tvc184

​Why?

​Somewhere in NY. I don't recall any firefighters being murdered in Newton or the area.

​So if one says that we should have guns and one says that we shouldn't, are they both wrong?

​Tragic but old news. Wasn't a couple of years or so ago that a guy set his house on fire and shot at firefighters and police as they arrived?

My first shooting incident was a suicidal subject that called in on himself and opened fire on me when I arrived. This is not a new deal but fortunately only happens no more than a couple of times a year.

​ From your article.... "Detroit police believe two weapons were involved and that one man may have been the intended target. The semi-automatic guns have not been recovered and the assistant chief is fuming that no one is talking." Sounds like a routine investigation to me. Welcome to my world.

Also since the topic of insanity will come up, the SC law is almost identical to TX. The burden of proof is on the defendant. That differs from some laws where the burden is on the government to prove that a person is not insane. To be insane you have to not know the difference between right or wrong. Blaming other people as this guy did and fleeing to get away by itself (in my opinion) proves that he knew the difference between right and wrong. Also almost exactly like TX, the SC statute says that merely being antisocial or just a mean criminal is not proof of insanity. Just because the guy is a jerk (in lieu of profanity that seems to fit but against the rules) does not mean that he is insane. (C) Evidence of a mental disease or defect that is manifested only by repeated criminal or other antisocial conduct is not sufficient to establish the defense of insanity.

​I just looked up the South Carolina law on murder. For just the typical murder like two guys get in a bar fight or you argue with your neighbor, it is a minimum of 30 years with life as a maximum. If there are "aggravating circumstances" and the jury does not issue the death sentence, the mandatory sentence is life without parole or as they put it, "until the death of the defendant without the possibility of parole". As far as the "aggravating circumstances", any of these listed will give life without parole or death. It appears to me that he violated at least these three circumstances and only proving one of them will result in death or life. (3) The offender by his act of murder knowingly created a great risk of death to more than one person in a public place by means of a weapon or device which normally would be hazardous to the lives of more than one person. 9) Two or more persons were murdered by the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct. (11) The murder of a witness or potential witness committed at any time during the criminal process for the purpose of impeding or deterring prosecution of any crime. It appears to me that this guy will get at least 9 life sentences without parole as a minimum. The governor has already called for this to be a death penalty case and I am sure that is what they will go for. Either would be good for me. Death seems very fitting but a 21 year old sentenced to an 8 foot by 8 foot cell 23 hours a day for the next 60 years seems fitting also.

I think everyone is making fun of him.

Racism.

Really, 52 years ago? Why not go back 8 more years to the Montgomery bus boycott or better yet, the Civil War?

Feel free to name all the instances where a multiple murder suspect got off with light sentences. I hate to tell you but the jury will come from the same pool of people whether in state or federal court. How come the feds did not step in and allowed the east Texas good ol' boys in the James Byrd case to try it instead of in federal court? since you appear to be so sure of a weak outcome of the state trial, how much do you want to bet that he either gets life or death?

The SC law allows life in prison and the death penalty. Does federal law allow more or even up to the same thing? Does the federal law of demand a minimum sentence that is more than South Carolina? Can it be that the state jury which is picked from the exact same people as a federal jury, would give more to the federal prosecutor than to the district attorney? This is nothing but a political ploy in order to look like somebody is doing sonething. Apparently some people fall for it. I guess that's why it's done and why is politics. We have a perfect example that we can look back on and it is local. Did the federal government prosecute the three man that killed James Byrd or did they let Texas just handle the case and give out their death penalty? They did not need to spend several months and a huge chunk of money to prove what everybody else knew.

What is probably the most sick and cruel part of this (as if the crime itself is not enough) is that he (according to current reports) walked in and asked to join the Bible study. Here is a white kid that walked into a traditionally black church and asked to participate and he was probably welcomed with open arms. That almost seems more heartbreaking than the horrific incident itself. The very people that he was about to slaughter welcomed him in and very likely might have hugged him. He repaid their kindness with the death penalty. Hopefully the state will return the favor.

​True but did you overlook the fact that SC has no hate crime law? If you missed it or ignored it, such a finding does not matter since it can add nothing to the case. And honestly, do you think this guy will get anything short of the death sentence or life without parole?

I think it is obvious that it was a crime of hate from the moment it made the news. Whether he hated religion in general, Christians in particular or hated by race it was still a crime perpetrated due to rage against someone. I can't figure out the attempt to make this a hate crime in the legal aspect however. It is meaningless. South Carolina does not have a hate crime statute. There is nothing that "hate" can do to further the penalty. SC has the death penalty and this guy qualifies for it. You cannot enhance death any more than the penalty itself. It is a political stunt that will burn resources just to say it was done. Someone wants to pound their chest and say, "Yep, after a five month and $850,000 investigation, it was just as we thought. This was done for racial purposes". I can save them them money. It was a race crime. Now give him the death sentence that requires no affirmative finding of "hate".

I has always been a good idea. This isn't the first church shooting in the national news.

In custody.

Most of these mass shootings end up with the shooter committing suicide on scene, being captured on scene or committing suicide away from the scene but a short time later. This guy appears to have shot and ran. We've serial killers and mass murders. I can't ever remember a serial mass murderer. Hopefully this guy isn't a new type of crazy.

I like when the police feel compelled to say that they think the shooter is "extremely dangerous". Ya think?

​ Yeah, sea breeze and summer thunderstorms.

Like the claims to support Obama..... A "historic" election. The first time ever that brothers have been president and that three family members have been president. VOTE BUSH!! And I am not for him.... just sayin'...........

There are all kinds of bands of rain/squall lines coming in and have been all day. Anyone may miss them or get strong storms from time to time. Some just passed over.

Named Storm = Ratings. Nothing more than a set of thunderstorms now and will likely remain that way. We get 45-50 mph winds in some summer storms that pass over. This one will rise the tide on the coast near and to the east of landfall.

The National Hurricane Center on their map shows a 100% chance of it being a named storm. Not much room for error on that kind of call.........