Firearms have always been a part of this country’s existence. Without them, the United States of America might not exist at all. They are a tool that has been used throughout history in order for people to protect themselves and the things that they own. But there are days like this past Friday, when 26 people, 20 of which were children, were killed in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, which shine light on a gun control debate that has been going on in the United States almost as long as firearms have been in existence.

Sadly, incidents such as the one that happened in Connecticut are far too common in our country. From the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007 to the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999, we have seen plenty of incidents when the wrong people get their hands on firearms and use them to commit terrible crimes. But should we be worried about our state laws that allow these types of weapons to be purchased with ease? Or should we be working on a way to get those who are mentally unstable the help that they need in order to live a happy life?

Rules and regulations on how to obtain a firearm vary from state to state. In the state of New York, a handgun can be purchased by someone who is 21 years of age or older and has a valid registration and license. However, you can be 18 years old and purchase a shotgun or rifle; and neither firearm requires registration or a license in order to be purchased. A background check is performed at the time of purchase in order to make sure there are no outstanding warrants or past crimes which can prevent the person from owning a firearm. New York has the most strict gun control policies in the country.

In states like Alaska and Connecticut, neither shotguns nor rifles require a permit in order to be purchased. Handguns are the only firearm in Connecticut that requires a state permit. Alaska even allows anyone to openly carry a firearm without any form of documentation.

But what about the people that commit these crimes? Of course, background checks are performed, but many of the people that would perform such a terrible act on innocent people were never diagnosed with any mental illnesses. After the deinstitutionalization of mental institutions in the 20th century, many people are not being diagnosed for their problems, and are not receiving the help that they need in order to live a normal life. The transition from government-run mental hospitals to community-based alternatives are also preventing many people from receiving the amount of medical attention that they need.

President Obama has been trying to renew a ban on assault weapons in the United States. And after the massacre in Connecticut, it seems as though we will succeed in removing unnecessary firepower from free distribution. In the end, we need to take a step back and look at our country’s firearm laws to make sure they are as strong as possible for preventing weapons from getting in the hands of the wrong people. We also need to look at those who would do such a terrible thing, and make sure that they are receiving the help they deserve.

Hopefully, in our lifetime, we come to a conclusion that takes unnecessary weaponry off the streets, and also helps those who are in need of proper treatment.

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Christian Bale, the star of the latest box office hit ‘Dark Knight Rises,’ visited Aurora, Colorado on July 25 to visit the victims of the “Batman Shooting.”

Early the morning of Friday, July 20, twenty-four year old James Holmes entered theater 9 in the Aurora Cineplex and started shooting. He killed twelve people and injured another 58 at the premiere of the final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Holmes was arrested the same night and will face the death penalty if he is found guilty of all of the charges. Recently the judge ordered that film crews be banned from the courts during the hearing.

Christian Bale originally just released a written statement about the tragedy stating: “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.”

On July 25 Bale paid a special visit to Aurora with his wife, Sibi Blazic. The couple put flowers on the memorial to the shooting victims that is nearby the theater. According to Access Hollywood most people left him alone either because they did not recognize him or wanted to leave him in peace.

Bale also visited the hospital and thanked the medical staff and the police. He was able to visit five victims in Aurora’s local hospital and also met with two others who were bused over from the Swedish Medical Center in ambulances. He spent about fifteen minutes with each person and stayed about a total of two hours, flanked by security and police.

According to hospital personnel Bale wanted to keep his visit out of the press and to not turn the visit into a publicity ploy. A Warner Bros. spokeswoman reported that Bale was not representing the studio, just himself.

Janie Bowman-Hayes, assistant vice president of surgical services at Swedish Medical Center said, “he just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this. He took it upon himself to come and thank us.”

Bowman-Hayes added, “He did this out of his heart, and you could really tell. It was so sincere. It was just, ‘thank you’.”

Bale visit may have been influenced by an online campaign in which people encouraged the star to go and visit the victims. Other visitors to the hospital have included members of the Denver Broncos and President Barrack Obama.

Image Courtesy of cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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After an all-night manhunt, three deputies shot and killed an armed man in Sunnyvale, California early in the morning on Thursday, October 6, 2011. The deputies found the man, Shareef Allman, 47, in a driveway. According to Laurie Smith, Santa Clara Country Sheriff, Allman had exposed his firearm in a dangerous and threatening manner, and the deputies fired. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His identity was later confirmed by fingerprints by the Santa Clara County coroner’s office. It was the end to an ordeal that lasted just over 24 hours. At four in the morning on Wednesday, Allman, who worked at the Permanente Plant owned by Lehigh Southwest Cement Company, went to work to attend a meeting about safety.

He was reported to leave the meeting, and returned with a handgun and rifle. He opened fire, wounding six people, and killing three. After the incident, Allman left the scene, and authorities began looking for him. Shortly thereafter, a woman in Cupertino reported a carjacking, and her description of the carjacker matched Allman.

During the hunt, police found Allman’s car at a gas station. They found two assault rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun. They also have footage of him walking away from the gas station with a rifle. The search lasted all night. At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, three deputies found Allman crouching behind a car.

Allman’s coworkers described him as a disgruntled employee. According to them, Allman had recently been switched to the night shift, and was upset. They also said he often reported late for work and had more accidents than other employees. “He thought everybody was after him. He wasn’t thinking no more,” Mike Ambrosio said in a San Jose Mercury News interview.

Ambrosio was shot in the right arm. Close friends were surprised to learn that the shooter was Allman. Brandon Powell had seen Allman recently, when Allman showed him new additions to his gun collection, including an AK-47. When he asked Allman why he purchased the new guns, he said Allman told him there was some trouble at work.

“We started laughing, so I didn’t think he was serious. He wouldn’t hurt nobody. He’s not that type of person. He must’ve snapped,” said Powell. Allman had also visited union representative Bill Hoyt on September 30. Allman said he felt he was being treated unfairly at work. “He told me he had gotten a suspension, and didn’t feel that the punishment fit the crime.

But he was fine, and didn’t seem angry, we talked and joked around. There was nothing weird about him,” said Hoyt. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is handling the investigation.

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After a Malaysian journalist was shot to death while on a mission trip in Mogadishu Friday, the Prime Minister urges the public not to point fingers. “Let’s not play this blame game,” Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (Najib) said Sunday, in a media conference at the Royal Mayasian Air Force base in Subang. “The most important thing for us is to take stock of what has happened.”

The deceased journalist, Noramfaizul Mohd Noor, 39, worked as a cameraman for the Malaysian National News Agency, Bernama. He had a wife and two children. Najib spent time consoling Noramfaizul’s family.  According to Bernama, Noramfaizul “was shot while travelling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle with other Malaysian media personnel covering the humanitarian aid mission to Somalia by the Putera 1Malaysia Club.”

Officials said that a clash between the African Union (AU) troops and other gunmen resulted in Noramfaizul’s death. Another reporter was severely wounded. A security official told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that initial reports indicate that AU peacekeepers were responsible for opening fire on the cameraman’s vehicle. Further investigation of the incident is being conducted.

Adbukarim Ali, a security official with the AU-backed government army, reported to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the shooting occurred at a busy area, which was Kilometer Four, in Mogadishu. “The men were hit by bullets when they were in their car, as they apparently were returning to their hotel,” said Ali.

In an article by Reuters, Muhideen Mohamed, a volunteer with the Malaysians described the deadly scene.“Two bullets hit the journalist, one in the head and another on the shoulder. He died on the spot,” Mohamed said. Mohamed also reported that the second reporter suffered a bullet wound to the arm.

All 54 members of the Putera 1Malaysia Club mission flew back to Subang on board the aircraft carrying the remains of Noramfaizul, reported Bernama. “There’s a limit to what you can prepare for any eventuality,” Najib said. “Isyallah (God willing), we’ll try our level best in the future to prevent such a thing from happening again.” Najib also said, “this deadly shooting is part and parcel of journalism.”

According to the BBC, as the Somalia’s food crisis has intensified. There has been an increase in the number of foreign aid workers and journalists traveling to region to help.

In July, The Washington Post reported that the famine in parts of southern Somalia had already killed tens of thousands of people, mostly children. Humanitarian aid officials described the situation as the “worst humanitarian crisis in the troubled country in two decades.”

On August 30, an article in Bernama said that a group representing the Putera 1Malaysia Club, which included Noramfaizul, had arrived in Mogadishu.Atuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, mission chief and club president, said that their humanitarian work would focus on five areas in Somalia; Magadishu being the first stop.

The mission aimed to distribute 250 tones of food and provide medicine to approximetly 45,000 families.The report by Bernama concluded with the statement that, “Bernama TV reporter Khairulanuar Yahaya and cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Noor are among the media crew taking part in the mission.”

The BCC said that the crisis in Somalia was “severely aggravated by civil strife.” According to AFP, “Clashes between rival militia groups happen regularly in Mogadishu, a city that has been battered by a bloody insurgency as Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab rebels fight to unseat the Western-backed government.”

Such tumultuous conditions make humanitarian aid missions, like the work of Putera 1Malaysia Club, particularly dangerous. Noramfaizul is not the first individual to be killed while trying to better humanity in Africa.

Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rank Somalia as the deadliest country in Africa for media personnel, with 23 media workers killed since 2007.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxfameastafrica/

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A man murdered his wife and four of her relatives before shooting himself, as he showed up at his son’s birthday party on July 23.

The birthday party was held at a skating rink, but by evening the joyous time ended brutally as gunshots were heard.

Police said the couple were having ongoing marital issues that investigators believed led to the shooting the evening of July 23rd, at Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie, about 20 miles west of Dallas. Fortunately no children or rink employees were injured. Witnesses at nearby business saw adults and children running in terror away from the building.

Grand Prairie detective John Brimmer identified the shooter as Tan Do, 35, and said the party was for his 11-year-old son. Do ordered the children to leave the party before opening fire. Brimmer said that Do’s son and other children are safe with other relatives.

Do killed his estranged wife, Trini Do, 29, three of her siblings, and her sister-in-law. Other attendees included about thirty friends and family, some out of state. Four others were wounded, though none have life-threatening injuries.

“They just looked terrified,” Cody Poston, a witness, said. “There were several people crying and the kids looked a bit oblivious.”

“This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry,” Brimmer said. “The shooting only lasted seconds.”

Sen Nguyen, father of two children who attended the party, said the shooter was a friendly and family man. Nguyen was notified about the shooting from his 12-year-old daughter who called him crying and terrified.

Walt Hedrick, owner of the rink, was in the snack bar when the shooting began. He scrambled to get his employees out of harm’s way, but Do was not aiming at them. He said he usually has security when the rink is open to the public, but since the Do family had rented out the rink for a private party, no security guards were there.

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The Norwegian police announced during a press conference that Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-years-old Norwegian man arrested on Friday and charged over the bomb attack in Oslo and the massacre at Utøya Island, have confessed.

Breivik killed 85 people in the shooting at the annual summer camp of the country’s ruling Labour party of Utøya, and seven were the victims of the bombing in the government quarter in center of the capital Oslo. Five are the people still missing and 20 those seriously injured. Thus, the death toll could rise further in the next hours.

On his Facebook page the killer described himself has Christian and conservative, with a passion for hunting and war videogames. He was defined by the police a “Christian fundamentalist” strongly hostile to Islam. According to the Norwegian press the man was also tied to extreme-right groups.

On the web site www.document.no he published some posts which show his nationalist ideas and his aversion to multicultural society. More than one year ago in a post he defined the labourist Gro Harlem Brundlandt, who had been Prime Minister for three legislatures between 1981 and 1996, as the “killer of the country”.  She also participated at the Labour party’s rally at Utøya on Friday and made a speech a few hours before the shooting.

Owning a farm Breivik could buy a kind of fertilizer that can also be used to make bombs, and practicing hunting we could own several registered weapons.

An eyewitness reported there was another killer at the island, but it’s not clear yet if he had a partner or not.

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While people were fleeing the scene of the bomb explosion in Oslo, a youth camp on the island of Utøya was being slaughtered by an unidentified man, dressed in uniform and with a gun. The camp was for young supporters of the Norwegian Labour Party and the BBC has unconfirmed reports that the Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was supposed to attend the camp today. When the unidentified shooter opened fire, campers fled in fear and many tried to save themselves by jumping into the surrounding water. But an eyewitness has told the Norway national broadcaster NRK that he in the immediate aftermath saw more than 20 bodies around him. “There are very many dead by the shore [...] There are about 20-25 dead,” said Andre Scheie. He also told that he saw bodies in the water and the police are still searching the water for missing people. Most recently, the government of Norway has been able to confirm the death of 85 people on the island of Utøya and an additional 10 in the Oslo bomb explosion, totaling 95 and making it the worse terrorist attack Norway has seen in history.

A man has been arrested after the shooting and it has been confirmed that he is Caucasian. According to Sveinung Sponheim, acting Police Chief, the shooter was spotted in the capital prior to the explosions which suggest a link between the two incidents. He is currently being questioned at a local police station, according to the BBC.

The hospital is still treating victims from the bombing in the capital and the overall number of deaths could rise within the next 24 hours. The two attacks happened with only a few hours in between which strongly suggest some sort of coordination. Whether it was a deranged loner, working on his own, or it was indeed an organised terror attack is still unknown but meanwhile, police fear that there may be explosive on the island.

The attacks have shocked the Scandinavian community which has strict gun control. Prime Minister Stoltenberg told NRK “Co-workers have lost their lives today [...] it’s frightening. That’s not how we want things in our country. But it’s important that we don’t let ourselves be scared. Because the purpose of that kind of violence is to create fear.”

Despite claiming responsibility, the Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami was most likely not behind the bomb attack according to an expert.

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This afternoon, a bomb exploded in the capital of Norway outside the offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a number of surrounding buildings. An eyewitness reportedly saw the blast shattering all the windows in the high-rise building. “I saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later,” Ole Tommy Pedersen told AP.

Within 45 minutes, the city centre was evacuated and the police confirmed that people had been killed. Both police and military was on the scene and the injured were treated in the streets.

According to the New York Times, the terror group Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or the Helpers of the Global Jihad, has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Meanwhile, a youth camp linked to the leading Norwegian Labour party was involved in a shooting outside Oslo and it is believed that the two events could be linked. Norwegian police have confirmed that at least 30 people have been killed in the camp shooting when an unknown gunman, dressed as a police officer, opened fire indiscriminately on the attendees. The camp was taking place on the island Utoeyais and some tried to flee the violence by jumping into the water.

Seven people have so far died from the bombing in Oslo and two are badly injured. Residents are advised to stay at home.

Timeline:

• 1.30pm: Massive car bomb explosion kills at least seven in Oslo
• 3.30pm: Between 25 and 30 dead as man disguised as police officer opens fire on island youth meeting Norwegian prime minister was due to attend
• Eyewitnesses say bodies floating in the sea around the island
• Man arrested on the island was 6ft tall, had blonde hair and spoke Norwegian – reports he was shot and wounded before being detained
• Police fear explosives may have been laid at camp
• Unknown group called ‘Helpers of the Global Jihad’ said to have posted message saying this is reaction to publication of Muhammed cartoons
• Islands residents told not to reveal their location on Twitter or Facebook
• British Foreign Minister William Hague condemns ‘horrific’ attack
• Oslo Mayor: ‘Wish I were on island to be shot instead of children’
• Police believe the two attacks may be linked

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Standing up to someone is sometimes difficult. Now imagine standing up to someone with a gun. That is what a 15-year-old Bronx girl did on Sunday, June 12, 2011 landing her in the hospital, barely alive. Yvette Marie Torres was hospitalized in critical condition when she challenged gunmen who had fired into the air. One of them cowardly shot her after she had gone to a party in Fordham Highs Saturday night. Police said that a dispute broke out and spilled onto the streets.

When two young men began firing shots into the air, Torres, who has a fearless personality growing up with three brothers, quickly spoke her mind. “My sister argued with them, saying: Why are you shooting?” her brother, 20-year-old Jonathan Dimental said. She did not know any of the men and as she was yelling at them, one of them shot her in the back of the head.

Doctors stated on Sunday afternoon that Torres was showing “good signs”, but was still unconscious and breathing through a ventilator. However, there is a high risk of her passing away. She had been placed in a medically-induced coma. A family friend said that “her mother has not left her bedside and is not talking to anyone.

She is still in a state of shock and has prayed non-stop.” The parents are angry that no one has come forward or cooperated with police in this investigation. She has been nicknamed “The Brave One” because she stood up not only for the people at the party, but to anyone who was listening and watching.

Due to the shooting of Torres and lack of progress in finding the person who shot her, a group of concerned residents from the Bronx, Queens and even Massachusetts has formed to take the investigation in their own hands. According to Bronx News Network, the group, lead by Nelson Figueroa, a childhood friend of Yvette’s mother, has organized a “Rally for Yvette” on Saturday, June 25 on the same spot where Yvette was shot.

They created a “Rally for Yvette” Facebook Page to advertise the event. According to Figueroa, Yvette was taken out of a medically-induced coma on Tuesday, June 21, and was given two days to respond. Doctors were continuously checking for brain activity, he said. Police still have no leads as to the shooter and have not arrested anyone as of yet.

egd / Shutterstock.com

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Tupac is one of the most respected rappers in hip-hop. He embedded his philosophical, political, and societal views in his raps.  As a young man, he knew he wanted to encourage change with his music from the very start. At the height of his career in 1994, he became the target of an assault and robbery at Quad Studios in New York. His assailants were never found, until a revelation appeared.

The shooting at Quad Studios had spurred the East and West Coast Hip hop rivalry. This contention had ultimately resulted in both Tupac’s and Biggie Small’s deaths. On June 15, 2011, one day before Tupac’s would-be 40th birthday, Dexter Isaac, an inmate for life at New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, confessed to assaulting Tupac Shakur at Quad Studios. Isaac had pointed the finger at Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond, founder of Czar Entertainment, and manager of artists like The Game and Sean Kingston. Isaac had confessed due feelings of hatred toward Rosemond and to make amends with Tupac and Biggie Smalls family. “I would like to give their mothers some closure. It’s about time that someone did…” Isaac continues on and tells Rosemond directly, “are you going to flip on Puffy when the feds get you? To save yourself like you have done in the past? Because that’s what a rat does.” The full disclosure is posted on Allhiphop.com.

Rosemond had hired Isaac, promising a 2,500 dollar pay off and whatever jewelry he stole from Tupac, except a diamond ring that Rosemond wanted for his girlfriend at the time. Rosemond is currently on the lam from government officials because of his involvement in a cocaine drug ring. Meanwhile, as police investigate Isaac’s claim, Rosemond’s lawyer shot back in Rosemond’s defense, saying that the allegations are false.

In the confession, Isaac says that he is bitter for keeping Rosemond’s secret for so long. “I have kept your secrets for years. You have never been arrested because of me, or anyone of our friends because of me…I have stayed silent in prison for the past thirteen years, doing a life sentence like a real soldier should, when you and everybody have turned your backs on me.” This fueled the fire for the confession. Isaac was beginning to feel betrayed by the fact that Rosemond had become a “…turncoat rat for the government.”

Some people, including Outlawz member E.D.I Mean, were not surprised by the confession. E.D.I. Mean had given an answer to why he thinks this on MTV News. “I just feel like it’s verification for what ‘Pac said because a lot of people felt when ‘Pac was saying what he was saying on Makaveli that he was out of line for saying that.” In short, Tupac had written raps about Rosemond being responsible for the attack.

The shooting took place on the night of November 30, 1994. Two men entered the lobby in army fatigues and shot Tupac five times. The bullets struck the rapper’s head, groin, arm and thigh. Shortly after, Tupac rushed to the hospital where he was stabilized and released the next day in a wheelchair. After the incident, Tupac became suspicious of Biggie Smalls and Sean “Puffy” Combs. He believed that they had set him up for the attack along with others such as Rosemond.

After fifteen years since the shooting, a confession has finally come out. The only problem is that it took too long for the revelation to come. The statute of limitations has already passed the deadline, so no one, even if the confession is true, can be prosecuted for the assault.

Many believe that with this new evidence it might just lead to figuring out who killed Tupac. Whatever happens, one thing is certain, Tupac Shakur made a difference with his music.  He made his mark on society, reached out to people and is looked up to as one of the best rap artists ever.  In the documentary Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel: The Life of an Outlaw, Tupac’s childhood friend and fellow rapper Ray Luv said, “I think Tupac’s alive, in a sense of, I can still feel him.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tupacamarushakur/

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