63 replies to this topic

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More gun violence.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Suspect: Aaron Alexis, Navy IT contractor.  "Computer security."  This case is already interesting.

 

Apparently they may be looking for as many as two other suspects.

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12 people killed, as well as the shooter.  Multiple people wounded; three being treated at a DC area hospital are expected to live.  The suspect has a history of gun-related issues, including discharging a firearm into a neighbor's apartment and shooting out someone's tires, as well as a history of "anger issues," whatever that means.  They are being rather vague.  Nevertheless, it seems that his issues, whatever they were, led to his being discharged by the Navy, but was then hired right back as a contractor (at a much higher rate of pay), which suggests he was good at his job.  Evidently he was a Buddhist.

 

He's also black, much to Thrash's delight, no doubt. 

[lennybronx]

Yeah i heard about that. Its amazing how some people minds can work.

 

And how despite all these shootings, a person can still own a light machine gun..

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It now sounds like Aaron Alexis was the only shooter.  Apparently he used an AR-15 and a Glock.

[Haflinger]

Aaron Alexis was also a decorated former Navy full-time reservist. There's something very strange about this whole case. He left the service on January 30, 2011, and it's rumoured that it was because of a gun-related arrest in late 2010. However he just had a regular discharge I believe.

 

He probably got into the building using the employee entrance. (Calling it a shipyard is misleading. It used to be a shipyard, now it's an HQ unit. The area is still called the Naval Yard because of tradition.) Still, you'd think a military installation would have some kind of security on it.

 

The most likely explanation is that he went postal.

[King Biscuit]

Watch the gun laws finally get through Congress.
Be it before or after the budget fight, who knows.

[Haflinger]

Well, I'm in favour of getting the gun laws through but really I don't think they have anything to do with this case. The building that was attacked was a military installation, it should be prepared for people trying to smuggle weapons inside it and have proper security to make that not possible.

[Thrash]

[20:29:14] <killer04|Legion|MoFA> its interesting to see jorost act like he knows anything about security on a military installation

[Haflinger]

Huh? I'm the only one who said anything about security on a military installation, and considering I used to work at a military base, yes I do know something about it.

[Redezra]

People get Jorost and Haf mixed up sometimes

[Thrash]

god damnit killer

[Haflinger]

For the record, the military base that I used to work at had laughably awful security. One of my coworkers used to smuggle in cocaine and sell it to people on the base from the back of his bicycle in full public view and broad daylight.

 

I really hope that things are better now. There was an ammunition dump there, it made me sorta nervous sometimes, and this was over a decade before 9/11.

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It is not just any old military installation, it is the headquarters of Sea Operations.  I don't know what that is, but considering that it's the Navy it's probably important.  CNN's source described it as "one of the most secure buildings in Washington DC."

 

Aaron Alexis was not a decorated hero, in fact quite the opposite.  He was discharged for a "pattern of misconduct" which may or may not be related to two separate gun-related incidents, one in Ft. Worth and one in Seattle.  On the other hand, they are quick to point out that he was not dishonorably discharged.  His was an "other than honorary" discharge.  Whatever it was did not prevent him from being hired by a Navy contractor.  Supposedly Alexis' area of expertise was "computer security."

 

There are reports coming out now that he may have been disgruntled over not getting some sort of benefits to which he was entitled, or at least believed he was.

 

Then there are all these people in Ft. Worth who know him as a soft-spoken Buddhist and co-owner/waiter/friend of the family at a popular Thai restaurant.  One of the local reporters even knew him.  He also spoke Thai.

 

Yeah, this just gets weirder and more interesting.

[Haflinger]

It is not just any old military installation, it is the headquarters of Sea Operations.  I don't know what that is, but considering that it's the Navy it's probably important.  CNN's source described it as "one of the most secure buildings in Washington DC."

Considering what just happened at it, I hope CNN's source is wrong.
 

Aaron Alexis was not a decorated hero, in fact quite the opposite.

Aaron Alexis won the Global War on Terrorism Medal and National Defense Service Medal. I'm not sure what for, but he did receive the awards. You can find multiple sources for this fact, but the original source is DoD records. Here's one report.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Well isn't that interesting?  I'd need to know more about what those were.  They might not be anything special, i.e. maybe an entire unit was awarded them, or they're something you get after completion of this or that.  I don't know, I'm just spitballing.  If they are something important that just adds another layer of weirdness.  Just who the heck was this guy?

[Redezra]

He was trying to stop the Illuminati and/or majestic 12. Clearly.

[Ellis]

Well isn't that interesting?  I'd need to know more about what those were.  They might not be anything special, i.e. maybe an entire unit was awarded them, or they're something you get after completion of this or that.  I don't know, I'm just spitballing.  If they are something important that just adds another layer of weirdness.  Just who the heck was this guy?

 

Neither of those sound like valor awards. I'd guess he served in an area involved in national defence, during the Global War on Terror. Which isn't to diminish the fact that he did serve at a time of higher risk, but it doesn't sound like having them means he stormed a bunker with a shoelace, or anything.

[Mydas]

There were cops everywhere today, even on the side of town opposite the shootings.  Pretty much entirely MPD from the looks of it, I didn't see any more than the usual homeland security, FBI, or SS in my part of town.

[Haflinger]

I read one report indicating that the FBI was taking over the investigation. Most of the photos I saw showed MPD, which is Metropolitan Police Department I believe, i.e. the DC regular cops everywhere.

 

I don't know what those awards are either. They don't sound like they're exactly on a par with the Navy Cross, but they do add a weird wrinkle to the story.