A shooting over Homecoming weekend in Bloomington, Indiana left seven people injured, and the city’s mayor has already decided what’s to blame. Spoiler: it’s not the person who pulled the trigger.
What Happened
The shooting took place early Sunday morning on Kirkwood Ave. during Bloomington’s Homecoming celebration. Seven people were injured. By Sunday afternoon, Mayor Kerry Thompson was on social media laying out her theory of the case and promising a push for change.
The Mayor’s Take
Thompson pointed the finger squarely at Indiana’s firearms laws.
“As we all know, Indiana has lax gun laws that prevent communities from developing safety measures at large gatherings,” she said. “And, while we can ask people not to bring firearms to large public gatherings, it’s not enough.”
Her proposed fix: a new law letting cities use the screening rules already in place at stadiums and private events, which require attendees to pass through metal detectors.
Here’s the obvious problem. Large public gatherings are public. Securing an outdoor event where the general public is invited is nearly impossible. Thompson said law enforcement was present in numbers she considered adequate, and it still happened.
A Pattern on One Street
Kirkwood Ave. has a track record. According to Bearing Arms, in April nine people needed medical attention after gunshots sent a large crowd scattering. In September, a 19-year-old man took a gunshot to the neck on the same street. Then came the November 1 shooting.
That’s three shootings on a single street in a single calendar year. It isn’t the highest-crime area in Indiana, but the trend tells you something.
What it doesn’t tell you is that missing local ordinances or metal detectors caused it. The cause is people who turn to violence to settle an argument, even in the middle of a crowd.
Give Thompson credit for not immediately screaming for gun control. But metal-detector mandates are gun control in another form. They stop lawful carriers, both at the event and while they travel to and from their vehicles. That’s a backwards way to run things.
More Indiana Gun Control Issues reported on TTAG:
- ‘We Have Guns Too’: Indiana Democrat Sparks Second Amendment Controversy
- Michigan, Indiana and Iowa Are Opening the Door to More Deer Rifles
- Long-Running Gary, Indiana, Liability Lawsuit Finally Ends In Win For Firearms Industry
- Indiana Mom Shoots Child Predator to Save Her 12-Year-Old Daughter
Mr. Mayor…buy a mirror, have a good look in it, then blame him.
And seriously, if nobody shot back at the “mass shooter” at some gangbanger party after midnight we skip over that video because we kind of don’t even want to hear about the wolves shooting the other wolves and the sheep anymore…they may be unconcerned about their lives and the lives of others, but I am shooting back.
And the blue haired, bull ring nosed, fat woman says: “Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss?”
To which I replied: “You afraid you’ll miss your mouth with your fork?”
Pardon me, Ms. Mayor…typo.