Nine Killed In Omaha Mall Shooting

Jesus, what a frakkin' nightmare.

(CNN) -- A gunman killed eight people and wounded five others Wednesday at the popular Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, before apparently turning the gun on himself, police said.

A law enforcement source identified the gunman as Robert A. Hawkins. Hawkins' mother found a suicide note at his home saying he wanted to "go out in style," the official said.

Witnesses described chaos and frantic shoppers running away from the Von Maur store, where the shooting began just before 2 p.m. Negron said it was not yet known whether the gunman said anything before opening fire, because police were still interviewing witnesses.

Seven people died at the scene, and two -- a man and a woman -- died after reaching Creighton University Medical Center. Three of the wounded are in critical condition. The gunman had a rifle and most of the victims were shot inside the Von Maur store, Negron said. (H/T - CNN.com)

I have two problems with this story; besides the obvious senseless murder spree.

1. If Hawkins wanted to commit suicide - and that appears to be the case here - why not take that rifle, point it at your Bon Jovi-esque head, and pull the trigger? This way, you can die alone in your room, as God intended. Instead, this tool goes to the mall and takes out innocent civilians. When you get to Hell, Robert, tell 'em Itchy sent ya!
2. Here's my second problem, and it will probably annoy the gun-ophobes out there. Maybe, just maybe, if someone in the mall was carrying their legally-owned firearm, they could have prevented this scumbag from shooting everyone in sight. (And if they couldn't prevent it, they may have at least limited the carnage.) It doesn't appear that mall security was armed, and by the time the police arrived, it was too late. So, the only chance most of these people had was to run. A lot of people survived. Some did not. It's why I carry my city-issued weapon off-duty, kids: I'm not looking to be an easy target.
   

Not that any of this matters now. The damage is done. Something is seriously wrong in this country today, because incidents like these are becoming all too frequent. There are more Robert Hawkins' out there, and when they snap, be somewhere else.

Other thoughts on the subject:
Deathlok
Captain America