Firefighters shot and killed in western NY

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 11:26am

Details are still emerging, but it appears that firefighters were shot, two fatally, while responding to a fire in Webster, NY.
Firefighters

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 11:44am

If only they were carrying guns....

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 11:57am

Where does Abby live?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 12:00pm

Xenia, Ohio. The USA's ballon knot.

This is truly sad. Killing Firemen responding to a fire? REALLY?

Updated On: 12/24/12 at 12:00 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 12:01pm

Just saw this. Awful.

Before this goes all "gun law" crazy I just want to say how sad this is. I can't imagine what the details will reveal, but what a loss.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 12:04pm

I was just reading about this. Again, there are just no words. And in the process, THREE homes were lost, no word if there were any victims of the fire.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 12:06pm

This is awful. How could someone do something so horrible? And on Christmas Eve for that matter. I hope whoever did it ends up in jail for Christmas.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 12:08pm

As they say in Ragtime - "Why does nobody care? There is blood in the air. What is wrong with this country?"

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 1:00pm

I don't think anything is confirmed yet, but the local fire chief commented that this APPEARS to have been a trap, deliberately set.

[wexy]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 1:41pm

we can send snowflakes..
we have to rise up against the NRA.

[~tiny~]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 3:07pm

It's all up to politicians, if they choose to have backbone - en masse.

"I live in the United States. I am retired. I have lived in over 20 states in my lifetime. I have never owned a gun. I have never seen a gun used. I have never needed a gun. I know no one who has ever needed a gun. We do not hunt for food anymore. We buy it in markets. Our government is not going to take this country away from us, we do not need to be armed to protect ourselves against our government. None of my many children or their spouses or my grandchildren has ever owned or used a gun. None of my extended family has ever owned or used a gun. Most Americans do not own guns, most don't use guns, it's only when the exception like the recent killings in CT happen that we see this argument and hear about guns. This has painted an entirely wrong picture of my country. One nut case strikes and almost 300 million people are branded as gun zealots. The gun owners are wrong. The NRA is wrong. Most Americans would prefer it if the nut jobs didn't have guns."

(not written by me)

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 3:47pm

It was a trap? The mind boggles!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 3:52pm

I guess crazy wayne will now want a cop on every fire truck

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 4:55pm

I'm not pro NRA but its sad that this story is going to have everyone screaming about the NRA now. Initial reports are this is an ex criminal who was released and couldn't buy a gun legally anyway.

Crazy people will always find ways to kill others. Its been going on since the dawn of our existence and sadly it probably won't ever end.

I feel terrible for the firefighters families. What a horrible thing to have to deal with, especially at christmas no less.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 5:01pm

The NRA has so many reasons for people to be upset with them.

And why shouldn't everyone be screaming about them? They have outlived their usefulness and have proven themselves to be rather draconian.

They deserve each and every scream hurled in their direction.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 5:33pm

Because this story has nothing to do with the nra. The shooter was an ex-con who beat his 92 year old grandmother to death with a hammer. He wasn't allowed to legally obtain any firearms anyway. This man should have never been let out of prison in the first place.

[Taryn]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 5:38pm

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/12/24/1375651/career-criminal-set-a-trap-for-murdered-firefights-say-police/

It would have been possible for him to buy a gun at a gun show because of the loophole without anyone even checking his legal right to own a firearm.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 6:27pm

"He wasn't allowed to legally obtain any firearms anyway."

Legally, I'm not allowed to drive a car, but when my boss was drunk I drove him home.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 6:30pm

Try reading the article

Because Spengler was convicted a felon, he was supposed to be legally barred from owning a gun. However, because of the so-called “gun show loophole” — a National Rifle Assocation (NRA) supported-policy that allows “private” gun sales to take place without background checks — it’s possible Spengler could have purchased his weapon without the seller even checking whether he could legally own a gun or had a history of violence. Guns bought in this manner are used in 80 percent of violent firearm crimes across the country. Moreover, it’s very easy, as a consequence of another set of NRA-supported changes to federal law, for some felons to get their right to own guns reinstated.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 6:55pm

That "gun show loophole" makes absolutely no sense.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/24/12 at 7:19pm

"Because this story has nothing to do with the nra."

No, but you were the first person to bring them up...

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 12/25/12 at 2:18am

"No, but you were the first person to bring them up..."

I wasn't, someone else before mentioned them but I do agree that the gun show loophole is ridiculous. Either way this man should have never been let out of prison in the first place. He beat his own grandmother who was 92 with a hammer. Somebody like that doesn't deserve a 2nd chance.

Updated On: 12/25/12 at 02:18 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/25/12 at 6:07pm

Latest update implies:

The shooter, that committed suicide, set the fires (which I'm sure went through many of our minds).

He did so to do what he liked: kill. (according to a note he left behind.)

The believe they found the body of his sister, whom he lived with, in one of the homes destroyed, and suspect that she was killed before the fire.

SEVEN homes were destroyed in total.

One of the weapons used was the same as used in the CT school shooting.

One of the victims was only 19.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/25/12 at 6:20pm

This is beyond horrific. How could they let him out? I am sorry, unless the guards and parole board members had their heads securely up there asses, there hard to be signs. Hell, if the killing his 92 year old Grandmother with a hammer wasn't enough!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/25/12 at 6:42pm

Absolutely disgusting and horrific. I hope this guy rots in hell.