Another mass shooting has happened, and this time, it has taken place in a Colorado store. Naturally, many people have been saddened by the incident, and the internet is flooded with condolence messages.
However, some are also asking questions about the manner in which the suspect was escorted by the police to the car.
Here's everything you need to know.
What's Really Happening?
The question is: why are people still dealing with the nightmare of mass shootings in 2021?
The man entered a Colorado store and opened fire.
He ended up killing 10 people.
The terrorizing incident happened at King Soopers store.
It is believed that the suspect simply walked into the store and began shooting. The shoppers and employees dived to avoid the bullets once the shooting frenzy began. Others had to run to save their lives.
A passer-by managed to film some of the shooting on camera, which was live-streamed by a witness and broadcast on YouTube.
The person taking the video is heard shouting:
"I don't know what's going on… I heard gunshots, someone's down."
He went on to say:
"There's an active shooter, get away."
Later, people were warned to avoid the area by the Boulder police department. The police also advised people against broadcasting any tactical information they might see on social media.
According to a witness who was in the store during the shooting, Ryan Borowski, the incident was truly shocking:
"This feels like the safest spot in America, and I just nearly got killed for getting a soda and a bag of chips."
Eric Talley, the first police officer to respond to the shooting, was among the 10 people to die during the senseless massacre.
Maris Herold, Boulder police chief said during a police conference that what Eric Talley did was heroic. He was responding to calls for shots fired and a call about a possible person in possession of a patrol rifle.
The police chief also confirmed that the man who carried out the shooting was in the hospital getting treatment.
Herold did not say more about the shooting, although she explained that it was "very complex."
So far, they have not released any details about the victims. This is to give the families an opportunity to learn about their loved ones first.
The investigation is underway. The motive for the devastating mass shooting is still not apparent.
Social media is awash with people's shock and condolences.
A lot of other people were also angered by what happened.
People Unsatisfied With The Police
It is not just this recent mass shooting that has annoyed them, but the police as well.
Many people are not happy with how the police handled the suspect.
People were upset by how respectfully the police handled the suspect after shooting so many. They argued that he would not have made it out of the store alive if the shooter was black.
The police also seem to want to keep his personal information private. That also didn't sit well with many people.
They insist that the man is safely escorted to an ambulance before he is driven away. Many people mean that the scene would have been very different if the man had been Black.
Alleged racial prejudices aside, the sad reality is that this devastating tragedy comes just days after a mass shooting in Atlanta. During the incident, 8 people lost their lives at 3 spas.
Our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
Why does this keep happening? Why are we still dealing with mass shootings today?
Although it's the year 2021, America is still living in fear of tragic mass shootings. People are afraid to send their children to school because they might get massacred there.
These crazy shootings seem barbaric and senseless, and yet, they are a terrifying reality of our times.
Problematic Gun Laws
A lot of Americans are very afraid, whether young or old.
The slack gun laws are largely to blame for this problem. If those in authority could have done more about them, then the embarrassing number of mass shootings wouldn't be happening.
Clearly, things are getting out of hand.
Nothing demonstrates this better than the fact that we now have a "mass shooting tracker."
The website keeps track of the regular mass shootings happening throughout the country. If that is not a clear indication that serious changes are needed, then nothing is.
People have been clamoring for stricter gun laws for years. However, those in a position to introduce the necessary changes have not heeded them.
Last year, things were relatively peaceful. However, the renewed increase in mass shootings this year across the country has increased pressure on the government to do something about the relaxed gun laws in America.
People have been shaken to the core by the incidences in Atlanta and Colorado.
More than ever people want changes, and they want them now. As someone pointed out, the U.S. has 25 times more gun homicides than any other peer country, which is worrying.
The country is still trying to deal with the devastation caused by the most recent mass shootings. People had hardly gotten over the Atlanta shooting when the Colorado massacre happened.
Unfortunately, there is nothing unique about the two incidents.
In the first 83 days of 2021, America has witnessed a total of 104 mass shootings. That means there is more than a single shooting happening every day, which is unsettling.
This information has been released by the Gun Violence Archive, a resource that defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people (excluding the shooter) are shot or killed in a single incident at the same general time and location.
The incidents have taken place in multiple states.
Some of the states that have been involved in mass shootings include Colorado, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Nevada, California, Arizona, and New York.
How Many People Have Lost Their Lives To Mass Shootings This Year?
Shockingly, an estimated 9,647 people have lost their lives to mass shootings this year, and a further 7,000 injuries have also happened during these incidents.
In particular, about 300 children and teenagers have lost their lives in gunfire in 2021.
The total of children of at least 11 years who have been killed stands at 65. A further 126 have been injured.
Similarly, 239 teens aged between 12 and 17 have also died, with 588 getting injured.
The police have not been spared this vice either. A total of 15 officers have died, and 71 have suffered injuries.
President Biden came out to speak about the government doing more to stop more mass violence after the deaths in Boulder.
He seemed anxious to do something about the increasingly unsettling security problem:
"I don't need to wait another minute – let along an hour – to take commonsense steps that will save the lives in the future, and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act."
This Tragedy Follows Another Mass Shooting In Atlanta
On March 16th, Robert Aaron Long, 21, shot 8 people at 3 local spas in Atlanta. The shooting happened in Cherokee, Fulton County.
After the shooting, 4 people were left dead at Young's Asian Massage and 3 more women died at Gold Spa. The other murder happened at Aromatherapy Spa after he fired shots at the establishment.
The names of these victims have already been released to the public.
The families and friends of these victims will have to deal with their tragic deaths.
The world mourns with the families.
After the shooting, Long got away but the police caught up with him a few hours later after launching a manhunt.
He is now in police custody, and he faces 8 counts of murder in addition to a charge for aggravated assault. People are also outraged, devastated, and heartbroken after such a devastating attack.
In general, people are wondering why America continues to allow such shootings to take place.
Racial Prejudice Blamed For The Atlanta Shooting
Obviously, many people are of the opinion that the incident was racially motivated.
Consequently, there have been rallies, both online and in the streets, as people protested the terrorism that is going on. The protesters are also demanding justice for American Asians and the people who lost their lives to the attacks.
It's no secret that the country has a problem with racism. Prejudice against Asian Americans has been going on for many decades.
However, this form of racism is not just evident through mass killings of this kind.
There are also lots of "harmless" jokes made on television and online about Asians.
Jay Leno In Trouble
Jay Leno has been forced to apologize to the Asian American communities for his jokes over the years.
However, that does not mean people are satisfied. Many argue he admitted to knowing what he was doing was wrong all along but still kept doing it.
The apology did not impress anyone.
Leno took part in a Zoom meeting with many leaders of the Media Action Network For Asian Americans. He offered his apologies to the Asian community for the many jokes he made at their expense during this long television career.
He said he was sorry for targeting Asians and their stereotypes while making jokes over his years-long career as the Tonight Show host.
He also made an offensive Korean joke during the filming of America's Got Talent.
Leno stated that a group was always complaining about something, and when they received the complaint, they would either decide to do something about it or ignore it, and in many cases, he did the latter although he knew it was wrong.
After the apology, the talk show host said that MANAA has been very gracious in accepting his apology. He hopes that the entire Asian community would also accept it and try to live up to their expectations in the future.
A good number of people don't buy Leno's apology. Do you?
Does this make up for the years of racist jokes against the Asian community?
Colorado Shooter Identified
The community is still reeling from the terrifying Colorado mass shooting.
The shooting happened just before 3 pm local time in Boulder on Monday. The police responded to reports about an "active shooter" at King Soopers grocery store, and he left ten dead.
Afterwards, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was identified as the gunman.
Maris Herold also announced the death toll during a news conference.
She was in tears as she explained that 10 people, including a police officer, had been shot dead at a Colorado market.
Many customers watched as the horrific shootings took place.
They spoke to the media about the terror they went through as people were being gunned down before their eyes.
As one of the customers explained:
"We were at the checkout, and the shots just started going off."
Another Boulder resident, Sarah Moonshadow, was at the store with her son Nicholas when the shootings started.
She remembers telling her son to get down, after which he ducked. From there, they started listening as the shots rang out.
It was then she told her son to run.
Ryan Borowski was also in the store when the shootings started.
Ryan admitted that seeing terrified faces running towards him was terrifying, and after he turned and saw what was going on, he also ran in the other direction.
Staff helped him get out from the store from the back, although some people froze.
A staff member, Alex Arellano, 35, was working at the store's meat department when he heard gunshots. He also saw people running for the exit.
As the gunshots got closer, he thought he was about to die:
"I thought I was going to die… I'm thinking of my parents, and I was freaking out."
He tried to hide with two other men and then escaped through the back exit.
Shooter Thought To Be White
People have also been talking about the race of the shooter.
A lot of people on Twitter quickly assumed that the man was white.
That was mainly because the man was "still alive" even after he shot dead all those people. This was clearly due to the issue of racially motivated police violence in America.
In fact, a number of people had to go back on their words after it was confirmed that the shooter was of Syrian descent.
Unfortunately, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris was among them. Meena Harris faced a lot of backlash after her controversial tweet about the gunman.
She even had to delete her post and offer an explanation.
Unfortunately for her, people had already seen what she had said. They weren't happy.
She stated that "The Atlanta shooting was not even a week ago."
In her post, she mentioned that "violent white men are the greatest terrorist threat to our country."
She would soon have to take back her words and explain herself.
She explained that she had made the assumption based on the fact that he was taken into custody while still alive and that most mass shootings in the U.S. are done by white men.
Kamala Harris is yet to come out and respond to the incident surrounding her niece.
Heartbreaking details continue to emerge about the shooting.
For instance, it is devastating that Officer Eric Talley lost his life in the line of duty.
Officer Eric Talley Left Behind A Wife And 7 Children
The officer was 51, and he was among the first to respond to reports that there was an armed man in the grocery store.
Unfortunately, the assignment that cost him his life is the one that won him recognition as a "hero." Talley was a father of 7.
He got to the scene of the crime after the first 911 calls were made reporting that shots were fired.
Maris Herold, Boulder police chief, spoke about him:
"I have to tell you the heroic action of this officer when he responded to the scene."
Talley responded to "a phone call about a possible person with a patrol life."
According to Herold "Officer Talley responded to the scene, was first on the scene, and he was fatally shot."
The county's district attorney has also been recognized as "one of the outstanding officers" since his death.
Talley joined the force in 2010.
Homer Talley, his father was not surprised that he was first to respond to the scene. He also explained that he was a prankster, but with a "great sense of humor."
Talley has left behind a wife and 7 children. His oldest child is 20 years old.
According to his father, "he loved his family more than anything."
Since his death, there have been lots of stories about him.
According to Herold, two weeks earlier, he had given one of his sons an award for using CPR skills his father taught him to save a life. The boy saved the life of his little brother after he swallowed a quarter.
Talley also went viral in 2013 because he was among 3 officers who saved ducks stuck in a drainage ditch.
During the incident, he got into calf-deep water to rescue the ducks from the pipes.
Currently, there is a new story going around about his impact on society.
Annabelle Marie, a Twitter user, explained how Talley was among the officers who responded when she informed the authorities about an abusive ex back in 2013.
She wrote:
The abusive boyfriend had shown up without an invitation and started pounding on the door while issuing threats. Talley was among the officers who responded.
Marie admits that she credits the officer for saving her life:
"Thank you for being my hero that night & thank you for being a hero to everyone in King Soopers today. I am absolutely heartbroken to hear yet another shooting has occurred."
Obviously, lots of people are wishing his family the best during this difficult time.
Reports indicate that the gun used in the shooting would have been disallowed under a gun law that was recently blocked.
People insist that this would have not have happened if the recently proposed gun law would not have been blocked.
The ban was blocked 6 days before the shooting happened.
However, not everyone seems to have the same kind of respect a lot of people have for the officer. A good example is Senator John Kennedy, who has ruffled a lot of feathers with his comments.
Stephen Colbert has in particular been very upset by John Kennedy's comments.
He responded to the comments John made.
The senator had argued that "we have a lot of drunk drivers in America that kill a lot of people, we ought to try to combat that too." He said this during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun control.
He went on to argue that:
"The answer is not to get rid of all sober drivers. The answer is to concentrate on the problem."
In response, Colbert said "Okay, I'll take that deal."
"Let's regulate guns the way we regulate alcohol and cars. You got to be 21, got to pass a test to get a license, you go to have registration and insurance for your gun. If you move to a new state, you got to do the whole damn thing over again, and you can't go out loaded."
Kennedy went on to say that there is no gun control problem in America, but an "idiot control problem."
In his comeback, Colbert said that we have an idiot control problem, and that's "people who don't recognize that this country has long had a gun problem, John Kennedy!"
"So, when idiots like John Kennedy refuse to do anything about getting rid of idiots' guns…"
"It's clearly time to get rid of idiots like John Kennedy, and that means voting them out."
Whatever your position on gun laws is, it is clear that something has to change before the mass shootings can come to an end.
