Gunman who killed 5 at warehouse was 'disgruntled' employee with a felony record, police say
Source: The Washington Post
By Kristine Phillips February 16 at 2:07 PM
An employee who was being fired from his job at an Illinois warehouse fatally shot five people at his workplace and wounded five police officers using a handgun he owned illegally, authorities said.
The rampage began Friday afternoon, when Gary Martin, 45, was called into a meeting inside the warehouse in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Ill., and was told he was being fired. Martin then shot the three employees who were at the meeting and two others who were nearby, Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman told reporters Saturday. Among the dead was an intern on his first day of work.
Martin had a lengthy criminal record, including several arrests and a two-decade-old felony conviction that should have kept him from acquiring the weapon.
Investigators have said little else that would explain the shooting spree, including why Martin, who had worked at the warehouse for 15 years, was fired. Police do not know if Martin knew of his termination and planned the shootout beforehand.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/16/man-kills-five-warehouse-shooting-spree-shortly-after-being-fired-illinois-police-say/
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,256 posts)They also need to make the default answer on background checks to be "no". Currently, if there is a delay from NICS beyond 3 business days, the dealer is allowed to sell to the buyer. I think the dealer should have to have a definitive YES from NICS, or at the very least the wait time should be longer than 3 days.
melm00se
(4,998 posts)groundloop
(11,537 posts)Sorry, I know I shouldn't be making jokes about this insanity, but this has gone on for so long with no meaningful action I don't know what else to do.
When the hell are we as a nation going to wake up and do something ?!?!?! We need to make it painful for repubs to block action on gun violence, all the atrocities we've witnessed need to be spoken of every single day.
Sancho
(9,072 posts)This is my generic response to gun threads where people are shot and killed by the dumb or criminal possession of guns. For the record, I grew up in the South and on military bases. I was taught about firearms as a child, and I grew up hunting, was a member of the NRA, and I still own guns. In the 70s, I dropped out of the NRA because they become more radical and less interested in safety and training. Some personal experiences where people I know were involved in shootings caused me to realize that anyone could obtain and posses a gun no matter how illogical it was for them to have a gun. Also, easy access to more powerful guns, guns in the hands of children, and guns that werent secured are out of control in our society. As such, heres what I now think ought to be the requirements to possess a gun. Im not debating the legal language, I just think its the reasonable way to stop the shootings. Notice, none of this restricts the type of guns sold. This is aimed at the people who shoot others, because its clear that they should never have had a gun.
1.) Anyone in possession of a gun (whether they own it or not) should have a regularly renewed license. If you want to call it a permit, certificate, or something else that's fine.
2.) To get a license, you should have a background check, and be examined by a professional for emotional and mental stability appropriate for gun possession. It might be appropriate to require that examination to be accompanied by references from family, friends, employers, etc. This check is not to subject you to a mental health diagnosis, just check on your superficial and apparent gun-worthyness.
3.) To get the license, you should be required to take a safety course and pass a test appropriate to the type of gun you want to use.
4.) To get a license, you should be over 21. Under 21, you could only use a gun under direct supervision of a licensed person and after obtaining a learners license. Your license might be restricted if you have children or criminals or other unsafe people living in your home. (If you want to argue 18 or 25 or some other age, fine. 21 makes sense to me.)
5.) If you possess a gun, you would have to carry a liability insurance policy specifically for gun ownership - and likely you would have to provide proof of appropriate storage, security, and whatever statistical reasons that emerge that would drive the costs and ability to get insurance.
6.) You could not purchase a gun or ammunition without a license, and purchases would have a waiting period.
7.) If you possess a gun without a license, you go to jail, the gun is impounded, and a judge will have to let you go (just like a DUI).
8.) No one should carry an unsecured gun (except in a locked case, unloaded) when outside of home. Guns should be secure when transporting to a shooting event without demonstrating a special need. Their license should indicate training and special carry circumstances beyond recreational shooting (security guard, etc.). If you are carrying your gun while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you lose your gun and license.
9.) If you buy, sell, give away, or inherit a gun, your license information should be recorded.
10.) If you accidentally discharge your gun, commit a crime, get referred by a mental health professional, are served a restraining order, etc., you should lose your license and guns until reinstated by a serious relicensing process.
Most of you know that a license is no big deal. Besides a drivers license you need a license to fish, operate a boat, or many other activities. I realize these differ by state, but that is not a reason to let anyone without a bit of sense pack a semiautomatic weapon in public, on the roads, and in schools. I think we need to make it much harder for some people to have guns.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,180 posts)Paladin
(28,290 posts)Agg. assault conviction in MS (stabbing); dom. battery arrest in Ill. Wonkette.com has a write-up about the same old story.
jpak
(41,761 posts)Cattledog
(5,923 posts)Was ordered to voluntarily turn his gun in...
Which he never did.
The cops should have arrested him and confiscated his weapon.
Galraedia
(5,031 posts)For making sh*t like this possible.
JudyM
(29,294 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)JudyM
(29,294 posts)that could be considered negligence, depending on the state law/precedent. Apparently that conviction was on his record 5-ish years when they hired him.
melm00se
(4,998 posts)in most cases
JudyM
(29,294 posts)BHDem53
(1,061 posts)Joe Nation
(963 posts)It was 11 years and 1 day ago on Valentines Day that another sick individual took the lives of 5 innocent students at Northern Illinois University. Yesterday, another sick SOB decided to kill a room full of innocent people, one of which was a Northern Illinois student on his his first day of an internship and another was a 2014 graduate of NIU. Along with 3 other victims, five lives were senselessly ended by a deranged maniac with an all too familiar pattern, a gun he never should have been allowed to own.
oldsoftie
(12,678 posts)The Chief said they are reviewing to see if procedure Was followed in that cycle.
Chuuku Davis
(565 posts)But they did send him a letter