Shooting near Texas A&M campus

[worthyfox]

Multiple people shot near Texas A&M University
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 2:22 PM EDT, Mon August 13, 2012

(CNN) -- Police took a man into custody Monday after "multiple people" were shot near Texas A&M University, a police official said.

Several law enforcement officers were among the people shot, Rhonda Seaton of the College Station Police Department told CNN. She didn't have information on how many people were shot or their conditions.

She said a person identified as the gunman was in custody. The shooting happened about one block from campus, Seaton said.

The university had warned people to stay away from the intersection of Welborn Road and George Bush Drive as well as part of Fidelity Drive in College Station, Texas.

SOURCE: www.cnn.com/2012/08/13/justice/texas-am-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Daria Morgandorffer]

:-| :-| :-(

[ttt]

That's terrible.

What is the area around the campus like? Is it a high-crime area?

[copzgirl1171]

This is awful, and does absolutely zero for my already jangled nerves.

[Deleted]

Oh no! that is awful.

[NitaX]

Not again. *sigh* Just WTF people.

[eclaires]

Oh wow. That's awful.

I would guess that the area around campus at Texas A&M is not high crime, but I don't know, for sure. A&M is pretty much the town, right? And it isn't part of a big city? My experience with universities that are basically the whole town is that crime is pretty low in the nearby areas because it usually means the university is in the middle of a more rural area, instead of attached to a larger city where there might be nearby high crime areas. For example, I did my JD in Indianapolis, and parts of the IU-Indy campus were near some sketchy areas, but I did my undergrad at Purdue which is basically the whole town and not part of a major city. Crime was low in the surrounding areas and you wouldn't drive off campus and end up somewhere unsafe/sketchy.

[Deleted]

Thats really, really awful. The poor people and their families.

Are we allowed to have a gun control discussion when the facts come out?

[copzgirl1171]

Ya'll I can't send her. I just can't.

[mominatrix]

Awful.

[casmgn]

But there's not a gun problem in this country. It's just all coincidental.

*sigh*

I forget what news channel it was one, but I remember seeing a preview for a story late last week or this weekend about how a guy ordered a TV from Amazon and was instead accidentally sent a semiautomatic gun. Not relevant to this tragedy, but freaking crazy just the same.

[worthyfox]

Aug 13, 2012 13:29:26 GMT -5 ttt said:

That's terrible.

What is the area around the campus like? Is it a high-crime area?

I'd say it's typical for a college town - which is what College Station/Bryan is. My friends who went to A&M never had any real issues other than the usual - stolen bicycles and the like. They weren't the victim of any violent crime from my knowledge. A&M did have a supposed shooter on campus earlier this year (I think?), but the person was never caught or the police were never able to verify there actually was a shooter.

Texas A&M has responded incredibly well from what little information I have, especially because it didn't happen on their campus.

Reports are now that at least two officers were shot, and at least one person was killed (not sure if it was an officer or not).

[worthyfox]

Also, reports are that the shooter barricaded himself in his home, and he was shooting an automatic weapon from inside.

[heyjude]

I wonder if there is any correlation between mass shootings and the state's gun laws where the mass shooting takes place?

Very sad.

[wawa]

Aug 13, 2012 13:34:00 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

Thats really, really awful. The poor people and their families.

Are we allowed to have a gun control discussion when the facts come out?

dittos to the first part.

^o) to the second. Have you felt like people don't want to discuss gun control just because they disagree with you on what is needed?

[casmgn]

Aug 13, 2012 13:40:16 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I wonder if there is any correlation between mass shootings and the state's gun laws where the mass shooting takes place?

Very sad.

This would be interesting, although I think that within the US individual state gun control laws aren't truly a factor since you could easily buy in one state and drive the gun into another.

I forget who it was - Piers Morgan maybe? - that went over gun control laws internationally vs. violent crime, and how the US just has so.much.more than most other countries with really strict laws like England. It's sickening.

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2012 13:42:57 GMT -5 wawa said:

Aug 13, 2012 13:34:00 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

Thats really, really awful. The poor people and their families.

Are we allowed to have a gun control discussion when the facts come out?

dittos to the first part.

to the second. Have you felt like people don't want to discuss gun control just because they disagree with you on what is needed?

I found actually more people agree with me than disagree WRT gun control.

I ask because after the Dark Knight shooting a few people said we shouldn't be talking about gun control we should be remembering the victims or something to that effect.

[wawa]

Aug 13, 2012 14:19:30 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

Aug 13, 2012 13:42:57 GMT -5 wawa said:

dittos to the first part.

to the second. Have you felt like people don't want to discuss gun control just because they disagree with you on what is needed?

I found actually more people agree with me than disagree WRT gun control.

I ask because after the Dark Knight shooting a few people said we shouldn't be talking about gun control we should be remembering the victims or something to that effect.

ah, got it. I had missed that people felt we shouldn't be discussing gun control at all out of respect for the victims. What a strange sentiment.

[worthyfox]

Update:

1 constable was shot and pronounced dead at the hospital.
1 civilian was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
1 additional civilian was injured and is currently in surgery.
3 additional police officers were injured, all are in stable condition.

[emilyj]

Aug 13, 2012 13:35:05 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

Ya'll I can't send her. I just can't.

Deep breaths Copz. Yes you can. She'll be fine.

I work on a big state college campus. I have NEVER felt unsafe at any time. Even though these stories make big news, the actual incidents of these things happening is really low on campuses.

There are always security officers all over campuses. They patrol all the time. There's tons of safety measures in place. She'll be fine.

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2012 14:21:33 GMT -5 wawa said:

Aug 13, 2012 14:19:30 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

I found actually more people agree with me than disagree WRT gun control.

I ask because after the Dark Knight shooting a few people said we shouldn't be talking about gun control we should be remembering the victims or something to that effect.

ah, got it. I had missed that people felt we shouldn't be discussing gun control at all out of respect for the victims. What a strange sentiment.

Thats what I had thought to. I mean, isn't that precisely when you try and talk about how to prevent this from happening again? I use the term 'gun control' lightly too, because i realize many people would suggest its not the guns, but the people who are the problem.

I think its both.

[teflep]

I thought the issue was more with uncoupling the debate from mental health? Anyway, it is horrible.

And, copz, you can send her.

[mcgee]

copz, I worked for the campus police for a big state university. The police occasionally got to arrest people for DUI or minor in possession, but plenty of nights the most exciting thing that happened on campus is that we caught someone having sex in public and told them to go somewhere else.

[laladypoet]

Aug 13, 2012 13:29:26 GMT -5 ttt said:

That's terrible.

What is the area around the campus like? Is it a high-crime area?

no, not at all.

I went to A&M, and I still live in College Station. parts of Bryan are rough, but College Station is usually pretty safe. we joke that it's a kind of safe bubble.

this whole thing is crazy and awful.

[KateAggie]

Aug 13, 2012 13:38:23 GMT -5 worthyfox said:

Aug 13, 2012 13:29:26 GMT -5 ttt said:

That's terrible.

What is the area around the campus like? Is it a high-crime area?

I'd say it's typical for a college town - which is what College Station/Bryan is. My friends who went to A&M never had any real issues other than the usual - stolen bicycles and the like. They weren't the victim of any violent crime from my knowledge. A&M did have a supposed shooter on campus earlier this year (I think?), but the person was never caught or the police were never able to verify there actually was a shooter.

Texas A&M has responded incredibly well from what little information I have, especially because it didn't happen on their campus.

Reports are now that at least two officers were shot, and at least one person was killed (not sure if it was an officer or not).

College Station is a very safe in general. Low crime, and mostly stolen items.

Last year there was a panic over a guy with a gun. Turned out it was a member of the Corps of Cadet with his fake gun they use for drills.

The intersection they've blocked off is the Northwest edge of campus, between Kyle Field (football stadium) and the baseball field. Not at all an area that I'd be worried about.

This is awful, awful, awful. I don't even know what to say or do.

[copzgirl1171]

This is just awful. Those poor families.

Thank you all so much for your kind words, they really do comfort me.

[StrawberryBlondie]

This is just awful.

It'll be OK copz. My college was seriously in the 'hood and nothing bad happened. Occasionally people's cars would get broken into, but that's about it.

[heightsyankee]

copz- sorry i might have missed this, but she's going to A&M?

my DH and SIL went there. DH says one of the reasons this is so crazy and making the news as much as it is (I mean, face it: people are shot all over this country every day) is because CS is such a safe place that this seems to out of character for the area.