Tag: news

It is reported to have been an accident, not arson or a terror attack, but I can’t help but think that this is the sort of thing one usually expects to read about from the 19th century or see in undeveloped countries.

‘A number of fatalities’ confirmed as huge blaze ‘sparked by faulty FRIDGE’ engulfs 27-storey London tower block: Trapped residents build ropes from sheets and hurl themselves from windows. Several people are confirmed dead after a huge inferno broke out at a residential tower block in West London. Many residents believed to still be trapped inside the 27-storey building as it teeters on the brink of collapse. More than 600 residents desperately tried to escape the flames as the fire broke out in the middle of the night.

Jon Hall, former chief fire officer for the Midlands, who advised David Cameron’s government said today: ‘This is a Third-World type accident that represents a failure of every component of fire safety & building management.

Then again, it reminds me of the twin towers in Minneapolis that have long been known as “the ghettos in the sky”. So, when is the candlelight vigil, or would that be considered redundant?

And six more wounded.

A gunman is in custody after a deadly shooting at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport.  Sources tell DailyMail.com that the shooter killed five people and injured six more Friday afternoon. It’s unclear if the emergency is over at the airport yet, since an addition terminal has been evacuated and law enforcement were seen racing to a parking garage with guns out.  The incident happened in the baggage area of Terminal 2, and it does not appear that the shooter breached the TSA-secured area of the terminal.

Drudge reports gunman is 26, MALE, AMERICAN BORN IN NJ. Name reported as Esteban Santiago.

Sounds as if the targeting was pretty random. And the police responded very fast.

“At first we thought it was firecrackers. Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run.”

Lea said police responded in less than a minute after the shooting began.

Once the gunman was out of bullets, “he was gunned down by police,” he added.

“It was absolutely surreal,” he said. “People were scared and frantically running to avoid being shot. People were tripping over each other. They were trying to make a fast exit out of the door.”

Remember, diversity is America’s strength. Enjoy the new normal.

UPDATE: Apparently there is a second shooter. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: No second shooter. But Santiago is a white Hispanic Muslim veteran. Or something. The reek of patsy is strong.

UPDATE: Someone needs to tell CNN that brightening the image doesn’t actually make anyone look white. Race isn’t actually skin color.

 “At least 30 shot”

A mass shooting has taken place in a night club in Orlando, Florida, police confirmed, adding that there have been multiple injuries. According to social media reports, an unidentified gunman barricaded himself and hostages inside the club and allegedly shot at least 20 people.

The incident took place at Pulse night club.

Doesn’t sound like Jihad, however. Given the location, it would appear to more likely be gang-related or omega rage. Regardless, we can expect Obama to make one last big push for gun control, which, if Hillary endorses it, will help sink her.

UPDATE: it’s a gay club. So, this could finally be the Great White Religiously-Motivated Christian Shooter of whom the media has dreamed for decades. It’s already being described as “hate-fueled”, which is possible, but more likely, it’s an amped-up version of the usual gay-on-gay violence.

When I was in college, several people were shot and killed, including a State Senator, at a certain beach on the river. All sorts of lurid gay-bashing theories abounded in the newspapers, until the killer was found and turned out to be a gay college student. That’s not necessarily the case, of course, but it’s usually how these things go.

UPDATE 2: 9 dead, 24 wounded, hostages still inside, bomb squad on scene.

The #orlandoshooting thread on Twitter. The Orlando police scanner.

UPDATE 3: It’s over. Shooter is down. 50+ killed and 53 wounded.

UPDATE 4: Looks like it is jihad in America after all.

‘Islamic extremist’ slaughters 20 people after bursting into US gay club ‘wearing a suicide vest’ and shooting 42 clubbers on the dancefloor before he is killed in police shootout

The real tragedy, of course, would be if this tragic incident caused gay dance clubs to begin discriminating against Muslims.

UPDATE 5: “Orlando shooter ID’d as Omar Mateen, U.S. citizen from Port St. Lucie, FL. Registered Democrat.”

Obviously a hate-filled Southern Baptist bigot. Sad!

I also think it is important to consider the possibility that the shootings at the Pulse night club was not a case of religion-inspired anti-gay bigotry, but an anti-techno attack on electronic dance music.

Leonard Nimoy, Spock of ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 83. Death comes for us all in time. Even half-Vulcans.

Leonard Nimoy, the sonorous, gaunt-faced actor who won a worshipful global following as Mr. Spock, the resolutely logical human-alien first officer of the Starship Enterprise in the television and movie juggernaut “Star Trek,” died on Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. He was 83.

Four-time Oscar nominee Robin Williams has been found dead in a
suspected suicide due to asphyxia at 2:55 a.m. EST, according to police. The beloved actor was 63 years old.

“A Navy spokesman says four have been killed, eight wounded in shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. #BREAKING: 4 killed and 8 injured. One shooter down #NavyYardShooting #Navy #CNICHQ”

“We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions….”
–  unnamed White House official

Well, that’s certainly a creepy response.

UPDATE: “officials said six people were killed and as many as 10 were wounded, including a law enforcement officer.”

UPDATE 2: “THIRTEEN DEAD IN NAVY YARD SHOOTING”.  Dead includes Aaron Alexis, the shooter.