Shooting at Emcore

So often we turn our heads away and our ears off when we learn about domestic violence. It's not other people's problems, it's all of ours. Sadly, the people at Emcore got caught in the fire of a domestic violence situation, most of whom probably had no idea what their co-worker was going through.

Hey Carissa, go fuck yourself.

This is the fault of Adrienne Basciano..

Wow.

The system is FLAWED!!!

There's a science fiction subgenre where there are systems in place, which guarantee assholes don't ever go apeshit. For some reason these societies are pejoratively labeled "dystopian," and half the time they get overthrown by the end of the book. Authors need to do a better job of showing the murder-loving public why these systems are really the paradise that we all want.

going to another person's work and shooting them?

Aside from getting the crazed person some psychiatric help and hoping it works, you can't. Guns will always exist. Emotionally unstable people will always exist.

I feel for the victims and their families. This is a terrible tragedy. But no one can say that it definitely could have been prevented. The only way it can definitely be prevented is if emotionally unstable people don't exist.

Crazy people are crazy. Unless they can get control of their crazies, you can't stop them. Mental health help exists. But the person has to want to get help. And if he wasn't crazy before, he may have just snapped. This is a part life.

And people don't have to tell their personal business if they don't want to. Do you tell all your personal shit to others? Of course not. And there are organizations in place for domestic violence victims. But you can't force someone to use them.

No one but the shooter himself can be blamed for this tragedy.

What makes it a case of domestic violence vs. some other type of workplace shooting, was the guy's motive. He was out to kill her specifically. Various people have said she told them she was "scared of him". He was reported to be talking to anyone who would listen about their break up. He went to her workplace to try and kill her. Unfortunately others got caught in the crossfire and the aftermath...very very sad. Domestic violence too frequently ends in murder. In the US, in 2005, 1181 females and 329 males were killed by their intimate partners. (see Wiki for statistics). What I'm interested in is creating better outlets and protection for people (male and female alike) who suffer from spousal abuse. I don't know what the solution is, but I don't believe we should just throw up our hands and say "well, they're crazy. Nothing we can do."

There is a lot of help out there, and since the woman targeted in the shooting was known to have said she was going to file a domestic violence report, she was seeking help. Women are at the greatest risk of being killed by a partner when they leave that partner. Leaving breaks the cycle of control, but getting to the point where one is brave enough to actually leave...that takes a lot of work, and a lot of victims of domestic violence don't have access to help--that's part of the control issue too.

10 Murder-Suicides Occur Each Week in America New Violence Policy Center Study Reveals, Almost All Perpetrated With Guns

Washington, DC--More than 10 murder-suicides, almost all by gun, occur each week in the United States, according to American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States, a new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study used a national news clipping service and Internet survey tools to collect incidents nationwide from January 1, 2005, through June 30, 2005, and is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies ever conducted on murder-suicide. During this six-month period, at least 591 Americans died in 264 murder-suicides, and almost all murder-suicides (92 percent) involved a firearm. Using these figures, the VPC estimates that nearly 1,200 Americans die each year in murder-suicides. Additional study findings include--

* Six states had more than 10 murder-suicides in the six-month study period: Pennsylvania (18); Texas (18); California (17); Florida (15); North Carolina (14); and, Tennessee (11).

* Ninety-four percent of the offenders in murder-suicides were male.

* Seventy-four percent of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner (spouse, common-law spouse, ex-spouse, or boyfriend/girlfriend). Of these, 96 percent were females killed by their intimate partners.

* Most murder-suicides with three or more victims involved a �family annihilator��a subcategory of intimate partner murder-suicide. Family annihilators are murderers who kill not only their wives/girlfriends and children, but often other family members as well, before killing themselves.

* Forty-seven children and teens under the age of 18 were murdered in murder-suicides.

* Most murderers in murder-suicides are older than their victims.

* Seventy-five percent of murder-suicides occurred in the home.

VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, �Murder-suicide wreaks havoc on hundreds of American families each year. Much more needs to be done to understand and prevent murder-suicide. One key aspect of prevention is reducing access to firearms, by far the weapon of choice in murder-suicide.�

The city has a list of resources.

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Resources/Assistance

Leave or have someone stay with you if you are in immediate danger.& Call a crisis hotline for assistance, location of a women's shelter, counseling, and crisis intervention. The following resources and telephone numbers are available in Albuquerque.

* New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-773-3645 (Statewide)

* Women's Community Association/Shelter from Domestic Violence: 247-4219 (Albuquerque)

* All Faith's Receiving Home - Emergency Shelter for Children: 345-8938

* APD Victim Assistance Unit: 768-2104 (Albuquerque)

* Albuquerque Women's Resource Center: 242-7033 (Albuquerque)

* New Mexico Domestic Legal Help Line: 1-877-974-3400 (Toll Free - Statewide) 243-4300 (Albuquerque)

* New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs: 1-888-888-8020 (Statewide) 883-8020 (Albuquerque)

* Morning Star - Advocacy Program for Native American Women: 232-8299 (Albuquerque)

* Resources - Women's Advocacy Group: 884-1241 (Albuquerque)

* Enlace - Spanish Speaking: 246-8972

* 911 or the non-emergency number - 242-COPS (2677) (Albuquerque)

* Nationwide Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (Nationwide)

* National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: 1-800-537-2238 (Nationwide)

* Restraining Orders: 841-8400

* Crime Victim's Reparation Commission: 841-9432

APD Crime Prevention 924-3600

What to do if You are Hurt

Call the police as soon as you can— assault, even by a family member is a crime. Get medical attention, ask the medical staff to photograph your injuries and keep detailed records in the event legal action is necessary.

Contact the court system about civil protective orders.

Leave the scene immediately or as soon as possible

I am going through something similar to Adrienne. I can tell you for a fact that there is no REAL help out there for the women that have finally had enough.

Sometimes the best resources can be the people around you. Talk to them, be open about what you're going through and try to find a support group of people going through the same thing you are. Most important, STAY STRONG!

Good luck to you.