SALON: At a press conference earlier today, a self-identified father of one of the victims in last night’s mass shooting near the University of California, Santa Barbara, named his son, Chris Martinez, as one of the victims.
In a heart-wrenching statement the father, Richard Martinez, expressed his profound sadness. His 20-year-old son was on his way to a market when he was killed. “Why did Chris die?” Richard Martinez said at a press conference.
“Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights, what about Chris’ right to live? When will this insanity stop?”
Two other victims have been identified, according to NBC Los Angeles, as Veronika Weiss, a first-year student at UCSB, and her Delta Delta Delta sorority sister, Katie Cooper.
CNN: Richard Martinez, says his son Christopher Martinez was one of those killed in the shooting that claimed seven in the Isla Vista area near UCSB on Friday night.
The father went on to say "When will this insanity stop? When will enough people say, 'Stop this madness!' Too many have died. We should say to ourselves, 'Not one more!'"
According to the Associated Press, "Martinez says he talked to his son just 45 minutes before he was shot and killed inside a deli. Martinez says his son's roommate tried to revive him, but he died at the scene."
The video can be seen HERE.
16 comments:
Now we wait for the all too predictable response from the NRA, and the nuts who control it.
Rather than supporting measure that would increase public safety while at the same time protecting the rights of RESONSIBLE firearm owners and hunters the NRA chooses to act irresponsibly.
How far the once respected NRA has fallen.
The NRA is just another demonstration of the power of money. They originally represented gun owners. Now, with the majority of their money coming from gun manufacturers and gun sellers, their emphasis has shifted to guns sales...at any cost. In fact, the more people killed, the better. It makes the survivors frightened, and frightened people buy guns.
Hell, they are probably looking forward to the next slaughter.
This case is still muddled. Eliot Roger was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at a young age.
He made a series of videos threatening videos that were seen by his family as I read things and they alarmed the family enough to alert the police.
Roger owned three legal registered handguns.
The police investigated and apparently failed to analyze the videos. They did a cursory interview and ended it there.
Later Roger went on his rampage.
This case is going to come down to what constitutes adequate reason to confiscate the handguns and the police are going to maintain their investigation was thorough.
Is the reporting going to be sufficiently in depth or will the NRA get out massive spin teams?
I think we know it will be the latter.
Meanwhile Congress is calling for background checks when there apparently was one in this case. If a background check didn't help in this case are we going to demand stricter requirements or just accept these slaughters as part of the culture?
Michael Moore gets it right.
Jerry, you are correct, gun sales has become the focus, and SOME frightened people purchase firearms. The rest of your comment is presumptous.
http://www.ncgunblog.com/2014/05/19/guns-allowed-means-easy-targets/
Presumptuous, RN? Probably, but that does not make it wrong.
It does not make it right either Jerry. It only makes it presumptous with certainty.
Ducky: ...or just accept these slaughters as part of the culture?
I think it is pretty clear that we HAVE. We could actually do something to address this problem if not for the gun manufactures, their lobby (the NRA) and foolish Rightwing gun nuts. But neither the gun manufacturers nor the NRA cares (as Jerry correctly points out) and the gun nuts won't ever change their minds... no matter how many are killed. The problem lies elsewhere... in their minds. So, no matter what happens I can't see us taking any meaningful action... or any action at all.
First of all, the parents KNEW their nutjob wild animal son was mentally ill, and yet they didn't do anything about it. Then they blame everyone else including Guns but not the parents who let this narcissistic, dangerous little women hating monster run wild in the streets. And now they blame the gun, so that way, no one else is held accountable. Actually there were 4 people died by the gun, the other 3 died by a knife. NO gun law could have stopped this from happening.
We tie the hands of law enforcement and then blame them when things go wrong. They could not search his residence without probable cause and none was present.
The police will maintain their investigation was based on known evidence. Doubt the courts and the ACLU would approve of confiscation
of anything.
Anon: "NO gun law could have stopped this from happening."
This is what I hear every single time there is a slaughter by guns.
We have the most deaths by guns than any other modern society on the planet, and we have the most guns in circulation than any other modern society on the planet.
Japan does not allow private gun ownership except in extreme exceptions. Total gun deaths for latest stats available for a technologically modern society with about a third of our population? 6.
The USA's latest stats? 33,000 and that doesn't count the maimed and permanently disabled.
Are you suggesting the US government outlaw private ownership of firearms Shaw?
Further, of the 33'000 how many were accidental and suicide? Deaths by violent use of firearms is certainly reduced when non violent causes are considered.
And no I am not saying do nothing as my post today makes clear.
No RN, I'm not advocating anything. I'm presenting facts. Countries that have restrictions on gun ownership have fewer gun deaths.
It's as simple as that. You draw your own conclusions.
I will.
A suicide by gun shot is not a gun shot death?
Negligence is not an accident. When irresponsible gun owners leave their guns where children can get them and then kill themselves, or others, that's not an accident, except of course, to irresponsible gun owners.
Post a Comment