Thursday, 2 May 2024

Death toll in Odessa shooting rises to 7

A 17-month-old girl was among 21 injured in a shooting rampage around Odessa, Texas, as the death toll increased to seven victims Sunday.

Anderson Davis suffered shrapnel in her right chest, has a hole through her bottom lip and tongue, and had her front teeth knocked out after being shot in the face, according to a GoFundMe page created by a family friend. Eric Finley, marketing director of Texas’ UMC Health System, said Anderson was in satisfactory condition at a hospital in Lubbock.

“She is alive. When others today are not alive,” Anderson’s mother said in a statement shared on the GoFundMe page. “I ask you to continue praying for our hearts as we experience this, pray for complete healing of Anderson, pray for every other family in our same situation, or worse, today and pray for the shooters. Pray that whatever is causing them to do this will be defeated by God and they will stop shooting.”

17 PHOTOSRed flag lawsSee GalleryRed flag lawsHow 'red flag' laws could help stop American mass shootingsIn this Tuesday, June 4, 2019 photo, Dakota Reed consults with his attorney before he is sentenced to a year in jail at Snohomish County Courthouse in Everett, Wash.Reed discussed plans on Facebook for a mass shooting at a synagogue, police in Washington used a new law to quickly seize his 12 firearms, long before he was convicted of any crime.(Andy Bronson/The Herald via AP)FILE – In this Sept. 24, 2017 file photo, police tape lines the scene at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ after a deadly shooting at the church Antioch, Tenn.A man charged in the shooting expressed suicidal thoughts in June according to police records. With bipartisan support in many cases, 17 states and Washington D.C. have now passed so-called “red flag laws” that allow the court-ordered removal of guns from people who are considered to be dangerous.(Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)Researchers at the University of California, Davis say red flag laws appear to be working in preventing mass shootings.There’s new research getting attention for so called red flag laws. It’s a gun control law that permits police and family members to temporary removal firearms from someone who may danger themselves or others.A new study from the University of California, Davis, says the state’s “red flag” law could have played a part in preventing at least 21 mass shootings there. Dr. Garen Wintemute, the lead author of that study, discusses the findings on CBSN’s “Red and Blue.”Senator Martha McSally says she is pushing for strong new laws in the wake of the latest mass shootings.Trump Supporters At Manchester Rally Oppose Red Flag Laws, Divided On Background ChecksRepublican Sen. Tom Cotton gives his take on red flag laws gaining bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and says ‘deranged’ 2020 Democrats are rushing too far left to win the general election.Momentum may be building for gun control measures after several recent mass shootings. A number of politicians on both sides seem to agree that red flag laws might be a way to limit gun violence. Melissa Caen reports. (8-11-2019)House Minority Whip Steve Scalise says ‘red flag’ laws could pose a threat to due process.Politicians are blaming mental illness for the Dayton and El Paso shootings—but licensed psychologist Jeffery Huttman, PhD said that excuse was a myth. “There’s no data to show that most individuals with mental illness have a propensity towards violence,” he stated. “It’s actually the opposite. The vast majority of those with a diagnosed mental illness never engage in gun violence.” Mental illness is extremely common, with roughly one in five Americans experiencing it every ear. But experts estimate that less than 5% of shootings are committed by people with a diagnosable mental illness. “We have the same rates essentially of mental illness in this country as all other countries,” Dr. Huttman explained. “And yet there is a preponderance of mass shooting in the United States. Researchers at the National Institute of Justice have studied every mass shooter in the U.S. since 1996 and found four commonalities: childhood trauma or exposure to violence, having a crisis or grievance before the shooting, they studied the actions of other shooters, and they had access to firearms. Since the two mass shootings that took place in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas lawmakers are calling for “red flag” laws, which allow authorities to confiscate people’s guns if they show warning signs.This video, “Mental Health Professional On Gun Violence And Mental Illness”, first appeared onnowthisnews.com.Senator Inhofe speaks about ‘Red Flag’ lawsHow 'red flag' laws could have made a difference in mass shootings in El Paso and DaytonAs he addressed the nation on Monday, President Trump called for bipartisan legislation that could help stop mass shooters before they have a chance to act. Now more members of Congress are pushing for “Red Flag Laws” to be enacted in their states.Red Flag laws, otherwise known as extreme risk protection order laws, allow judges to temporarily prohibit a potentially dangerous individual from possessing firearms.Is this a step in the right direction? What do YOU think?Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. Executive Director John Harris joined Ben Hall on OpenLine for the discussion.Gun owners say Red Flag laws are an infringement on their constitutional rights. And they believe the law will lead to abuse and the confiscation of guns from law-abiding people.Gun owners say Red Flag laws are an infringement on their constitutional rights. And they believe the law will lead to abuse and the confiscation of guns from law-abiding people.Up Next

See Gallery

GoFundMe verified the page’s authenticity to NBC News and said the fundraising platform is working with the campaign organizer to ensure funds are sent directly to the family.

The rampage began after the suspect, in a gold Honda, was the subject of a 3:17 p.m. traffic stop between Midland and Odessa, officials said Saturday. The gunman shot the trooper who initially stopped him and continued west to Odessa, where he shot multiple others, according to Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke.

“The suspect continued shooting at innocent civilians all over Odessa,” police said in the statement.

The suspect then ditched the vehicle he was using and took a U.S. Postal vehicle to a local movie theater, Cinergy, where a shootout with law enforcement from multiple agencies took place, he said.

A state trooper, an Odessa police officer and a Midland police officer were injured but in stable condition, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Saturday.

Police have not released the identity of the shooter or the victims in the attack.

An Odessa High School student was among the seven who were killed, the Ector County Independent School District confirmed to NBC News Sunday.

A senior law enforcement official briefed on the case and a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said the shooter had a rifle that may have been a .223 AR-15 style weapon.

Officials were also trying to determine whether the suspect had other weapons on him during the shooting or at his home.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called it a “senseless and cowardly attack.”

The attack, the second mass shooting in Texas this month, prompted a round of calls for stricter gun laws from some hopefuls running for the Democratic nomination for president.

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said on Twitter, “America is sick of this. We need to act.”

Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed in an Aug. 3 attack at a Walmart, tweeted, “More information is forthcoming, but here’s what we know: We need to end this epidemic.”

U.S. Sen Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said on Twitter that the violence makes her “heartsick.” “We’ve already lost far too many to gun violence-Congress must act now,” she said.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the attacks and had been monitoring the situation, White House communications officials said.

Trump was set to depart for Poland over the weekend but remained in the U.S. to oversee the response to Hurricane Dorian, which straightened to a Category 5 as it threatens the eastern seaboard.

Source: Read Full Article

Related Posts