a word-association test for gun purchases. If I say “Target” and you say “Wal Mart” that’s a go. If I say “Target” and you say “Whitey” that’s a no go. If I say “Mass” and you say “achusetts” or “Church” that’s a go. If you say “Murder” that’s a no go. Get the idea? Eliminates the psychos right at the start!
Yes, but AirCav, generally speaking, psychos don’t do well at word association. If you say ‘mass’ they aren’t necessarily going to say ‘murder’. They’re more likely to say ‘gravity’ or ‘physics’. You’re using logic. Psychos don’t have that.
See psul the uncool’s posts here: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=37551
So if you asked “Mass” and I responded “volume, sort of” I would be disqualified??
Of course, if you say “Target” first, a correct response could be “center mass,” then an acceptable response to “Mass” might just be “target.”
I think the issue here was a little more than just sociopathy. Based on more recent reports,he sounds floridly psychotic. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard paranoid schizophrenics tell stories like the one that he told Newport cops.
http://news.yahoo.com/gunman-opens-fire-navy-yard-washington-d-c-021732377.html
Jonn, the NYT story is incorrect, as it was legal for the shooter to have bought the AR. He either chose not to, or could not afford to purchase the AR.
The fabulous Emily Miller corrects their story: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/17/miller-new-york-times-gets-it-wrong-about-navy-yar/
Also, this little blurb from the NYT piece seems odd to me: “…approximately two boxes of ammunition, or about 24 shells.” Did he buy partial boxes? I’ve never heard of shotgun shells being packaged other than in 5, 10, or 20 round boxes.
Or 25 rounds. It’s late, and I need sleep.
If Obama had a son…………
Funny, no word yet from Joey the rock climbing socialist of Durango lately.
Did the school district figure out he was pissing away their bandwidth and wasting district time and take away his keyboard?
C’est dommage.
@17 if Obama had a brother who spent some time in the Navy, he would look like him.