Keith clutched Emily who whose tears were flowing freely now. It was just like the last time at Columbine, Keith thought, another disturbed individual with a powerful assault rifle.
He’d report back to his editor to see how his editor wanted him to follow-up on this story.
Chapter Twenty Two
Keith Watson’s editor beckoned him into his office, “I’m so sorry to hear about the shooting, Keith, I know your wife is a teacher there. Did she know any of the students personally?”
Keith shook his head, “She didn’t know anything about the shooter, and only had passing acquaintance with most of the victims.”
The editor went on, “Listen Keith, I know this must be pretty hard on you as well, having lived through something like this personally at Columbine. I’d like you to do some background material on this. I’m going to have you meet with someone from Florida’s Center for Violence Prevention Chapter. There’s going to be a lot of renewed talk about gun control and new gun laws and she’d be a good source for it.”
Chapter Twenty Three
At the Florida State chapter of the National Rifle Association, the chapter president Phillip Deschutes was on the phone to the governor.
“You see Governor, we don’t need more laws to control guns, just more armed guards to confront the bad people with guns. This all goes to show that we were right along. You people in the state legislature, keep up the good work of fighting these new gun law proposals that the liberals want to foist down our throats.”
He hung up the phone and turned to one of his aides. “This should help increase the donations that come in to our cause”, he said. “We might want to even get that Shupe guy to speak at our national convention. A good guy with a gun saved lives!” he animated with his hands.
Back at the school, Shupe sat down in his office and locked the door. He’s managed to pull it off so far with no one the wiser. In fact, now they think of him as a real hero. He’d have to be careful about what he said from now on, but this would certainly advance his standing in the Army of the White Brotherhood.
A shame about Billy, he thought, He was a good kid and a true martyr to the cause. Someday when this war is over, we can bestow upon him the true honor he deserves.
In another room of the school, Detective Woods and the principle of the school Harold Miller were questioning Melissa.
“Ms. Hartwood, we understand that you knew Billy Edwards pretty well, is that correct?”
Melissa was in a state of shock. She couldn’t believe that Billy could possibly be involved in such a thing. What could she say? Should she mention anything about Shupe?
“Yes sirs, I knew him, but not all that well”, she replied.
“Do you have any information about where he purchased the gun he used?” queried the detective.
“I have no idea at all! I didn’t even know he knew how to shoot a gun.”
“Melissa, I want you to be very honest about this, because anything untruthful you might say now could get you into a lot more trouble,” said the school principle.
A lot more trouble? thought Melissa, What kind of trouble am I in?
“We found a blanket in the closet of the dance studio that had gun grease residue on it matching the weapon that was used in the shooting”, Detective Woods went on. “We know from other students that you and Billy frequented that room after hours. Did you help him purchase that gun, or know that he’d hidden it there?”
Melissa felt the blood leave her face.
So that’s what Billy and Shupe were doing there! Now they think that I helped him buy the gun, she thought.
“No sir”, she replied. “I told you before. I never knew anything about the gun. Billy just helped me video some dance moves in the studio, that’s all.”
“OK” said the principle. “Detective, do you have all the information you needed?”
The detective nodded and left the room.
“Melissa”, the principle said as she was leaving, “Stay a minute.”
He closed the door and turned to her. “There are a lot of people who are very upset about this, and know that you were Billy’s girlfriend. They might want to take some kind of revenge out on you - especially if it ever came out that you had something to do with obtaining the weapon. It might be best if you transferred to another school.”
Devastated, Melissa picked up her backpack and left the room.
Chapter Twenty Four
The Florida Center for Violence Prevention office was in a two-story non-descript brick building. Keith opened the door and seated before him was a middle aged Black woman.
Keith introduced himself and she looked up and smiled. “Your editor called. I’ve been expecting you. I’m Leona Freeman.”
The modest one room office was furnished with an institutional metal desk, two metal chairs and a file cabinet.
When they were seated, Ms. Freeman said, “If you’re looking for the rest of the staff, I’m it. I understand you are here to gather some background information on gun control measures and how we can prevent occurrences of school shootings like the recent shooting at Emory High.”
“Thank you”. Keith responded. “Tell me; just exactly what do you do here Ms. Freeman?”
“Basically the Florida Center for Violence Prevention works to stop the rising toll of gun deaths through research, advocacy, education, and collaboration. The VPC believes that the answer to reducing gun violence lies in better regulation of the gun industry and private gun ownership to reduce the staggering number of deaths that occur each year through gun violence. We are completely funded by private donations. Now, what can I do to help you?”
“My main reason for being here”’, said Keith “is to gather some background information on gun control measures and how we can prevent occurrences of school shootings like the recent shooting at Emory High.”
Ms. Freeman nodded. “Your editor told me you were raised in Colorado, and were a student at Columbine High School when that tragedy occurred. I imagine you have some pretty strong feeling about guns and gun control”.
“Yes, I was there” he said solemnly. “I still have nightmares about the shooting. I vividly recall the panicked screams and the pop-pop-pop of shots fired. I managed to get out, but as you well know there were a number of my classmates and teachers who didn’t. But the worst memory I have is that of Charlton Heston, days after the shooting, standing before a crowd of gun supporters in downtown Denver, raising a musket and proclaiming “….Out of my cold dead hands!….” After that I had no sympathy at all for the NRA or Second Amendment Rights groups.”
“Well Mr. Watson”, Ms. Freeman replied, “It may surprise you that I am a gun owner, and do support the Second Amendment. Unfortunately, the whole argument has been co-opted by radicals who insist that any form of gun control legislation will lead to the confiscation of all firearms.”
“Let me give you a little history lesson…” she continued.
“At one time the NRA had little interest in gun policy, and actually was pro-gun control right up through the 1960’s. Prior to the 1920’s all gun control measures were at the state level. Most laws were passed by Southern States aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of Black people. With the rise of bootlegging and the proliferation of gangsters in the 1920’s, the US Congress passed the National Firearms Act of 1934 to stop the proliferation of Tommy Guns, and Sawed-Off Shot Guns. The NRA supported this legislation. In fact in his testimony, then NRA president Karl T Fredrick said:
“‘I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I seldom carry one. I have carried one only when I felt it was desirable to do so for my own protection. I know that applies in most of the instances where guns are used effectively in self-defense or in places of business and in the home. I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses.’
“In 1938 Congress passed another law, the National Firearms Act of 1938, which required
the licensing of interstate gun dealers and the keeping of a Federal Registry of gun sales. It also prohibited violent felons from owning guns. It was also supported by the NRA.”
Keith said surprised, “You mean there actually was a database of gun owners as early as 1938?”
“Yes”, she went on, “In fact, in 1968, after nearly a decade of assassination of political leaders, and riots in major cities, Congress passed the 1968 Gun Control Act. This expanded the list of people who were ineligible to own guns to include people convicted of any felony, minors, and people adjudicated to be incompetent. It also created what is commonly known as the ‘sporting purpose’ rule for foreign gun ownership to limit the importation of foreign made guns such as the AK-47 which were starting to come into the country then. The NRA supported this legislation as well.”
Keith said, “Who enforced these laws?”
She went on, “The U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Before this, their mission was primarily to ensure proper revenue was collected on Alcohol and Tobacco, and to prevent moonshiners from selling illegal alcohol. So you see, the NRA has not always been against gun control. But in 1977 they forced out individuals within the organization who wanted its primary purpose to be promoting sportsmanship and gun safety. It began to aggressively challenge handgun bans and invoke the Second Amendment to challenge any gun laws in court. To this day, the NRA has failed to support a single major piece of gun reform legislation.”
“So the problem is the NRA opposition to gun legislation,” said Keith.
“It’s not that simple. The problem isn’t just the guns. There has been a whole proliferation of what is termed Gun Culture now in the USA. It’s been hard to estimate the actual number of guns that are out there but in 2009 it was estimated that there are 53 million guns in the hands of individuals, or 45% of the population. That’s an astounding number! White gun ownership makes up the majority, but Black gun ownership has also grown in the past 20 years, and is much more difficult to track because a large majority of the guns owned by Blacks are obtained illegally, or at least un-recorded.
“Another problem has been the lethality and power of street weapons. Before 1970, most Americans owned what would be termed long-barrel rifles which consisted of shotguns and hunting rifles or owned small caliber handguns. After the Vietnam War era we started to see a proliferation of what is now considered Assault Style Weapons. These are weapons capable of firing shots rapidly without the need to re-load.”
“They’re illegal aren’t they?” queried Keith.
“No, a fully-automatic assault weapon is still illegal in most states, but semi-automatic weapons which are just as lethal, are not; and their numbers have grown exponentially in the past 10 years. Recently ABC reported that there are an average of 30 gun related deaths a day!”
“Weren’t those weapons banned after the Brady shooting? I think they named it the Brady Act?” asked Keith.
“Actually, no, she replied. “the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act dealt exclusively with handguns and required a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and required that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns. The ban on Assault Weapons came with the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, commonly referred to as The Assault Weapons Ban Act, that was passed later that same year. This act banned the manufacture and sale of new semi-automatic assault weapons, but did not apply to weapons that were already in legal possession. The law specified 19 weapons that have the features of assault rifles and also banned large-capacity ammunition magazines, limiting them to 10 rounds. While many gun control advocates wanted to make the ban permanent, the NRA succeeded in putting a sunset clause in the bill which would have it expire in 2004 unless Congress voted to extend it. By then, the Congressional shift to the Republicans ensured that the ban would expire. We are now seeing the consequences of that. The NRA and their Congressional allies have fought tooth-and-nail to prevent passage of any new gun legislation since then. They’ve even opposed the efforts of the CDC to simply study the impact of gun violence on American Society – a study, by the way, that was intended to study not only gun ownership, but also the impact of violent video games and gun violence in the media.”
Keith listened intently to her discourse. “What about the argument that there are already enough gun laws - that we just need better enforcement of existing ones?”
“That’s an interesting point”, she replied. “There are a lot of different gun laws, but they are scattered around the country between municipalities, states, and even counties. It’s very easy for people to simply purchase a gun outside their jurisdiction; and while it may not be entirely legal, few police officers go around looking for illegal guns unless they are used in a crime. With the rise of gun shows and internet sales, even basic background checks and waiting periods are omitted. The only Federal Agency tasked with enforcing national gun laws is the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) Agency. Unfortunately they have been understaffed for some time, and the NRA and their Congressional allies have blocked any additional funding for them. To date they still do not have a head, since any nominee has been opposed by this same group. In addition, some authorities see any enforcement of the existing laws as a violation of Second Amendment rights, and refuse to enforce them. So what we have become is a society of guns that is free of almost any real controls that can prevent the types of mass shootings that you have just witnessed.
“It is interesting to note as well, that between 1966 and 1998, mass shooting were fairly rare; the most famous one being in 1966 at the University of Texas where a lone gunman holed up in the tower and started shooting students at random with a high powered hunting rifle. He was able to kill 14 people and wounding 32 others. It took 90 minutes till police were able to subdue him. It still remains today as one of the worst mass shootings in US history; and that was with a single shot rifle.
“It wasn’t until 1998, that we saw another school shooting. That was at Jonesboro, Arkansas where two boys aged 11 and 13 shot their teachers and schoolmates as they ran outside in response to a fire alarm the boys had pulled. Four students and a teacher were killed and 10 others wounded. When they were finally apprehended authorities found in their possession thirteen fully loaded firearms, including three semi-automatic rifles, and 200 rounds of ammunition. All of the weapons were taken from the family's legally owned personal arsenal.
“Columbine followed that a year later, which I hardly need to remind you of the details. Since that time, there have been over 61 Mass shootings in the USA, many of which were committed with large arsenals consisting of multiple semi-automatic assault rifles or handguns with large ammunition clips and large rounds of ammunition. Most all of these were purchased legally. While these numbers reflect the most notorious and publicized cases, every day there are shooting deaths among Black and Hispanics that go under-reported.”
Keith looked somber. “What do you say to the argument that ‘the only way to stop these mass shootings is to let more people carry concealed weapons’?”
She smiled, “You mean the good guy with a gun principle? I’ve heard a lot of that lately, especially after Newtown, and of course what just happened at Emory. Despite this claim, there is scant evidence that just having someone nearby with a gun will stop a massacre. In the Tucson, Arizona shooting of Gaby Gifford, there actually was a man in the crowd who had a handgun. He almost shot the person trying to subdue the actual killer. The NRA loves to tout these stories, but in almost every case the person who actually subdued the killer was not armed, or was a trained off-duty police officer or security guard, not your average Jill or Joe with a gun. They actually conducted a live study at one school in which they had students and a teacher in classroom and outfitted them with paintball guns and safety equipment and told them in advance that at some point during that class someone would burst in and start shooting. Even with the advance notice, the students
in the study ended up shooting at least 10 of their fellow classmates, and only one was able to hit the shooter. Even at Emory High School who had a trained armed guard on site, seven students were still killed. The idea that more guns are needed is a huge step backwards, and is a myth perpetrated by the same people that are adamantly against any form of real gun control.”
Keith was nearly speechless now and couldn’t wait to leave. The whole conversation just dredged up all the old memories of Columbine. Still he asked, “So what is the answer?”
“The answer….”, she replied forcefully, “is a real dialogue and meaningful national legislation on gun control.
“That just isn’t going to happen as long as the NRA can pull the strings and bankroll campaigns against anyone who opposes them. Much of their money is coming from the gun industry itself, which is now a hugely profitable industry. They can pump undisclosed dollars into the NRA who in turn can fund campaigns for or against anyone running for office. They can rally hundreds of people seemly at will to put on Gun Appreciation Days. Anyone who even tries to bring up a reasonable discourse is shouted down with the single most used argument ‘Because it is my Second Amendment Right!’”
Chapter Twenty Five
Emory High School was officially closed until the investigation was completed, and then of course until after the seven funerals. Emily Watson was walking back toward her car in the school parking lot when she spotted Melissa crouched in a fetal position by the wall sobbing.
She couldn’t bear to ignore the girl who’d been the outstanding student in her class.
She walked over to the poor sobbing girl “Melissa, I’m so sorry about Billy and LeVon, I knew you were their friends. Sometimes we just can’t know what people are really thinking or capable of.”
Melissa looked up at Emily, “Ms. Watson, I know Billy couldn’t have done this on his own!” There are some things you don’t know about Billy and that guard Shupe, but I’m afraid to tell anyone! They think I was involved in getting him the gun, and now they want me to transfer to a different school.”
Emily looked startled. “Melissa, is this true?”