Some Details About the Shooter

Outside the Beltway

Some Details About the Shooter

More breaking news on the shooting-in this case, about the shooter.

Steven L. Taylor

January 8, 2011

Comments

Fox is reporting on the contents of YouTube videos from the alleged shooter.

Some basics:

-He is obsessed with grammar (and accuses others of being “illiterate”).

-He is obsessed with the currency and is in favor of the gold/silver standard.

-He mentions the Constitution and made anti-federal statements.

-He has some odd assertions about “dreamers.”

-He does makes specific references to District 8, which certainly suggests that Giffords was his target.

He sounds truly disturbed.

Via Politico, (some) more info: AP: Shooter identified as Jared Laughner

Doug Mataconis has one of the videos posted.

Update: a lot more from Tucson Weekly

30 responses to “Some Details About the Shooter”

john personna

January 8, 2011 at 4:59 pm

Poor guy. Probably just needed the right meds.
Dave

January 8, 2011 at 5:05 pm

Sounds schizophrenic.
test

January 8, 2011 at 5:24 pm

He is a tea party. Anti government unibomber type. Animal farm is his favorit book. We hates the federal government and thinks the constitution is the only law. We should be on the gold standard. Government controls us through the use of language. Probably watches glenn beck.
Axel Edgren

January 8, 2011 at 5:45 pm

What would you get out of speculation?

If there is something *solid* that shows this guy truly was inspired by right-wing rhetoric and pandering, or something else that somehow makes the people you hate look bad, then it will show up and you will get what you want out of this horrible event.

But that will be later – what you are doing NOW is basically making people tired and a bit offended as well. If you display the people who are angry at the rhetoric of Palin et al. as a bunch of speculative gun-jumpers and viral marketers (who can’t write properly) then *if* something that suggests the shooter was a little more sane and inspired by right-wing bloviators than it seems shows up, they will be LESS prone to believe that thanks to ranters like you.

I understand you are disgusted by the anti-democrat frothing of the right-wingers and that their rhetoric could be blamed on this, but right now this guy seems like a random element, a failing of the US psychiatric care system etc.

I am not saying there won’t be a time to accost some people for what has happened, but it isn’t now – before investigations by professionals have been made. A small girl is dead. Come on and temper yourself, please.
ponce

January 8, 2011 at 6:07 pm

An ad her opponent ran during the last election?

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1294/aakelly048c.png
Zelsdorf Ragshaft III

January 8, 2011 at 6:16 pm

Test, if you are so good at speculation, why is it you have not yet won the lottery? You ever watch Beck or do you just run your mouth?
Axel Edgren

January 8, 2011 at 6:17 pm

ponce, I’ve seen a photo taken by a family outside a place called “Animal House”, but the father’s head crops out a couple of letters so the sign reads “An__al House”.

This could be something similar – innocent juxtaposition that looks REALLY bad afterwards.

They loves them some guns and they take every opportunity to shoot some. That makes them odd, but not casually suggesting they kill democrats.

Go read Orcinus for some real dirt, but don’t try to throw everything at the republicans hoping something will stick. Smart people won’t be persuaded so easily.

And I say this as a person who thinks Teepers overall are more unstable, less intelligent and more self-righteous than the democrats.
Zelsdorf Ragshaft III

January 8, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Test, I noticed one of his favorite books was the Communist Manifesto. And he liked Mein Kampf. Looks like he is a man you understand. You know, a man of the left who had no room for a moderate Democrat.
Axel Edgren

January 8, 2011 at 6:36 pm

“And he liked Mein Kampf. Looks like he is a man you understand. You know, a man of the left who had no room for a moderate Democrat.”

Hahahaha.

Aw Zel, you suck so much.
ponce

January 8, 2011 at 7:01 pm

“They loves them some guns and they take every opportunity to shoot some. That makes them odd, but not casually suggesting they kill democrats.”

Really?

The Republican’s ad read:

“Get On Target For Victory In November. Help Remove Gabrielle From Office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.”
Pete

January 8, 2011 at 7:15 pm

Ponce, you are starting to sound unstable.
michael reynolds

January 8, 2011 at 7:22 pm

Why don’t we follow Steven’s excellent advice and take it easy until we know.

I think as a matter of principle 1) individuals are responsible for their own behavior, 2) that includes individuals who foment paranoia and hatred, and 3) if mental illness is present that at a minimum diminishes the responsibility of the shooter and 4) if the shooter is mentally ill that at a minimum casts doubt on any widening of responsibility for his actions.

The shooter is still alive, which means we’ll probably hear more than we want on his motives. Let’s see what he has to say, and what psychiatrists have to say.

And one more point: among others, a 9 year-old kid was murdered today. Can the news networks at least pretend to give a shit?
sam

January 8, 2011 at 7:26 pm

Something just occurred to me. This boy, if reports are accurate, is only 22 years old. I agree with what Dave said upthread–he does sound, from the webpage, as if he’s schizophrenic. His parents or parent will come forth, I’d think, and shed some light on this. There must some medical history here that will come out. At least I hope there’s a medical history. I’d not like to think someone who appears this unbalanced went untreated.
ponce

January 8, 2011 at 7:53 pm

“Ponce, you are starting to sound unstable.”

I will admit the N.R.A. and their political enablers disgust me.

I don’t think that makes me unstable.
tom p

January 8, 2011 at 8:00 pm

About his reading list: I have read app 80% of what he listed and most of the rest are on my “to do” list. “To kill a Mockingbird”? “Alice in Wonderland”? “Mein Kampf” has been on my list for years but I keep putting it off (hell, it took me 2 years to get thru half of “Das Kapital”) I am just not sure if I am ready for that much more of the crazy…

Look the guy was an obviously crazy, out there whacko loon (what… you mean to say that you can see a SANE PERSON ASSASSINATING A CONGRESS PERSON AND A FEDERAL JUDGE KILLING SEVERAL… several… other people including a nine year old child? To me, that defines “whacko”. Left? Right? I really don’t give a rat’s ass.

But for those of us commentators who hail from the right side of the aisle…

When a Republican holds a rally: “Get On Target For Victory In November. Help Remove Gabrielle From Office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.”….

or a republican alludes to “2nd Amendment remedies”…

or Sarah Palin puts a gun sight on her “enemies”….

and then some “anti-government” loony DOES resort to “2nd Amendment” remedies….

And you have the nerve to be shocked, SHOCKED!!!! That somebody would have listened to what you did not denounce????

F*CK YOU. Who was it who said, “The pen is mightier than the sword?” Just googled it: Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839…

“True, This! —
Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold
The arch-enchanters wand! — itself a nothing! —
But taking sorcery from the master-hand
To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike
The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword —
States can be saved without it!”

Words have power, and you ARE responsible for what you say. What is more, if you keep silent, you bear a certain responsibility for what others say:

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

It IS time for all sane people to speak out against the erxtreme rhetoric coming from certain corners of the political spectrum.
R

January 8, 2011 at 8:43 pm

Amen, Tom!
test

January 8, 2011 at 8:44 pm

Tom p…amen. My point is its obvious he has menal issues and its obvious he hates the federal government and its obvious that when so. Called leaders use the language they have been using and no one will speak out against it…well guess what?
HelloWorld

January 8, 2011 at 8:52 pm

A third amen to tom p. It seems John Boehner might understand that now, too. Now he is calling off his rhetorical vote on “Repealing the Jobs Killing Health Care Bill”
SteveCan

January 8, 2011 at 9:05 pm

The 1st target on Gifford …. Long before Palin I believe.

http://patterico.com/files/2011/01/Markos-2.jpg
Brummagem Joe

January 8, 2011 at 9:19 pm

SteveCan says:
Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 21:05

Strictly for toxophilists I would have thought. But I suspect it’s a fair foretaste of what we’re going to hear from certain quarters as they seek cover from the “arrows of outrageous fortune.”
george

January 8, 2011 at 11:12 pm

“Why don’t we follow Steven’s excellent advice and take it easy until we know.”

Yup, right now its just raw emotions. It’ll become clearer in a few days what was behind this. Right now it could be anything from a serious schizo to a politically inspired killing – we just don’t know.
G.A.Phillips

January 9, 2011 at 12:09 am

This is very sad, you people should stop with the propaganda for a min……..
ponce

January 9, 2011 at 12:15 am

“Right now it could be anything from a serious schizo to a politically inspired killing – we just don’t know.”

We do know a murderous psycho got his hands on a rather powerful weapon.

I think it’s safe to point fingers at our lax gun laws.
jwest

January 9, 2011 at 8:12 am

According to the NY Times, Loughner shot Judge Roll first.

“Ms. Giffords had been talking to a couple about Medicare and reimbursements, and Judge Roll had just walked up to her and shouted “Hi,” when the gunman, wearing sunglasses and perhaps a hood of some sort, approached and shot the judge, Mr. Kimble said. “Everyone hit the ground,” he said. “It was so shocking.”

If this is accurate, it would appear Roll was the primary target of this radical liberal’s anger, not Congresswoman Giffords. Even crazy assassins tend to take out the most important (to them) target first.
george

January 9, 2011 at 8:24 am

“We do know a murderous psycho got his hands on a rather powerful weapon.

I think it’s safe to point fingers at our lax gun laws.”

That’s a fair point.
Axel Edgren

January 9, 2011 at 9:34 am

I’m sorry to just quote another blog, but I want to make sure John Cole’s words are spread a little.

“And then my personal favorite: “He was just crazy!”

No shit. You have to be crazy to walk into a crowd of people and start spraying bullets, killing a bunch of elderly people and a little kid. That is crazy.

The point we have been trying to make for the last couple of years is that Republicans need to stop whipping up crazy people with violent political rhetoric. This is really not a hard concept to follow. There are crazy people out there. Stop egging them on.”

This is an important point. The shooter was a random element *but there is no denying that one side has been a lot more aggressive and toxic in how it depicts the other side, and it is not manipulative or speculative to suggest this will point the insane or violent in a certain direction*.

There is NO left-wing Palin, Beck, Bachmann or Inhofe that has the same amount of power and legitimacy. There isn’t even a left-wing GINGRICH – and Gignrich is relegated and kept from the public but is still not condemned. The 11th commandment.
matt

January 9, 2011 at 9:38 am

Just curious but if he had used an Oklahoma city style bomb instead would you be advocating tougher fertilizer laws?
Drew

January 9, 2011 at 10:44 am

At least, as you read these comments, the event points out who you can simply dismiss in the future as being somewhere between ghoulish, disgusting human beings and deranged themselves.
Axel Edgren

January 9, 2011 at 11:37 am

“Just curious but if he had used an Oklahoma city style bomb instead would you be advocating tougher fertilizer laws?”

Let me describe to you the rough, orange and thick exterior of your average Orange and compare it to the blushing, verdant or pale varieties of the thin-skinned Apples…
matt

January 9, 2011 at 8:38 pm

Oh so when someone explodes they aren’t just as dead as someone that is shot it’s a different kind of existence..

Technically speaking a bomb would of been far easier and more effective as demonstrated nearly daily in Iraq.