Editor’s Note:This is a guest post from Ron Borsch. Ron’s bio is at the end of this article.
Barely into the new year, our nation was shocked once again by another senseless and tragic Rapid Mass Murder© 1, by an Active Killer 2. On Saturday January 8th 2011, just outside a Safeway Supermarket in Tucson Arizona, 19 defenseless innocents were shot, 6 fatally. An anomaly here is that the active killer apparently planned to include the assassination of a Congresswoman.
Congress On Your Corner
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had an advertised and scheduled appearance outside a Safeway Supermarket in what was billed as “Congress on your corner” an opportunity to meet and speak with your Congresswoman. There was a small group of attendees, about 25 as estimated by one witness. There were about a dozen chairs in a row where people in line to speak with Giffords, sat waiting their turn. The cowardly gunman, Jared Loughner age 22, ran to Giffords, shooting her in the head at close range first, thereafter shooting the people in the chairs and any other available target with a Glock 19 Pistol loaded with a 30 round magazine.
Rapid Mass Murder© Typically Stopped By Unarmed Citizens
The initiation by a single unarmed citizen had traditionally been the majority stoppage of Rapid Mass Murder©. (Armed citizens are about tied with law enforcement for aborting rapid mass murder). In this incident, early reports differed as to exactly how unarmed citizens stopped the killer, typical for a fast-breaking situation. When the dust settles, all witnesses have been interviewed and the investigation is complete with security video, a more accurate and detailed version of the incident should become available.
For general discussion here, according to the Tucson Shooting Wikipedia entry:
After the gunman ran out of ammunition in the first magazine, he stopped to reload, but dropped the loaded magazine from his pocket to the sidewalk where unwounded bystander Patricia Maisch grabbed it. A bystander clubbed the back of the assailant’s head with a folding chair. The gunman was then tackled to the ground by 74-year-old retired colonel Bill Badger, who himself had been shot, and was further subdued by Maisch and bystanders Roger Sulzgeber and Joseph Zamudio.
Zamudio, an armed citizen who had run towards the sound of gunfire, arrived to see that the shooter was subdued, and did not draw his gun. Ms. Maisch who by then was holding the cowards legs, asked Zamudio to hold the killers legs so she could go get paper towels to make a compress for Badger’s wound. There were many other heroes that attended to the victims from citizens and paramedics at the scene to doctors and nurses at the hospital.
Active Killers Are Typically Rogue Humans
Active killers are not ordinary criminals in the normal sense of their “motive” for the crime. When a normal person attempts to use their best weapons of logic and reason to understand the behavior of a senseless, illogical and unreasonable rogue human, they are essentially defenseless. The active killer is a deranged person disconnected to some degree from reality. The rogue human, living in his own delusional world, marches to the beat of a different drummer.
NUTS© All Kinds Of Warnings And Indicators Revealed
As is typical, after the fact, multiple people that had prior contact with the killer seem to come out of the woodwork telling various stories of what they knew about the active killer being NUTS©, (“Numerous Unstable or Troubling Symptoms”©). Examples range from visible disturbing behavior and statements in person, to Internet video and documented ranting that others see and read on public or personal exchange sites.
In this case, the coward had previously alarmed Pima County College professors, students and came to the attention of the College police multiple times. Pending a mental evaluation certifying that he was no danger to others, he was barred from the campus. Had the College PD, Tucson PD and Pima County Sheriff pooled their information earlier, some sort of intervention might have occurred and this multiple homicide event may have been prevented. These NUTS© have no place in open society. We need more public awareness and remedies to remove them.
Righteous Indignation And Fingerpoint?
It was wrong for anyone to assume there was a political context to the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the murder of six and the wounding of thirteen. One possible motive could have been a grudge against Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from a 2007 event that may have figured into the cowards planning. As an attendee at her event, he had asked the congresswoman “What is government if words are meaningless”. Offended that his unanswerable question was not answered to his satisfaction, who knows how this “offense” may have smoldered in his sick mind?
A Political Activist Sherriff?
As the chief law enforcement official, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik certainly errored when he departed from facts, evidence, and without a logical connection, publicly began to promote his own unsolicited personal bias and opinions about who and what was to blame. Was his opportunity in the limelight too much of a temptation to utilize “You never want a serious crisis go to waste”? (The negative philosophy of Rahm Emanuel). The 75 year old Sheriff, later interviewed by Geraldo Rivera, was graciously given an opportunity to take back or rephrase his comments, but he strongly rejected that opportunity. The Sheriff’s rush to judgment set off a political and media firestorm. Unfortunately, in so doing, the extra attention may also spawn a new strain of copycat Rapid Mass Murder© 1.
Newest Danger: Copycats Targeting Politicians?
In the quarter century preceding the murders at Columbine High School in 1999, Rapid Mass Murder and attempts occurred on average about one a year. In the decade after Columbine, we are unfortunately now approaching an average of four a year. Rapid Mass Murder and attempts have occurred at: Schools; Colleges; Restaurants; Churches; Malls; Hospitals; Post Offices; Night Clubs, Casinos; Military Posts, and of course other workplaces.
In the tracking history of Rapid Mass Murder©, including a political celebrity in the homicidal plan is at present, an anomaly. However, because of the degree of controversy and length of time coverage in the news, this incident with a Congresswoman could act as a lure enticing the sick minds of all kinds of rogue humans and copycat NUTS©.
The Infamous Factor
Active killers are typically “Nobody’s”, not so much loners, as they are failed joiners. Do they seek to be noticed or noted for some accomplishment? Certainly! Mass murder absolutely commands attention. The factor of fame or infamy may well be a motive in their deeply disturbed minds. Some experts have surmised that collectively, active killers in their alternate reality may think that they will be famous by their big splash of homicide. Some of that thought has been supported by evidence such as suicide notes, Internet postings, even conversations with friends. The spawning of a new type of copycat mass murder by including a high-profile personality may unfortunately be too attractive for the NUTS© that are out there.
Anticipate! Potential High Value Targets: “Forewarning Is Forearmed”
This is an intelligence heads-up for local law enforcement for when a celebrity that could be a potential high value target, (in the mind of a rogue human), comes to their area. Proactive local law enforcement agencies should at least be aware of the homicidal copycat effect and the potential for a mass murderer visiting an event in their jurisdiction. This is of course in addition to the normal potential risk of school or workplace rapid mass murder. “We suggest, you decide”!
The U.S. Secret Service guards a number of our nation’s officials. State Governors have Troopers for bodyguards. Personalities from the Movies, Television, Radio, Politics and the music world often have their own bodyguards. Many do not, or at least in the past have not. We may see this change, but it may not be visible or highly reported.
Imitation, The Greatest Single Cause Of Rapid Mass Murder
Aside from homicide, the greatest single common factor of Rapid Mass Murder© is “The Copycat Effect”3 of imitation. Otherwise, when these cowards, (targeting defenseless innocents), act out, they do so for a myriad of reasons that are justifiable only in their own disturbed minds. For example, in Dunblane Scotland 1996, a coward shot 32 Kindergartners, killing 17. In Carthage NC 2009, a coward shot 11 elderly patients in wheelchairs and walkers, killing 8.
These are merely two events in a long line of Rapid Mass Murder and attempts incidents. These two serve to illustrate the range of ages, youngest to oldest victims. As with all the past Rapid Mass Murder incidents, there seemed to be little or no righteous indignation and finger pointing at least in comparison to the January 2011 Tucson Arizona incident.
We are advised that juveniles are the most susceptible to the “Copycat Effect”. This is supported by the fact that educational facilities have been the most frequently targeted, typically by a student, suspended/expelled student or former student. While active killers can be almost any age, juveniles and immature or insane young adults are most often the actors in mass murderer.
Utopian Call For Gun Bans?
Are guns really the problem? Of course not! Rogue humans and criminals are the problem. Mass murder can and has been committed in this new century with knives. See Edged Weapon Mass Murder. Rogue humans can and have used flammables and motor vehicles in their attempts to commit mass murder.
Good citizens have always agreed with bans against Arson; Burglary; Drugs, (Cocaine, Heroin, Meth, Etc.); Home Invasion; Kidnapping; Mayhem; Muggings; Murder, Rape; Robbery, and so on. However, good citizens also have to concede that the bans or laws against these crimes have clearly failed regarding effectiveness. So what, logically, is so different about a ban on guns, ammunition, or high capacity magazines? Except that it would hurt citizens and help criminals, nothing!
Reluctantly and logically, law abiding good citizens forced to go along with a gun ban probably would, while the great majority of the targeted lawless, or criminals, of course would not. How do we know this? Cause and effect! Criminals love gun control. Laws are dependant on folks voluntarily obeying them, while criminals consider themselves exempt! The more draconian and oppressive the gun laws are in a city or state, typically the higher the crime rate there. In countries where gun bans go into effect, thereafter they have suffered increased crime. It also helps to know that everywhere in history that genocide has occurred the populace had previously been disarmed.
Conclusion
The tracking history of rapid mass murder reveals it is a copycat crime. On one hand, the Tucson Arizona mass murders were merely one more rapid mass murder by an active killer among several dozen. That a Congressperson was intentionally targeted may be just an anomaly. The Federal Judge killed, who simply dropped by to say hello, was a coincidence. The incident here was certainly big news, and as a bonus, also featured unarmed courageous citizen hero’s. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords miraculous road to recovery is a blessing.
The considerable attention that the Tucson incident may not go unnoticed by the potential NUTS© and rogue human imitators out there. Dave Grossman 4 advises “The best way to predict future behavior, is to look at past conduct.” Grossman also connects the popularity of violent video games to many of the mass murders by active killer.
As in violent video games, active killers seem to have a motivation to achieve an infamous “high score” of killing real people. Also similar to a video shooting game, a “high value target”, (such as head shots), would be “extra points” of attention, and can be an overwhelming temptation to them. Only time will tell if the copycat effect of imitation latches onto the high value target of a political or celebrity personality added to their intentional mass murder.
About the Author: Ron Borsch
After a three decade police career, Ron Borsch is semi-retired. Ron’s career included 20 years as Rangemaster and Pistol Team Captain and 17 years as a SWAT operator-trainer. While retaining a police commission as a consultant-trainer, he now manages and is the lead trainer for SEALE Regional Police Training Academy, a post-graduate facility in Bedford Ohio. SEALE Academy has specialized in tactically training 1st responders since the year 2000. Their current evolution of active killer countermeasures is SOLO, “Single Officer’s Lifesaving Others”©. Ron has presented various subjects in several different states to fellow officers, Chiefs of Police, national and international instructor audiences.
(1) RAPID MASS MURDER©: Within 20 minutes, four or more persons intentionally killed in the same event, time, and public location”. (SEALE Academy Bedford OH.)↩
(2) ACTIVE KILLER: “One who commits Rapid Mass Murder”© (SEALE Academy Bedford OH.)↩
(3) “THE COPYCAT EFFECT”: The Copycat Effect by Loren Coleman, Simon and Schuster Publisher↩
(4) DAVE GROSSMAN: Former West Point Psychology Professor, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ranger (Ret.), Author and Lecturer. ↩
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Very insightful article. The gun control debate is still stuck in the mud, and I won’t comment on it. When are we as a “free” society going to admit that the mentally ill ARE different, and MUST BE sought out, and treated and/or institutionalized against their will? Restricting their freedom is politically incorrect and expensive, but it’s the only way to stop them; our anonymous and mobile society gives them far too many places to hide. If we can’t accept the idea of “oppressing” them, we must be willing to accept the consequences, without looking for something else to blame. We have to make a commitment, one way or the other, and somebody’s going to lose. Should that somebody be the innocent?
For the record, a fellow trainer, also quite aware of these “Rapid Mass Murder”(C) by active killer incidents has come to a similar conclusion at about the same time.
Interested officers should see Dan Marcou’s P-1 article “The Active Shooter Assassin” at the link here:
http://www.policeone.com/active-shooter/articles/3226058-The-active-shooter-assassin/
SEALE Academy Bedford Ohio