5 dead; suspect is dead, police say

Suspect dead after shootings near Las Vegas killed 5 people and injured a teenager, police say

Updated: 7:25 p.m. CDT June 25, 2024

Highland, Illinois, seven dead, Texas 21, Buffalo, New York 23, Virginia Beach, Santa Fe, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, Orlando, Columbine. Mass shootings have been so common in America, over 278 since 2009. It’s easy to believe. That’s just the way things are. But is it true? Let’s put aside the apathy and have a frank conversation about why mass shootings are so common in America and what proven solutions are already preventing them. Mhm. First, we need to define mass shootings. We use the definition of any city, any gun violence prevention organization, any incident in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. By that measure, there have been over 278 mass shootings nationwide since 2009. The states with the most mass shootings are Florida, California, and Texas. 81% of mass shootings were committed with handguns and 16% with assault rifles. However, assault rifle shootings were far more deadly. They resulted in six times as many people being shot (more than half of all mass shootings used high-capacity magazines, which allow the shooter to fire more shots in a row without having to stop to reload), resulting in nearly five times as many people being shot as those with regular magazines. States have many options to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands, such as mandatory waiting periods that require purchasers to wait days before acquiring the gun. This provides a cooling-off period that can help prevent impulsive acts of gun violence, including gun murders and suicides. After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, for example, Florida passed a mandatory waiting period law in 2018. States can also ban high-capacity magazines. Nine states, plus the District of Columbia, have already done so. There are also extreme risk laws. These are orders that provide a proactive way to temporarily deny access to firearms to people with clear signs of violence. They are designed to prevent not only mass shootings but also suicides. Under these types of orders. The July 4, 2022, shooter in Highland Park, Illinois had previously had his knife collection confiscated, but a few years later, his father allegedly signed off on him to purchase a new gun that was then used to kill seven innocent people. States can also prohibit domestic abusers from acquiring guns. 53% of mass shootings are related to domestic violence and 61% occurred entirely in the home, meaning that preventing domestic abusers from obtaining a deadly weapon can save lives. Additionally, states can require all gun owners to securely store their guns so no one but the owner can use them. 80% of school shooters under 18 brought the gun from their home or the home of a *** friend or relative, meaning proper storage could prevent them from accessing the *** murder weapon. And states can raise the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle. The federal minimum age to purchase an assault rifle is 18, but many states have raised it to 21 and over time the shooter bought his assault rifle from the local gun store the week he turned 18 before he killed 21. Innocent people had a minimum age to purchase an assault rifle. It was higher. He couldn’t have purchased the murder weapon in the first place. But do all these laws result in fewer mass shootings? Let’s compare two similarly sized states with very different gun laws, Missouri with a population of 6.1 million people and Massachusetts with a population of 6.9 million people in Missouri. You can buy a ***. R. 15 at 18, with no mandatory waiting period, no extreme danger law, no restrictions on domestic abusers, and no safe storage laws. The Giffords Law Center gives the state an F. In Massachusetts, you must be at least 21 to buy a ***. R. 15. And while there is no mandatory waiting period, there are extreme danger laws, restrictions on domestic abusers, and safe storage laws. The Giffords Law Center gives Massachusetts a *** minus. Since 2009, Massachusetts has had two mass shootings, while Missouri has had seven. So states can *** do a lot to protect themselves from gun violence, but there are as many obstacles as there are solutions. According to the City of Chicago’s most recent 2017 Gun Tracing Report, other states are one of those obstacles. Over half of all guns seized in crimes were purchased in neighboring states with less strict gun laws. The biggest offenders are Indiana with 21% of guns seized, Mississippi with 5.1%, and Wisconsin with 4%. So even *** states like Illinois, which are rated *** Minus, can’t do much to stop gun smuggling from neighboring states. Another example of *** obstacles. When New York State tried to restrict concealed carry laws, the Supreme Court overturned it, and while the new bipartisan legislation passed in Congress that expands background checks, bans all domestic abusers from buying guns, creates new penalties for illegal gun purchases, and provides states with funding for mental health and school safety is a damn start. Many say that’s not enough. I’m committed to banning these guns again, and high capacity magazines hold 30 rounds and allow mass murderers to fire hundreds of bullets in damn minutes. I won’t stop until we get it done.

Suspect dead after shootings near Las Vegas killed 5 people and injured a teenager, police say

Updated: 7:25 p.m. CDT June 25, 2024

A man who shot and killed five people and critically injured a 13-year-old girl in apartments near Las Vegas has committed suicide, authorities said Tuesday.North Las Vegas police said the suspected gunman, 47-year-old Eric Adams, killed himself Tuesday morning when he was tackled by police officers in a residential area. Authorities had been searching for him in various apartment units since the shootings Monday night.Related video above: Can mass shootings be prevented?Efforts to locate relatives of Adams for comment were not immediately successful.Police said they initially found two dead women while investigating reports of a shooting late Monday at a North Las Vegas apartment. One of them was in her early 40s and the other in her late 50s, police said.During the investigation, police said, officers learned that a young girl had been taken to the hospital with critical gunshot wounds and that there might be more victims in a nearby apartment.Then officers found the bodies of two women in their mid-20s and a man in his early 20s. All five victims had been shot, police said. They were not immediately identified. The discovery led to an overnight search for Adams, whom authorities described as “armed and dangerous.” Shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, police learned the suspect had been seen at a North Las Vegas store. When officers arrived in the area, they saw the suspect running into the backyard of a nearby home with a firearm. Police said officers followed him, but the suspect refused to drop his weapon and committed suicide. Police have not released a motive for the shootings, which they described as an “isolated incident.” A police department spokesman did not respond to phone and email requests for more information Tuesday.

LAS-VEGAS-

A man who shot five people and seriously injured a 13-year-old girl in an apartment near Las Vegas committed suicide, authorities said Tuesday.

North Las Vegas police said the suspected shooter, 47-year-old Eric Adams, took his own life Tuesday morning when he was attacked by police in a residential area. Authorities had been searching for him in various residential units since the shootings Monday evening.

Related video above: Can mass shootings be prevented?

Efforts to locate Adams’ relatives for comment were not immediately successful.

Police initially said they found two women dead while investigating reports of a shooting late Monday at a North Las Vegas apartment. One of the two was in her early 40s and the other in her late 50s, police said.

During the investigation, officers learned that a juvenile had been taken to the hospital with life-threatening gunshot wounds and that there may be additional victims in a nearby apartment, the department said.

Then officers found the bodies of two women in their mid-20s and a man in his early 20s. All five victims had been shot, police said. They could not be immediately identified.

The discovery led to a nighttime search for Adams, whom authorities described as “armed and dangerous.”

Shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, police learned that the suspect had been seen at a store in North Las Vegas.

When officers arrived on scene, they saw the suspect running into the backyard of a nearby home with a firearm. Police said officers followed him, but the suspect refused to drop his weapon and committed suicide.

Police have not released a motive for the shootings, which were described as an “isolated incident.” A police department spokesman did not respond to phone and email requests for more information Tuesday.