Two people dead, seven hurt in Miami AK-47 shooting

[Junkdrawer]

Source: Orlando Sentinel

MIAMI - Denise Grant, 34, was in the kitchen of her third-floor apartment across the street when she heard gunshots. "It was like ba-ba-ba-ba-bam and then blam, blam, blam," she said.

She said she dove to the floor and yelled at her four kids in the apartment to do the same. Five minutes later, when the gunshots stopped, she ventured outside. "When I opened the door, I just saw people lying down in the street, screaming," she said.

A man wielding an assault rifle had fired into a crowd of people playing an outdoor game of dice Friday night, killing two local teenagers, police said. Seven other people were wounded.

...

City officials, community activists and the police chief gathered at the shooting scene - Northwest 14th Avenue and Northwest 71st Street - Saturday morning begging for witnesses to help identify the shooter, and to decry the rise in assault-weapons attacks.

"There were a lot of people out there last night, and it's understandable that some are afraid to come forward, but we will take anonymous tips," said Miami Police Chief John Timoney.

Timoney said the homicides last year from assault weapons has jumped to 29 percent of all shooting fatalities. "These are weapons of war and they don't belong on the streets of Miami or any other street in America," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

....

Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0123-miami-shooting,0,1132877.story

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Assault rifles do NOT belong in the hands of ordinary citizens.

Indeed they are weapons of war.

This is horrifying...

I hope they catch the bastard.

[The Doctor.]

5. Ordinary citizens don't go on killing sprees.

At least... I never have. And with some of the shit I've been through, there's no doubt in my mind, or those that know me well, that there's nothing wrong with putting anything dangerous in my hands.

The question is; Was this weapon legally or illegally obtained?

If legally; How do we create a law to prevent it in the future?

If Legally; What law could have prevented this?


Meanwhile, it sounds like there is nefarious motive here. Hope they get the guy and get to the bottom of it.

[TheWraith]

10. They're not weapons of war.

They're rifles designed to resemble military weapons--knockoffs, in other words. But nothing a real military would use.

[my2sense]

2. self delete - posted on wrong thread

[depakid]

3. Right on schedule- a couple of weeks after the last major food recall

A disturbingly consistent (if somewhat spurious) pattern over the past several years....

[Trajan]

4. Sounds like someone was doing some 'sport' shooting ....

I wonder if some ducks or deer were nearby, and the hunter/sportsman simply missed his target ?

:sarcasm:

I dont understand why this was moved to the Florida forum .... The Gungeon would have been more appropriate ....

[aikoaiko]

6. A tragedy to be sure, but it would have been the same tragedy with a different type of gun

I use my so called assault rifle for recreational/competitive shooting and keep it around in case I need it for self-defense.

[Chulanowa]

8. For self defense, huh?

I'm sorry, I find it laughable that, in a life or death situation, you'll turn to an automatic rifle. A pistol, hey, that makes sense. But a rifle? :rofl: Yeah okay.

[TheWraith]

9. Who said anything about an automatic rifle? nt

[Chulanowa]

11. The poster I responded to did

Oh wait, are you trying to play the "there's no definition for an assault weapon, wink wink nudge nudge" game?

Whatever, the idea of turning to a rifle of any sort for self-defense is goofy.

[TheWraith]

13. No, they didn't.

Automatic weapons have been illegal without very specific and strict licensing since 1934. "Assault rifles" are invariably semi-automatic.

What is the definition of an assault weapon, out of curiousity?

[aikoaiko]

12. I'll be more clear -- I have an AR-15 a semi-automatic rifle.

Some people call them "assault rifless" or "assault weapons". The rifle in the story might have been fully automatic, but likely not. Likely it was the semi-automatic variation of the AK-47.

Now that we're clear that we're not talking about automatic rifles, rifles are excellent tools for self-defense when concealment is not an issue.

As police why they use rifles for self-defense and then lets see you laugh at them.

[Chulanowa]

14. Ah, appeal to authority, ratehr than arguing for yourself?

Yassuh, ah'll be shuh to g'wan an' do that suh

[aikoaiko]

15. Sigh. I get it now. You're just trying to pick a fight.

Rifles, in particular, carbines are superior to pistols, which apparently you accept as good tools for self-defense, in almost all ways except concealment. My AR-15 generally holds more rounds than pistols, provides a longer sight radius than pistols, provides a more stable shooting platform with the stock against my shoulder than pistols, has a more effective range than pistols, has less muzzle flip than pistols which means a faster target reacquisition, and has better terminal ballistics than pistols. I really didn't think that needed to written out, but I shouldn't have overestimated how much you know about firearms.

You say its goofy and laugh at the idea of rifles for self-defense, but you I bet you don't have a problem with professionals using the same tool for the same job. Maybe you do have a problem with police with rifles -- I dunno.

[Chulanowa]

16. It's portability I was considering, in fact

You see, despite what the NRA newsletter wants you to believe, "home invasion" is a pretty rare occurrence. Therefor, most self-defense situations will occur outside the home, and are rarely something you've planned for. You're better off with a pistol - lightweight, easier to conceal (toting a rifle around with you sort of attracts situations that you don't want), and easier to get into position for use. if someone's trying to drag you out of your car, do you want the pistol at your hip or the rifle in the back seat?

Holds more rounds? Better terminal ballistics? Putting a gun - any gun, even some snubby little derringer - into someone's face is enough to make most people back off. If not, putting a bullet in them - again, from any source - will usually do the trick. Know why? 'Cause the motherfuckers HURT. At the least it buys you time to get away from the attacker.

It sounds to me like your idea of "self defense" is a prolonged shoot-out with the ATF, lol

[aikoaiko]

17. Ok, but word to the wise, don't bring a pistol to a rifle fight.

;)

But you are correct that in many situations outside the home, I carry a pistol for the reasons you mention, but I keep a loaded AR-15 in the home in case of breakins/home invasions.

[Chulanowa]

18. Well, better safe than sorry I suppose...

But don't lay awake at night worrying over it.

Frankly you're probably better off investing in decent lighting an an alarm system. Or a large mutt of some variety. I suggest a black-mouth cur



Great with kids, slightly smarter than a bag of hammers, and looks like it just climbed out of the pits of hell to any burglars sneaking in.

[lpbk2713]

7. I don't care to go there ...

but I don't doubt freepworld must have spun this in to being Obama's fault somehow.