Shooting leaves 1 soldier dead, 1 hurt at Arkansas center

[DenverChief]

So sad Does AR have the death penalty?

A U.S. soldier was killed and a second was wounded Monday in an apparent drive-by shooting at a recruiting center in Little Rock, Arkansas, police said.






The second soldier's injuries were not life-threatening, police Lt. Terry Hastings said.


Around 10:19 a.m. (11:19 a.m. ET), authorities were notified about a shooting at the Army/Navy Career Center, Hastings said. Arriving officers found the two soldiers had been shot.


The soldier who was killed was identified as William Long, 23, according to the Pulaski County coroner's office. The wounded soldier is Quinton Ezeagwula, according to Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. It did not release his age.


Police believe a man in a black SUV drove by and fired on the soldiers as they were standing outside, Hastings said.
A suspect was arrested after officers saw a vehicle matching the description on a nearby interstate and pulled it over.

Authorities searched the vehicle and found an assault rifle, Hastings said. A bomb squad was called in, as police were concerned about two bags in the vehicle, but no explosives were found, he said.

Police are trying to determine a motive in the shooting, Hastings said.

The victims were just out of basic training and had not been deployed, said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion that oversees the Little Rock recruiting center. Their hometowns were not immediately known.

The soldiers were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance," Artis said. Under the program, recruiters have the soldiers tell

their stories to potential recruits. It's a volunteer position taken while soldiers are visiting or based back in their home region, Artis said.

The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident, said Steven Frazier, spokesman for the agency's Little Rock office. "Based on what we find, we will determine whether there is any federal jurisdiction to prosecute," he said.

[RNR]

Where is the outrage? Why is there not 3 or 4 threads about this murder? This thread should be moved to DC so all those outraged over someone being killed like this can vent!!! Oh I guess this guy is not a hero like the the guy killed. in Wichita Sunday. You know someone who signed up and was willing to put his life on the line for our country does not deserve the same slain hero status.

[stlchiefs]

Originally Posted by RNR

Where is the outrage? Why is there not 3 or 4 threads about this murder? This thread should be moved to DC so all those outraged over someone being killed like this can vent!!! Oh I guess this guy is not a hero like the the guy killed. in Wichita Sunday. You know someone who signed up and was willing to put his life on the line for our country does not deserve the same slain hero status.

Truly pathetic isn't it? I say that in all honesty. I don't even want to start making arguments and comparisons and turn this thread into trash, but this is a terrible event and this man was innocently gunned down for the country he stood for.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by RNR

Where is the outrage? Why is there not 3 or 4 threads about this murder? This thread should be moved to DC so all those outraged over someone being killed like this can vent!!! Oh I guess this guy is not a hero like the the guy killed. in Wichita Sunday. You know someone who signed up and was willing to put his life on the line for our country does not deserve the same slain hero status.

Well, to be fair, the killer in this case isn't getting a bunch of cyber-attaboys from the DC zealots.

I'd be even happier to see the killer in this case twitching at the end of a rope than the Wichita guy. Is that OK?

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by RNR

Where is the outrage? Why is there not 3 or 4 threads about this murder? This thread should be moved to DC so all those outraged over someone being killed like this can vent!!! Oh I guess this guy is not a hero like the the guy killed. in Wichita Sunday. You know someone who signed up and was willing to put his life on the line for our country does not deserve the same slain hero status.

yet here you are using this soldier's death to further YOUR own agenda...

[RNR]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

yet here you are using this soldier's death to further YOUR own agenda...

Wrong dipshit, both are politically motivated wackos who committed murder. I see this victim as a true hero, many see the other victim as a hero. I just pointed out the fact this murder did not cause near the outrage

[mcan]

Originally Posted by RNR

Where is the outrage? Why is there not 3 or 4 threads about this murder? This thread should be moved to DC so all those outraged over someone being killed like this can vent!!! Oh I guess this guy is not a hero like the the guy killed. in Wichita Sunday. You know someone who signed up and was willing to put his life on the line for our country does not deserve the same slain hero status.

There are similarities in the two murders. Both are senseless tragedies perpetrated by hateful and probably politically motivated extremists.

However, there are some real differences here that explain (perhaps don't justify though) the media attention given one and not the other.


1. One was an assassination, and the other was a random murder. Although the guy probably meant to kill a soldier. He didn't care which one. In fact, he was probably pissed off at someone who works at that office, and thought he'd fix it by shooting at the building, and just didn't care if anybody got hurt.

2. While the war in Iraq was VERY polarizing to people at home. SOLDIERS are not. The vast majority of the population loves our boys. So, when someone kills one of them, there is rarely a debate about it. However, abortion is a polarizing issue. The papers and news outlets know that a LOT of people are glad that abortion doctor died and secretly think to themselves "well he got what was coming to him." That's why the papers are wording things the way they are... To sell print.


Bottom line is. The media will squeeze every drop of controversy from a story until there isn't anything left. When a soldier dies. There is no controversy. There is sadness and outrage. But once the story is reported, there is nothing left to squeeze.

[RNR]

Originally Posted by mcan

There are similarities in the two murders. Both are senseless tragedies perpetrated by hateful and probably politically motivated extremists.

However, there are some real differences here that explain (perhaps don't justify though) the media attention given one and not the other.


1. One was an assassination, and the other was a random murder. Although the guy probably meant to kill a soldier. He didn't care which one. In fact, he was probably pissed off at someone who works at that office, and thought he'd fix it by shooting at the building, and just didn't care if anybody got hurt.

2. While the war in Iraq was VERY polarizing to people at home. SOLDIERS are not. The vast majority of the population loves our boys. So, when someone kills one of them, there is rarely a debate about it. However, abortion is a polarizing issue. The papers and news outlets know that a LOT of people are glad that abortion doctor died and secretly think to themselves "well he got what was coming to him." That's why the papers are wording things the way they are... To sell print.


Bottom line is. The media will squeeze every drop of controversy from a story until there isn't anything left. When a soldier dies. There is no controversy. There is sadness and outrage. But once the story is reported, there is nothing left to squeeze.

You are right, and I overreacted. It just makes me sick when one of our boys gets killed. It hits close to home for me as I have a son in the middle of his 2nd tour. I hope both wackos get their just due. Of the two I am much more outraged about the troop getting killed.

[mcan]

Originally Posted by RNR

You are right, and I overreacted. It just makes me sick when one of our boys gets killed. It hits close to home for me as I have a son in the middle of his 2nd tour. I hope both wackos get their just due. Of the two I am much more outraged about the troop getting killed.

Here's to the service and safety of your son, man.

[Chief Henry]

Originally Posted by mcan

Here's to the service and safety of your son, man.

[DaFace]

Why the hell would anyone do something like that? It just doesn't make sense.
Posted via Mobile Device

[sportsman1]

Lord help us.. it's unbelievable that in this country soldiers would be killed in a drive-by.

[Buck]

That really sucks. A friend of mine told me that you get to go to the recruiting center out of basic training if you wish to spend a month or so back home before you go to your regular unit.

I'm guessing these guys were just getting one last month in with their families before they were sent out.

RIP

[joesomebody]

Originally Posted by MediaCenterJunkie

That really sucks. A friend of mine told me that you get to go to the recruiting center out of basic training if you wish to spend a month or so back home before you go to your regular unit.

I'm guessing these guys were just getting one last month in with their families before they were sent out.

RIP

This is exactly right. I did it for 2 weeks before going to Japan. Poor guys. They always told us that simply wearing the uniform makes you a target.

[Bwana]

It must be the week the crazy bastards come out to play. Perhaps they can save a little power (Go Green) and fry this guy and the guy from yesterdays shooting in one pull.