Connecticut Elementary School Massacre

[MacCruiskeen]

Maybe we can start to list the real practical, political, legal and mass-psychological consequences of the Newtown massacre, as things stand after three months:

1. Increasing militarisation of schools.

2. De facto large increase in gun sales.

3. Further entrenchment and normalisation of government and police secrecy.

4. Routine spreading of rumour, innuendo and plain disinformation through anonymous "law enforcement sources" in the corporate media, with no significant objections raised by any member of the public -- Connecticut state police spokesman Paul Vance being one of the very few honourable exceptions: "It's pure speculation... It's hideous." (You know times are hard when the only person protesting against police lies is himself a policeman.)

5. Confirmation of the already-established principle that safely-dead suspects can immediately become actual culprits in the absence of any motive and on the basis of evidence so thin that it would be laughed out of any actual court.

6. Popularisation of the notion that literally anyone, however apparently harmless, is capable of literally any crime, however heinous, at the drop of a hat, for no good reason.

To sum up the message: Human beings are deeply dangerous and unpredictable, so always regard your neighbours as potential deadly enemies. Be afraid, be very afraid. Buy guns, buy security systems, keep watching TV for reliable news about further massacres, accept the transformation of your kids' schools into Fort Knox, and trust the government and the cops to keep telling you the truth and protecting your best interests.

Cui bono, if not fascists?

[Nordic]

I agree, Mac, and I've been meaning for quite a while to express how those photos of Lanza affect me. As a father, those photos are heartbreaking. Because no matter what the true story of what happened that day, that kid, that CHILD, was a lost soul. And that just makes me horribly sad.

[KeenInsight]

[FourthBase]

What, no disbelieving linkage about the latest information released to the public? How Lanza is alleged to have compiled a fucking massive and intricate spreadsheet of previous spree killings like a walkthrough guide appendix to help him achieve the sinisterly-ludic goal of topping a real-life "Call of Evil Duty" leaderboard? To me, it seems both preposterous and utterly plausible. What say ye, noble cynics?

By the way, this deserves to be cross-posted, this post but also the whole page:

viewtopic.php?p=495390#p495390

[MacCruiskeen]

BREAKING:

The 'Most Popular' concoction in today's New York Daily News is brought to you by (no joke) the sports columnist Mike Lupica:

Lupica: Morbid find suggests murder-obsessed gunman Adam Lanza plotted Newtown, Conn.'s Sandy Hook massacre for years

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

PUBLISHED: SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013, 8:11 PM
UPDATED: MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013, 10:05 AM

Law enforcement reportedly discovers a sickeningly thorough 7-foot-long, 4-foot-wide spreadsheet with names, body counts and weapons from previous mass murders and even attempted killings. 'It sounded like a doctoral thesis, that was the quality of the research,' an anonymous law enforcement veteran said.

[...]

The man to whom I spoke, a tough career cop who did not wish to see his name in the newspaper, was in the room when the state cop from Connecticut spoke, said the man was well into his presentation when he began to talk of the spreadsheets that had been found at “the shooter’s” home.

He didn’t use Lanza’s name, saying he did not want to give him even an hour more of fame, just because that is what Lanza wanted; what all these shooters want, from Tucson to Newtown to Virginia Tech.

[...]

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... z2NvpgDHKP

I suggest reading the whole farrago. It's instructive, if you can stomach it. It's vilely written, and vilely thought, but of course it passes muster as news, because that's what news is these days: suggestion. Salon, for instance, is regurgitating it as news, while playing to its own particular dumbfuck demographic by suggesting that the real scandal is "the unnamed cop's" alleged disparagement of video gamers:

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/18/adam_la ... amer_code/

Millions will follow that lead.

Back to the NY Daily News, which moves effortlessly from sub-sub-Chandleresque "atmospherics" to what less trusting souls than I am might easily mistake for a sly nod and a wink to the actual perpetrators:

The career law enforcement veteran paused again, and when he started speaking again his voice was shaking, like a wind had blown through it.

“They believe he learned the principles of this — the tactical reload — from his game. Reload before you’re completely out. Keep going. When the strap broke on his first weapon (the AR-15), he went to his handgun at the end. Classic police training. Or something you learn playing kill games.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... z2Nvs1TKMT

News.

[FourthBase]

Well, shouldn't be too hard to produce the spreadsheet, if it exists. Redacted, I imagine.
Not that there'd necessarily be any guarantee it was created by Lanza himself.

[barracuda]

BREAKING:

Yeah, it's a terrible article that should never have seen print, but it sounds as if Paul Vance may have confirmed the gist of the information in it.

[JackRiddler]

Well, shouldn't be too hard to produce the spreadsheet, if it exists. Redacted, I imagine.
Not that there'd necessarily be any guarantee it was created by Lanza himself.

The idea that someone else created it comes with a lot of implications, obviously.

I find it hard to see a cui bono in all this.

[dbcooper41]

http://www.wral.com/today-nccapitol-march-19-school-safety/12240942/

Raleigh, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today @NCCapitol for Tuesday, March
19. This is WRAL's roundup of what you need to know about North Carolina state
government this morning.
SCHOOL SAFETY: Gov. Pat McCrory is scheduled to announce a safer schools plan at
10:30 a.m. at Apex Middle School. He will appear with DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos
and DPS Secretary Kieran Shanahan, according to a news release. Superintendent
of Public Instruction June Atkinson and Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison are
also scheduled to attend.
School safety became a top-of-mind issue after the school shooting in Newtown,
Mass., last year. Some districts, like Wake County, have been grappling with the
idea (and cost) of placing security guards in every school. Meanwhile, some
legislators have filed bills to address the issue, including allowing teachers
and some volunteers to have access to firearms on school campuses.
The school safety initiative is expected to be featured in McCrory's budget
proposal. McCrory's office still has not announced a date for the release of his
spending plan, but many lawmakers and lobbyists expect to see it this week.

[dbcooper41]

http://www.wral.com/plan-would-put-high-tech-security-measures-in-all-wake-schools/12214031/

Cary, N.C. — High-tech security measures could be coming soon to schools across
Wake County. The public school system's facilities committee meets Wednesday to
discuss a proposal that would put camera systems and access-control measures in
each of the district's 169 schools.
Russ Smith, the school system's senior director of security, said there is no
consistency in security measures across district schools, so staff have mapped
out a $18 million plan that would be added to the anticipated school bond this
fall.
"We're talking about cameras, camera systems, access control, our visitor
management systems, our intercom systems," Smith said. "You have some schools
that have a lot of cameras and some schools that don't have any cameras ...
We're trying to find a level of consistency, so all schools have the same level
of security systems in place."
All elementary schools would be fitted with a key-card entry system for all
doors, which would allow for more effective lockdowns during emergencies.
"Currently, 27 schools have this computerized sign-in system where they take
your picture and scan your driver's license," Smith said.
Under the proposal, all schools would be connected in that system. That means
if, for example, a sex offender or someone banned from school property tried to
get into one school, the system would automatically alert the central office.

In February, the school board developed a schools safety task force to review
the system's policies for emergency prevention, preparedness, response and
recovery. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison heads that task force and said
it's important for new security measures to be coupled with training and
education.
"It's a big undertaking, but I think we can improve some things," Harrison said.
"Letting the teachers know, letting the staff know, letting the parents know,
all of this is one big bubble – it's all got to mesh together."
The biggest challenge may be financial, Smith said.
"The challenge is going to be the money it's going to take to do this," he said.
"It's important we stay in the forefront as far as security."
The plan is expected to go before county commissioners next week.

[dbcooper41]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/12/2744704/wake-bond-could-have-18-million.html
qui bono?

Wake County school leaders could offer voters another reason to back a school
construction bond issue this fall with as much as $18 million in proposed
security upgrades designed to make the district’s schools safer.School staff
will present to a school board committee Wednesday a proposal to include between
$7.1 million and $18.1 million in security measures in the next construction
program. Options include more surveillance cameras, an electronic door-locking
system, a centralized electronic visitor sign-in system, a front door buzzer
system for all elementary schools and a centralized public address system.School
security has become a major concern since the December shootings at Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six
adults. Some have suggested additional security officers and armed volunteers at
Wake schools.Tracey Singleton, PTA president of Timber Drive Elementary School
in Garner, said Tuesday that she prefers measures such as locking doors and
installing cameras to letting armed volunteers on campus. Singleton thinks the
new equipment included in the staff proposal will make schools safer.“It’s a
move in the right direction,” she said.Joe Desormeaux, the school system’s
assistant superintendent for facilities, said all the measures except the buzzer
system have been in the works since before the Sandy Hook shootings.One Wake
effort that can be traced to the Connecticut school massacre is a new task force
on school safety that will hold its first meeting Thursday. Co-chaired by Wake
County Sheriff Donnie Harrison and retired Raleigh Police Capt. Al White, the
task force will recommend policy changes aimed at improving school safety.But
before the task force meets, the board’s facilities committee will learn what
measures have been proposed by security staff. They include:• Up to $11.7
million to install at least 16 closed-circuit television video cameras at every
elementary school, at least 32 at every middle school and at least 64 at every
high school. The cameras would be networked so that district security staff
could access them.• Up to $3.8 million to install an electronic locking system
on the exterior doors at every school. Staff would have a badge to open the
doors. Priority would be given to first equipping all the elementary schools.•
$1 million to install in every school a networked visitor registration system
where security staff can check for sex offenders, conduct background checks and
prevent a person from entering multiple schools.• $1 million to install a public
address intercom system at all schools that would be networked so security staff
can do a mass notifications from a central location.• $665,215 to install an
entrance buzzer at all elementary schools because they would now all lock their
front doors. A person at the school watching a camera would communicate with
visitors over an intercom system to unlock the front door to let them in. These
new measures come after the school board tabled in January a vote on paying for
an unarmed private security officer for all 105 elementary schools. But it’s
uncertain when a school bond proposal that includes the new security measures
will appear on the ballot.The school board and county commissioners have been
working toward getting a bond issue on the ballot in October. But at the last
joint meeting in February, several school board members said an October vote
might be too soon.Even if it does appear on the ballot, it’s uncertain whether
taxpayers would back a bond issue that could exceed $1 billion in borrowing,
requiring a property tax increase.Singleton, the Garner parent, said that if the
security options were put up for a separate vote the public would easily approve
them. But she said more parents are likely to approve a bond issue if it
includes the security spending.“It you put in the plan a security proposal,
people would probably vote for it,” she said.

[crikkett]

How much art and music instruction can be bought for $18M? How much counseling and personal growth instruction?

[dbcooper41]

the huffpo certainly went to an expert for comment on the spreadsheet story.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/adam-lanza-spreadsheet_n_2901377.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

KIRO reports that former FBI agent Brad Garrett had previously said Lanza likely
planned the attack long before it took place.
"Mass shooters tend to look for soft targets because they're easy," Garrett
said. "They want to be able to walk into a situation where people are not armed,
they have no idea what's going to happen to them and you can get the jump on
them."

Brad Garrett:
http://www.bradgarrettinvestigations.com/experience/
Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation – 1985 – 2006
Lead agent in the double homicide of two CIA employees involving an
international manhunt, resulting in the international arrest, obtaining a
confession and attending execution of MIR AIMAL KASI.
Arrested, obtained confession and transported RAMZI AHMED YOUSEF (first WTC
bomber).
Lead agent in the triple homicide of three Starbucks employees resulting in a
confession and a life without parole sentence.
Lead FBI agent in the disappearance and homicide investigation of WDC intern
CHANDRA LEVY (2001-2006).
Conducted numerous key interviews in the Anthrax investigation.
Interviewed LEE BOYD MALVO and obtained a confession regarding MALVO’s and
JOHN LEE MOHAMMAD’s involvement in the Sniper shootings.
Extensive investigative experience in homicide and sexual assault
investigations
Reviewed and interpreted 100s of threatening communications.
Principle FBI behavioral profiler for the Washington Field Office (WFO).
Hostage Negotiation Coordinator for WFO. .....

[MacCruiskeen]

It's like The Human Centipede: they are all consuming and regurgitating each other's product. The Huffington Post-Reality Show quotes "Salon's Katie McDonough, who writes that the Daily News report will reinsert video games into the debate", which predicted debate inevitably and instantly turns up in the HuffPo comments box. How could it not?

Fascinating to follow the filthy News Stream as it gurgles its way downhill, all the way from its distant, mysterious source to its grateful recipients: Anonymous Cop (who may or may not exist) > NY Daily News sports columnist (who may or may not have been sober) > Salon > HuffPo > The Plebs (Comments: 2,279; Pending Comments: 84)

Video Games or Mental Illness™? You Decide!

It is particularly desperate stuff, though. The Anonymous Sources are really scraping the barrel in the search for a plausible motive:

The law enforcement officer, who did not want his name used, said the spreadsheet that Lanza had created looked like a score sheet. The type of thing created by a video gamer to keep track of players' scores, so he could put his name right at the top.

He said cops think Lanza killed himself because he didn't want to lose his lead in the game. In a video gamer's mind, if someone else kills you, they get all your points. That may be what Lanza believed would have happened had he been taken down by the cops.

http://mynorthwest.com/11/2229647/Repor ... ss-murders

^^Is this even true?

The New York Daily News reports investigators discovered, "a chilling spreadsheet 7 feet long and 4 feet wide that required a special printer, a document that contained Lanza’s obsessive, extensive research — in nine-point font — about mass murders of the past, and even attempted murders."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/1 ... _ref=crime

Chilling indeed. So was that giant "special printer" also found in The Monster's gloomy lair? Or did The Monster in fact have to leave his lair in daylight and carry a data stick to a well-equipped copy shop? Which copy shop? Was it a friendly local one in Newtown? I think we should be told.

"You're looking a little pale, kid. Anyway, how would you like this here comprehensive list of mass murders and even attempted murders printed out?"

"Four feet wide and seven feet long, please. In nine-point font."

"Okey-dokey! That'll need our special printer... How's your mom? We also have a special offer on Christmas wrapping paper, if you're interested."

[justdrew]

mac, there's this thing called tiling used to print larger than a piece of paper things onto many pieces of paper... its print option in most spreadsheet programs for instance. you then have to tape the individual sheets of paper together.