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Josy · 19-09-2014, 06:21 AM

Quote:

A grandfather shot dead his daughter and her six children before taking his own life at a home in Bell, Florida, police have said.

The children range in age from three months to 10 years old, said Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz.

The authorities have identified the gunman as Don Charles Spirit, 51.

Schultz said a colleague responded to reports of a shooting on Thursday afternoon and on arrival made contact with Spirit before he killed himself.

Don Charles Spirit Spirit was in prison in 2006
"I haven't seen anything like this at all," said Schultz.

"This county, this community is going to be devastated from this. It is a small county, we are all family here.

"We're asking for prayers for this community and the families involved."

After Spirit took his own life, police found the other seven bodies in the house, although there were other people there who were still alive.

Spirit, who was known to police previously, was the only suspect, said Schultz.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, the grandfather was once behind bars for a gun charge, and was released in February 2006.

Bell is a town of about 350 people located 30 miles west of Gainesville.

Multiple shootings in the US have happened in schools, colleges, military institutions, shopping malls and homes. Each time innocent victims die, but this rural community has been shaken by the multiple killing, says the BBC's Tom Esslemont in Washington.

It is likely to reopen a painful debate about gun ownership, but is unlikely to change deeply entrenched polarised views, our correspondent adds.

So sad

Kizzy · 19-09-2014, 09:02 AM

Wonder why them and not others in the house?... Anywhere this would be shocking, but in a community of 350 it's magnified I bet.

Niamh. · 19-09-2014, 09:05 AM

I heard this on the news this morning, it's just awful, how could anyone kill 6 children like that and a 10 month old baby? horrific

Creggle · 19-09-2014, 10:50 AM

Sick ****, glad he's dead at least.

LukeB · 19-09-2014, 11:01 AM

OMG

Brother Leon · 19-09-2014, 11:03 AM

Damn. I know this is going to create more anti gun cries, but really people like that or in that mind state will find a way regardless.

Ninastar · 19-09-2014, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brother Leon

Damn. I know this is going to create more anti gun cries, but really people like that or in that mind state will find a way regardless.

exactly. if you ban guns, these thugs will find ways of getting them anyway.

so sad to hear this though... poor babies

Z · 19-09-2014, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninastar

exactly. if you ban guns, these thugs will find ways of getting them anyway.

so sad to hear this though... poor babies

No one's denying that, but the figures speak for themselves. The USA allows its citizens to own guns. More people die from gun crime there, accordingly, than they do in say the UK or Germany or France or Canada. People still die there from gun crime, but nowhere near as many.

Ninastar · 19-09-2014, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z

No one's denying that, but the figures speak for themselves. The USA allows its citizens to own guns. More people die from gun crime there, accordingly, than they do in say the UK or Germany or France or Canada. People still die there from gun crime, but nowhere near as many.

I know, but you also have to consider the sheer size of America... Yes, banning guns would prevent as many shootings, but the criminals would still find ways of getting them.

And probably another unpop opinion, but I think the police officers would need guns too. So would you ban the police members having guns too? I think that would be an even worse idea. I think it's bad enough that the police officers over here don't have guns... it's a scary though, the US police not having guns...

I;m not a guns activist at all... (yay guns!!!!!!!11) but banning them would really be completely useless.

I'm all for stricter regulations, that definitely needs to be done, but there's no way in a million years they would ever ban guns. I wish there was a way for gun crime to be completely diminished over there, but sadly I don't think there is.

Creggle · 19-09-2014, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z

No one's denying that, but the figures speak for themselves. The USA allows its citizens to own guns. More people die from gun crime there, accordingly, than they do in say the UK or Germany or France or Canada. People still die there from gun crime, but nowhere near as many.

Thats more down to the fact USA has 50x our population tbh, if somebody wants to shoot someone they will do so regardless of where they live.

Z · 19-09-2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninastar

I know, but you also have to consider the sheer size of America... Yes, banning guns would prevent as many shootings, but the criminals would still find ways of getting them.

And probably another unpop opinion, but I think the police officers would need guns too. So would you ban the police members having guns too? I think that would be an even worse idea. I think it's bad enough that the police officers over here don't have guns... it's a scary though, the US police not having guns...

I;m not a guns activist at all... (yay guns!!!!!!!11) but banning them would really be completely useless.

I'm all for stricter regulations, that definitely needs to be done, but there's no way in a million years they would ever ban guns. I wish there was a way for gun crime to be completely diminished over there, but sadly I don't think there is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creggle

Thats more down to the fact USA has 50x our population tbh, if somebody wants to shoot someone they will do so regardless of where they live.

China and India are the only countries in the world with larger populations than the USA and they don't have any freely available gun crime statistics that I can find - but they don't have reputations for gun crime, which I would put down to the fact that only criminals have guns which they've gotten illegally. Everyone in the USA who owns a gun is a potential criminal. That's not an accusation or meant to be condescending, it's just that if you have a gun in your home, you are equipped and prepared to shoot somebody with it. Why else would you own one? If you want to shoot someone, you're going to do it, but if you can't easily access a gun then you're not going to do it so easily. I would argue that if you make it more difficult to get a gun, it's more difficult for your average person to lose their cool and do something mental.

Kyle · 24-09-2014, 08:30 AM

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Originally Posted by Creggle

Thats more down to the fact USA has 50x our population tbh, if somebody wants to shoot someone they will do so regardless of where they live.

The USA's population is around 318 million. Hardly 50 times to be fair. More around five and a bit.

Niamh. · 19-09-2014, 11:06 AM

"The Orlando Sentinel reported that in 2001 a man named Don C Spirit accidentally shot and killed his eight-year-old son Kyle with a high powered rifle in a hunting accident. Florida Department of Corrections records show he was released from jail in 2006 after serving three years for firearms offences relating to that incident."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ad-say-reports

Josy · 19-09-2014, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Niamh.

"The Orlando Sentinel reported that in 2001 a man named Don C Spirit accidentally shot and killed his eight-year-old son Kyle with a high powered rifle in a hunting accident. Florida Department of Corrections records show he was released from jail in 2006 after serving three years for firearms offences relating to that incident."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ad-say-reports

FGS

Z · 19-09-2014, 11:53 AM

Say what you like but if it wasn't so easy to access guns, it wouldn't be so easy for someone unhinged to do this to 7 other people and then himself. Sure he might have found another way, but they'd have had a better chance at survival if he didn't have to just point and shoot at them.

Niamh. · 19-09-2014, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z

Say what you like but if it wasn't so easy to access guns, it wouldn't be so easy for someone unhinged to do this to 7 other people and then himself. Sure he might have found another way, but they'd have had a better chance at survival if he didn't have to just point and shoot at them.

lostalex · 24-09-2014, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z

Say what you like but if it wasn't so easy to access guns, it wouldn't be so easy for someone unhinged to do this to 7 other people and then himself. Sure he might have found another way, but they'd have had a better chance at survival if he didn't have to just point and shoot at them.

You mean like in the UK where you just set the house on fire and kill a bunch of kids?