Shooting leaves 1 soldier dead, 1 hurt at Arkansas center

[DenverChief]

So sad :shake: 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. <!--startclickprintexclude--> <!----><!--===========IMAGE============-->http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/CRIME/06/01/arkansas.recruiter.shooting/art.arkansas.soldiers.shot..jpg<!--===========/IMAGE===========--><!--===========CAPTION==========-->



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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 (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Police) are trying to determine a motive in the shooting (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/shootings), 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 (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Little_Rock) recruiting center. Their hometowns were not immediately known.
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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.

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The FBI (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation) 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.

[DaFace]

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

[sportsman1]

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

[stlchiefs]

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? :shake: 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.

[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

[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.

[Frazod]

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?

[BigChiefFan]

Some of these incidents seem a little suspicious to me. This sounds like some are Hell bent on pushing an agenda.

[Valiant]

Well hopefully they put him in general pop and he gets his..

[jAZ]

I hope this wasn't politically motivated or it would be domestic terrorism.

[SBK]

I hope this wasn't politically motivated or it would be domestic terrorism.

I know it will shock you, but dude was a Muslim convert.

At a briefing Monday afternoon, Little Rock police chief Stuart Thomas identified the suspect as Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, 24, of Little Rock. Thomas says Muhammad also goes by the name Carlos Bledsoe.

At the Monday-afternoon briefing, Thomas said investigators believe Muhammad acted alone, and likely carried "political and religious motives." Thomas said the gunman targeted the military but was not believed to be part of a broader scheme.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0609/627959.html

[BigChiefFan]

I'm not giving up my freedom, no matter how much they try and scare us.


Sorry to hear that, brother. Thoughts and prayers.

[SBK]

I'm not giving up my freedom, no matter how much they try and scare us.

It ain't terrorists taking your freedom away today. ROFL

[BigChiefFan]

It ain't terrorists taking your freedom away today. ROFLThey are, they just aren't foreigners.;)

[Mizzou_8541]

What a shame. Just a sad freakin day.

[joesomebody]

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.

RIPThis 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.

[banyon]

So sad :shake: Does AK have the death penalty?

Alaska? I'm not sure. Arkansas does though. ;)

[stlchiefs]

Alaska? I'm not sure. Arkansas does though. ;)

My Mother in Law learned that the hard way when she tried to send an invitation to one of our friends down in Arkansas. :)

[Saul Good]

These anti-war liberals are out of control. Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore, and Al Franken are complicit in this terrorism. They rant and rave in the media all day long. It was bound to lead to something like this.

[mdstu]

I immediately assumed it was drug related.
But, then again I always assume the worst in people.

[Dottefan]

These anti-war liberals are out of control. Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore, and Al Franken are complicit in this terrorism. They rant and rave in the media all day long. It was bound to lead to something like this.

SAVE YOUR POLITICAL RANTS FOR SOME OTHER THREAD..THIS IS TO PAY RESPECT TO A FALLEN SOILDER. GOD BLESS HIM AND HIS FAMILY, AND HOPEFULLY THE GUY THAT KILLED HIM GETS A LITTLE EXTRA PAY BACK FROM THE MAN ABOVE..AND THIS IS COMING FROM A LIBERAL.

[Thig Lyfe]

These anti-war liberals are out of control. Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore, and Al Franken are complicit in this terrorism. They rant and rave in the media all day long. It was bound to lead to something like this.

lol

[Thig Lyfe]

SAVE YOUR POLITICAL RANTS FOR SOME OTHER THREAD..THIS IS TO PAY RESPECT TO A FALLEN SOILDER. GOD BLESS HIM AND HIS FAMILY, AND HOPEFULLY THE GUY THAT KILLED HIM GETS A LITTLE EXTRA PAY BACK FROM THE MAN ABOVE..AND THIS IS COMING FROM A LIBERAL.

This.

[SBK]

SAVE YOUR POLITICAL RANTS FOR SOME OTHER THREAD..THIS IS TO PAY RESPECT TO A FALLEN SOILDER. GOD BLESS HIM AND HIS FAMILY, AND HOPEFULLY THE GUY THAT KILLED HIM GETS A LITTLE EXTRA PAY BACK FROM THE MAN ABOVE..AND THIS IS COMING FROM A LIBERAL.

You must have not been around here this weekend.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

These anti-war liberals are out of control. Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore, and Al Franken are complicit in this terrorism. They rant and rave in the media all day long. It was bound to lead to something like this.

you're an idiot.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

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...

[doomy3]

My Mother in Law learned that the hard way when she tried to send an invitation to one of our friends down in Arkansas. :)

They sentenced her to death for sending an invitation?

[Dottefan]

You must have not been around here this weekend.

I just think that there is a time and place for everything. Lets just honor this fallen soldier and put our OWN political views on hold. There are a million reasons why he was attacked by this coward, and both concervatives and liberals can argue all day about who`s fault it was..when the only person that we can really blame is locked up.

[stlchiefs]

They sentenced her to death for sending an invitation?

The whole AK not being the abbreviation for Arkansas, but rather for Alaska.

[Pioli Zombie]

Palin can see Alaska from her house.
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[RNR]

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

[DenverChief]

Alaska? I'm not sure. Arkansas does though. ;)

Ha! My bad AR looks like it should be the abbreviation for Aruba :shrug: anyway just wondering when the last time Arkansas executed someone....if the Feds decide to pursue charges I'm pretty sure they could get a death sentence AND carry it out in a reasonable amount of time

[DenverChief]

And yes I think killing a soldier in uniform is the equivalent of killing a police officer on duty...should automatically trigger the death penalty as punishment

[Mile High Mania]

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm

Texas sets a good example...

[sportsman1]

Damn straight Texas does. This scum of the earth will get death. Print it. He really isn't worthy of taking up everyone Else's air. As someone with connections in Arkansas, I have faith they will carry it out.

[mcan]

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]

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.

[BigChiefFan]

Justifying one murder over another, is kind of sick, no?

[mcan]

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. :toast:

[Chief Henry]

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

:clap:

[tooge]

Man, these muslim radicals keep this crap up and it wont be long before random muslims start getting whacked. Not saying I am looking forward to this, but it is gonna happen if crap like this continues, particularly on US soil.