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As hard as it is to stomach the very graphic video footage (depicted below, viewer discretion is advised!) of the shooting deaths of WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, 24, and WDBJ photographer Adam Ward, I felt compelled to watch it. As a defensive-minded person who often contemplates the various threats we are exposed to in today’s society, I wanted to see if there was anything I could learn. What lessons can I glean from the tragic and untimely deaths of these two young professions?
The following five things came to mind:
1. Evil Exists!
After watching the video, I was nauseous. I felt like I had just got off a rollercoaster ride at Six Flags. My stomach had that bunched-up feeling that makes me simultaneously queasy and anxious. Then I became angry, asking myself an obvious question: Why? Why the hell did that son-of-a-b*tch murder two innocent people in cold blood?
There is no real satisfying answer to that question. No rational motive or justification for why that sociopath did what he did. What I am left with is a wake up call of sorts, another terrorizing reminder that evil exists in the world. To speak plainly, there are bad people that are determined to inflict harm on innocents.
Given this reality, we have two choices: we can either prepare ourselves to confront evil or we can hope to God it never rears it’s ugly head at us.
2. Know Your Enemies
It was reported that the gunman had felt slighted by the victims. At one point, all three worked together at the news station. For reasons that aren’t quite clear yet, the gunman was eventually fired from WDBJ. It appears, he believed that Parker and Ward may have been somewhat responsible for his departure.
Most of this is speculation, of course, but the gunman did send a manifesto to ABC News, which has since been turned over to police, that most likely articulates his grievances. As I mentioned above, it doesn’t matter what is reasoning was, there is no justification for gunning down two innocent people.
But the lesson here, I think, is to every now and then take an inventory of folks that may have a beef with you. Who is angry with me? Who doesn’t like me? Who holds a grudge against me? Who do I know that is mentally unstable? Who do I know that has a history of violent behavior or who has expressed violent ideations?
I feel that by knowing who my potential enemies are I am more apt to recognize them when/if we cross paths. I can also give the people I care about a heads up if I feel that this person may pose a real danger.
I should say that it’s not clear whether the victims saw this coming or even knew that the shooter was upset with them. The early indication is that they had no idea, nor is the reason to believe they should have expected such a merciless attack. That said, I think we’re all better off if we know who stands to potentially threaten our safety.
3. Head on a Swivel
Alison Parker and Adam Ward. RIP.
“Situational awareness” are buzz words that get thrown around a lot in the firearms and tactical communities. What it means, basically, is that one is hyper-aware of one’s surroundings. I say “hyper aware” because we all have to have at least a basic awareness of our environment to function.
When one possesses a high degree of situational awareness one can anticipate human behaviors and responses before they occur. For example, it’s the difference between having a feeling that someone is behind you versus knowing that the person behind you is a large adult male who is not only breathing heavily but carrying an object in his right hand as he approaches. The greater the detail one has observed from a situation, the more one can predict what will happen next.
In watching the footage it’s rather evident that Ward and Parker were fully engaged in what they were doing. They weren’t paying attention to what else was going on around them. Realistically, though, why would they? They were busy working and there was no reason to be on guard. It was super early in the morning, they were at a place, a manmade lake, that had almost no foot-traffic at that hour, what did they have to be afraid of?
Yet, they were both ambushed. It’s definitely not their fault. But if I am to learn anything from this incident, it’s that I need to work on my situational awareness, particularly at times when I’m conditioned to be fully engaged at a task, e.g. while working.
4. Politicizing a Tragedy
“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before,” Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago, once said.
There’s no doubt that this incident will be used to push an anti-gun agenda. Whether you find that to be tasteless or immoral or outrageous, is besides the point. The fact is that it’s already happening.
The key to not let those in your sphere of influence fall victim to the pathos that is to come. A deranged man killed Parker and Ward. He is responsible for their deaths. The weapon he used to perpetrate the act is irrelevant.
5. Time to Take Action
As I said, this incident is yet another wake up call. It’s a reminder that if you haven’t thought seriously about your personal defense posture then now is the time to take action. I’m not just talking to gun owners, but to everyone. Ask yourself: What tools do I have at my disposal or on my person to confront or thwart off an attacker? What is my plan if I’m attacked? What can I do to improve my overall personal preparedness?
Sometimes the little changes or tweaks we make can have life-saving consequences. Maybe you’ll try to work on your situational awareness or spend more time thinking about and identifying potential threats (Can they be helped? Should you contact the authorities?). Or, maybe you’ll make a more serious commitment and start carrying a self-defense tool. Either way, a small improvement or a larger lifestyle change (like buying a firearm), do something!
As the old saying goes, “It’s better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
Conclusion
I just want to offer my condolences to the victims’ families. I also want to wish a speedy recovery to Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, who was also shot during the attack. Reports say that she is out of surgery and is now recovering.
As for the gunman, it was reported Wednesday evening that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A cowards death. I can only say that I solemnly hope he rots in hell.
Colorado gave Holmes life in prison last week, instead of a needle. News outlets run exhaustive investigatory stories about mass shooters, digging into their backgrounds, reading their manifestos, exploring their “grievances”. I understand, it’s all in the pursuit of “why?”, but the fact is, once the decision is made, the actions taken, and the shock setting in, I personally don’t care to know anything about the shooters. They chose to take lives as a reaction to problems of their own, and, as far as I am concerned, have placed themselves outside the human race. Anyone who engages in mass murder in this country should be treated as a rabid dog, and be put down as soon as possible, by the first person with the means to do so. Justice is for humans. Media, whether intentionally or no, humanizes these individuals by exploring their lives, and broadcasting what is found. I don’t care who you were. I don’t care if you were discriminated against, alienated by your peers, bullied by your cohorts, prescribed the wrong medications, etc. etc. The most salient fact of your entire existence is that you chose to murder other people in a purposeful, conscious decision. That single truth, regardless of your past worth, skills, value, history, or pathos, wipes out any sympathy or empathy that you may have deserved.
Do we as a country want to end these mass slaughters? Stop exposing these individuals’ lives to those who may idolize or emulate them. Set a brutal, concrete, example of what the consequences are for planned and coldly-conducted mass murder. Execute James Holmes on national television. With a woodchipper. Make this the mandatory sentence for mass murder.
Even trained LE can’t be so aware at all times so as to avoid such an attack. You’ll go crazy trying.
Why not make this a learning tool and recognize that news broadcasters, and TV administrators/producers, need to start providing some security for their reporters and crews. I have seen many news teams (Reporter,Camera man, Sound Technicians etc.) making broadcasts at the scene of several incidents/events, such as political meetings, protests, weather events, and crime scenes, busily going about their business, reporting on a story, totally preoccupied with what they are witnessing, or filming, or reporting on, totally oblivious to what is going on around them at the time. I have seen them nearly run over at accident scenes, and I have seen bystanders walk right up to them at political meetings and interrupt them while recording, or bystanders simply doing what has become known as “Photo bombing” in lame attempts to “be on TV”. Why not use this debacle as a learning tool, and to serve as a “wake up call” to broadcasting management, that perhaps these personnel need to be provided with what, in military parlance, would be termed as “an over watch”. A staff person who’s only job/responsibility would be to monitor the environment, provide security protection, and situational awareness of dangers that might be developing in the fluidity of the event which they are reporting on.
Instead of anti gun advocates impotently using this tragedy as further justification for making us all be rendered as defenseless as these unfortunate victims were, perhaps the more productive thing to ask, and for News agencies to learn from this, is that it is past time to provide protection, maybe even armed security, to those employees who are sent out into the field. Don’t those personnel that are sent out into the public at large deserve, at least, the some modicum of the security which they provide to the persons working in their studios?
Great idea about the over watch. Only problem is money. Those network jerks wouldn’t want to spend the extra $$ for a trained security person.
If we won’t provide protection for our children in schools (who we love a hell of a lot more than t.v. reporters), why do you think they will start providing them for a t.v. camera crew?
I think that some things have been lost in the coverage of this tragic event.
1. The coverage does not tread on things the media likes to avoid, like the problem with how we deal with the mentally ill in this country. We just don’t do anything, but look the other way. Add a special group consideration (in this case there were two by modern standards: he was black and he was gay), and people just want to push the problem out the door and forget about it. What’s worse is that society and the courts have developed a system where just about everyone who wants to avoid costly law suits must avoid and ignore. This does not lead us to effectively dealing with the mentally ill. Flanagan was a worthless piece of trash who played the system and then, in his sick twisted mind, killed two people without justifiable cause. Had Flanagan survived, he should have been executed once convicted, but that won’t happen.
2. People like Mr. Parker, father of Allison, need to be guided by the people, by the press, and by our leaders to seek proper grief counseling. His lashing out at guns is common among those severely harmed by someone or some event. They lash out at whatever is close to them and logic is tossed out the window. Mr. Parker is understandably hurting. He needs people to help him through this. Once he is rational again, then may be the time for him to draw opinions as to what the real problem is here. Personally, I think it is mental health and a spoiled man who should have been locked up let loose among us. As the husband of the other victim, Vicki Gardner, said in an interview, the gun was not an issue. Flanagan, the nut case, would have acted with a knife, a car, whatever.
3. I just want to comment on the paragraph above in this article dealing with situational awareness. As eventually stated, there are times when any and all of us are not aware of our surroundings, and the situations that place us in that state of unawareness often prevent awareness of our surroundings. Folks like the camera man, the reported, and the interviewee were focused on the interview and it would be difficult for them to do their jobs otherwise. Folks operating potentially dangerous equipment must focus on what they are doing and they will be unaware of their surroundings much of the time. The list goes on and on.
One thing that may help others is try to keep aware going into situations where you may be unaware of part of all of your surroundings. In this case, the video showed Ms. Parker attempting to flee. She had two choices in that case, to fight or flee. She chose to flee and I am not attempting to condemn or criticize her for her actions. I suspect many of us would have done the same thing, including me. Unfortunately, her only avenue of escape did not provide any cover or protection and she was killed.
There are many old stories about knowing your entries and exits. It is also advisable to plan ahead. Keeping in mind that hindsight has 20/20 vision, this would probably have been a time to fight. I’m not saying she should have been carrying a gun. At that distance and the startling way it played out, anyone with a gun may or may not have had time to deploy it. However, think of the folks on the recent flight in France who attacked the gunman. They prevailed, and without guns. It helped that there were several of them and that they were strong young men, but what probably helped the most was that they acted and chose to fight instead of to flee in that situation. If have a microphone, you may be able to use it as a club. If you teeth and nails, use them. In a case where it is life and death, try anything you can to make it life. Again, please keep in mind that I am not passing judgement on Ms. Parker here. None of us know what we will do in a situation like this until it happens. At such times, we can only act the way we do. Training can help us prepare. So, I suggest that the message out there from this event is not to carry a gun (it is also not to NOT carry a gun). Rather, I think the message is that we have enough evil happening that bad things can happen and it is a good idea to get some training to be better prepared if bad things come your way.
It was a fake shooting. Did you run away last time you got shot three times?Another gun control push is what it was just like so many others.
I’m surprised the writer of this article didn’t mention specific tactics other than situational awareness, although, situational awareness has to be the place to start. Another one, though, is “get off the X” which means, when you become situationally aware that someone is about to shoot you, you have a moment to start moving and get out of the way of where the shooter is planning to shoot. If you are armed and therefore able to shoot back, this is your chance to spoil your antagonist’s first shot so you can have your turn; if you are unarmed, this will only buy you some time, but you never know whether it will be enough. It might improve your luck. The shooter in this story probably would have missed vital organs if all of his intended victims jumped away or ran. Unfortunately, if he were a trained shooter, this would not have helped very much. (Watch out, some of the ISIS-type shooters have been well-trained.)
You are correct in giving this guidance. However, the video showed Ms. Parker attempting to flee (she got off the X). In this case, choosing to fight instead of flee may have resulted in different consequences (no guarantee there and this in not an attempt to criticize her attempt to flee). You have a moment and must act, and each of us will do whatever we do when the sh..t hits the fan.
Shannon Watts is an imbecile. She expects America’s moms to go about town with NO WAY to defend their children. So, Shannon, if a nut case is shooting or if you’re attacked – would you prefer to put your kid down and pull out a pistol to defend your child, or to put the kid down and pull out your nail file or cell phone? Or run and be shot in the back, falling on your baby as you die? The cop who might be standing beside you can’t stop a bullet once it’s fired, and his method of keeping you alive is his presence – someone with a gun who will shoot back. That deterrent works, but ‘call a cop and wait’ doesn’t protect anybody. According to procedure, Officer Krupke will respond to your call and let the bad guy keep shooting at you while the police establish a perimeter of control. Remember, SCOTUS has spoken, and the police have no duty to defend you at any risk to themselves.
Anybody wants to live without fear – but it’s not a ‘right’. In fact it can’t be legislated, and if you think it can be then legislate against spiders for me. But you can still ‘feel afraid’ of them, or snakes, or boogy-men, or chipmunks. Nobody can eliminate a fear you choose to feel. On the other hand, you can do something about your fears. And if you’re afraid of crazy men with guns, remember that by far most of them aren’t crazy enough to start shooting in any ‘gun tolerant’ environment but nearly always in a ‘gun free’ zone. So you can get a gun, learn to use it, and keep it hidden until you need it (we all hope that’s ‘never’, BTW) and then shoot back instead of just getting killed. It might just save your kid – but without a gun you’re just another whining coward who WILL let her kid be killed in that situation, because you’ve chosen to be a defenseless whiner.
And if you think more laws will make American gun owners give theirs up, read about all the ‘non-compliance’ failures in CT, NY, WA, and other places. Read about the Brady lawsuit against Lucky Gunner. Read about the real direction of gun legislation in the nation. Think how much it would cost the economy to jail 100 million or more gun owners for ‘failure to surrender’ a firearm. Here’s a start – arrest and prosecution costs (to perhaps include dead officers), prison costs, loss of economic production due to missing (Jailed) employees, welfare for the families who lost the or one of the wage-earners, support for children left without parents when both are gun owners. And of course there will be all those people and their relatives who may feel like killing someone like you – only with a knife or golf club or some other grotesque method – because you destroyed their or their family’s lives. NOW, do you want to consider carrying a gun? No, of course, you can’t – because you’re a sniveling coward who would prefer seeing her kid die than to actually try to protect it.
The government and those that orchestrate events like these; 9/11, Boston, Sandy Hoax, etc., MUST JUST HATE THE INTERNET, as more and more people are immediately dissecting these ‘tragedies’ and outing the fraud.
Luckily for ‘them’, 90% of Amerikans STILL think these things are real, and with absolutely zero-evidence, are willing to believe what ‘nice people on TV’ tell them, and never ask a single question.
More amazing, still, is that the media and government continues Goebbels fine work, and by repeating the lies, over and over, endlessly, not ONLY do they get the sheep to scream at those pointing out glaring inconsistencies, but the added benefit of drawing attention away from the DAILY goings-on of a corrupt empire, running amok.
This video shows the ‘falling camera’, which fell nowhere near the ‘killer’, and that ‘killer’s image’ they broadcast?
That video frame timestamp shows 0600, while the news was being filmed at 0645…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_gYyVXMF88
Everone calls brass shell casings or bullet casings. Casings are what you put sausage
in. It’s BRASS not casings.
The amount of ignorance contained in some of the comments regarding this shooting is astounding!
What do people think happens when people are shot with a handgun? It is not like in the movies. There is little that can be seen to suggest a person has been hit by a bullet, most often little more than a slight movement of clothing is all the will be observed!
As for shell casings, they are going over the railing and well out of frame, you are not going to see or hear them striking anywhere nearby!
So for all you armchair conspiracy quacks, learn something real about firearms and shooting with firearms!
These people were shot at close range, that much is obvious and the result is they died.
Get a life and get a clue, it takes a moron to claim the stupidity of “false flag”!
Open your eyes and get off the kool aid! I”ve seen people shot at close range, have you? There are signs always, even with a 22 rimfire. The semi auto never even cycles to eject the brass, slow it down if you have the ability, this is a Lie a HOAX!! Learn proper terminology also!
Take note first how the shooter waves the gun around for all to see and no one notices at all. note the color of the man’s hand doing the shooting, does it look black like the shooter depicted in the black clothing later? Take note of the color of his shirt, then all of a sudden he is wearing black clothing later on. No one, but No one could help but notice another person that close to them unless they are blind! The lady being interviewed didn’t even take note of a gun being waved around! There are usually more than just a single camera man and a reporter on these outing also! This is even a bad acting job! How many shooters bring their cell phone to film the deed they are about to do? Shooter never says one word either!
It amazes me that people try to blame everything on “leftists” or the “progressive movement”. Without progress, this country would stagnate. Without progress we would still be walking or riding horses, farmers would still be plowing fields with oxen and communication would still be by telegraph. I think you get the drift. But now to the point. This tragedy occurred because a man with severe mental issues decided that the victims were the cause of his problems and in his own twisted way this was his way to “get even”. These people died because the man was a lunatic. No other reason.
I agree. And while this fella had never been diagnosed with a mental illness (or such is what I have read so far) I feel that we need some laws that require reporting of individuals to the NICS database who have been diagnosed or are seeking therapy for any mental condition that includes violence as one of its symptoms; anyone who has expressed a desire to harm themselves or others can possibly be easily induced by any form of external influence (IE a violent TV show or a news article) to ‘go out with a bang’. The Virginia Tech shooter should have never been allowed to purchase his handguns. The mother of the Sandy Hook shooter should have been informed by an agency to either remove her firearms or have them all locked up with a pass code that her maniac son didn’t know. Until our legislators get serious about this deficiency in our background checks these types of individuals will continue to purchase guns, after having passed background checks that strictly look to see if they have committed any felonies, and go on about their business. Extended background checks are not the answer. Extended reporting of individuals who cannot purchase firearms is AN answer. But beyond that, I agree where it has been said that it is not only the responsibility but the DUTY of friends and family of people with these illnesses to monitor them, to ensure they are taking medications, to keep firearms beyond their reach (not as in out of reach of a 3 yo, but out of reach as in not on the premises, or locked up with a code UNKNOWN to the psychopath). What I do get tired of is everytime one of these maniacs goes off the deep end and does something like this the collective ‘they’ want to ban guns and add gun control that the idiots already know wouldn’t have prevented . It’s like the adage you might have read of teenagers doing 75 in a 25, so Uncle Bloomberg pays some lawyers and browbeats some legislators into lowering the speed limit to 20. Boy, that did a lot of good.
“This tragedy occurred because a man with severe mental issues decided that the victims were the cause of his problems and in his own twisted way this was his way to “get even”. These people died because the man was a lunatic. No other reason.”-D.Kimble
You almost got it right Mr. Kimble, But these two journalists lost their lives because a man with mental illness was not treated, warning signs were ignored, and ignorant, “liberal,” head-in-the-sand, work place policies, that did not offer these folks protection on a dangerous job. Every time we create a no firearms policy, we are creating victim zones. Plain & Simple.
It is time we recognize that the world we live in is a dangerous place. We have groups of people that have vowed to destroy us, not to mention the nut jobs. If failing to recognize this danger is, “leftist,” or “progressive” thinking, I for one want nothing to do with that progress, sir.
It amazes me that people try to blame everything on “leftists” or the “progressive movement”. Without progress, this country would stagnate. Without progress we would still be walking or riding horses, farmers would still be plowing fields with oxen and communication would still be by telegraph. I think you get the drift. But now to the point. This tragedy occurred because a man with severe mental issues decided that the victims were the cause of his problems and in his own twisted way this was his way to “get even”. These people died because the man was a lunatic. No other reason.
Am I the only one that noticed no residual effects of the gun shots hitting at that distance? How about no shell casings being ejected and hitting the wooden deck? This is pure propaganda and it’s far time We The People get this out!!
Gun violence has now become a cultural phenomenon. The bad guys have guns, but the good guys should not be able to defend themselves because weapons are offensive to our cultural thinking. There is no answer that fits into our magical thinking of a perfect world. This is no different from the old west when a gun was considered a necessity and part of a lifestyle. People need to get their head unwrapped around the thinking that banning all guns will alliveate a threat of evil. If ten percent of people carry a defense weapon that means in a crowd of one hundred people ten people will have a chance of displacing that person or persons that are there to carry out their evil plan.
Listen to everybody, believe nobody, form your own opinion the best you can. The real danger comes from YOU, not thinking for yourself…..
http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/is-the-virginia-shooting-hoax-blowing-up-in-the-msms-face.html
The root of the evil in this and nearly all incidents in modern day America is the “Progressive Movement”…no greater misnomer has there ever been as it is regressive and opressive. One of its earliest, most notable, and venerated champions was none other than, to use the verbiage of his day, the “Negroe Hating” Woodrow Wilson, and of course the mother of all Progs, Margaret Sanger who preached Eugenics. The murderer in this case had a long history of seeing racism behind every tree and a history of trying to capitalize on such. No doubt his attitude was the result of leftist, race-bait brainwashing from an early age. The education/academic system in America should be turned on its head and flushed of all the America-hating Progs. If the Constitution were taught at an early age rather than, “Heather has two Mommies, and Johnny can be Jane we would obviously be better off and healthier. One final sad note to the tragedy is that the father of the slain reporter in his ignorance and stupidity that I will kindly attribute to his grief, wishes to become a champion of more stupid laws that will only be ignored by the lawless and leave those like his daughter more vulnerable.
This was another false flag, no different than Sandy Hoax. Keep your ears on, eyes open, and mouth shut. Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see…
http://sgtreport.com/2015/08/virginia-tv-shooting-hoax-actor-andy-parker-les-miserables-the-merchant-of-killogue/
Prediction from political professionals regarding failure of gun control advocates and the often evil intent they exhibit. See website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnZKPBgc0pA
Virginia Shooting HOAX Andy Parker EXPOSED Broadway Actor, Bankster!
ALL LIES. WAKE UP PEOPLE U WANT UR GUNS TAKEN GENIUS’S?
It is sad, once again, to be addressing one of these senseless killings. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and even the perpetrators family.
Once again, the liberal news media focuses on the wrong questions. Like asking why haven’t these evil automobiles been banned, after a bad traffic accident, they focus on the firearm. Here are some questions we should be asking:
1. Was the shooter offered/encourage to seek mental health services before his employment was terminated?
2. Were employees allowed to carry firearms to protect themselves, especially in lieu of management knowing they had a disgruntle ex-employee perhaps stalking their employees?
Many businesses have no firearms in the workplace policies, thinking that will protect them from work place violence. Criminals disrespect laws/rules/policies. It’s what they do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Op-vQyZij0
all fake bullshit. ACTORS ON TV PLAYING NEWSCASTERS TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY. WAKE THE HELL UP ALREADY. STOP BEING DIMWITS.
oh my freaking god you people are so fucking retarded. as soon as anything public shooting, or terrorist attack, etc. takes place, people are claiming to have proof it is a conspiracy, or a false flag before the shells even hit the floor. i mean seriously, does ANYTHING ever happen that’s NOT a conspiracy?!
Your completely stupid, This is real, I guess the deputy sheriff fueling his car that was gunned down by a thug is a lie also.