Gun Violence on Duquesne Campus

[rawbone8]

Toronto Star article

Five young men who play basketball at Duquesne University were gunned down outside a dormitory this past weekend after an argument with a guy as they were leaving a campus dance. Two were shot as they were walking away. Three more were shot as they came to their team mates' assistance.

The young man most critically injured (shot in the head) is a Toronto native, Sam Ashaolu. His parents have flown to his side in the Pittsburgh hospital where he is in intensive care. The other guy with serious injuries is Stuard Baldonado. The others who were afflicted with more minor injuries and released from hospital are Kojo Mensah, Shawn James and Aaron Jackson.

I'm hoping Sam and Stuard pull through this and recover.

After the Montreal shooting last week and this event, I just feel bewildered and shocked that parents can see their children make it all the way to university and college through hard work and goal setting and then encounter these random acts of violence. It didn't seem to be a consideration when I was in school 30 years ago. Fists were the extent of weaponry 99% of the time.

Is the risk of lethal consequences from handguns an everyday reality when going out to enjoy yourselves at clubs and campus events? What do the younger members feel as you go about your lives? Are the risks of confrontation that escalate to this kind of gunslinging and shooting of (presumably) unarmed victims real for you? Does it temper your behaviour or the restrict how freely you might communicate your feelings with strangers? Does it take any specific effort to avoid conflict?

These guys were apparently walking away.

 

[rawbone8]

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[SpeedoGuy]

Is the risk of lethal consequences from handguns an everyday reality when going out to enjoy yourselves at clubs and campus events?

Yes, rawbone.

And its not just on campus. All public places are potentially dangerous. In urban areas and even some rural areas the tension of latent violence permeates society widely. Sadly, this is the culture of blood vengeance, road rage, schoolyard antagonism, spousal violence, workplace hypertension, neighborhood disprespect and in-your-face machismo taken to the extreme. And America loves it: The culture of violent confrontation. We practice it on ourselves, we visit it on others.

Dare to glance at the wrong person askance, or pass the wrong car on the roadway, bump into the wrong guy on the dance floor, or discipline an erring employee and you're potentially inviting a violent confrontation. I know, I once had a guy point a pistol at me because I accidentally cut him off on a rural highway.

Too many people seem to be looking for a reason any vent righteous anger about something, anything.

 

[rawbone8]

Yes, rawbone.

And its not just on campus. All public places are potentially dangerous. In urban areas and even some rural areas the tension of latent violence permeates society widely. Sadly, this is the culture of blood vengeance, road rage, schoolyard antagonism, spousal violence, workplace hypertension, neighborhood disprespect and in-your-face machismo taken to the extreme. And America loves it: The culture of violent confrontation. We practice it on ourselves, we visit it on others.

Dare to glance at the wrong person askance, or pass the wrong car on the roadway, bump into the wrong guy on the dance floor, or discipline an erring employee and you're potentially inviting a violent confrontation. I know, I once had a guy point a pistol at me because I accidentally cut him off on a rural highway.

Too many people seem to be looking for a reason any vent righteous anger about something, anything.

SpeedoGuy

Damn. Did you get his licence plate? I guess it would have just been futile — your word against his, huh? Plus he would get your address and personal information in the police report. I hope I would never have to face that kind of insanity over sloppy driving.

It's getting more prevalent here in Toronto, and the victims are predominantly young. I know a few parents who have children who are scared to go to high school. In spite of board policies posing zero tolerance on weapons they continue to be brought on school property. This was just not a typical thing 20 years ago. Violence was far less than lethal.