Your daily death count
by Tom Sullivan
Wonder what time Lester's Guns and Ammo opens? 'Cause it's time to run down and stock up again. Again.
The gunman who opened fire inside a packed movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, Thursday night, was John Russel Houser, police said at a news conference this morning.
Houser, 59, who killed himself, is among three people who died, police said. The other two were Mayci Breaux, 21, of Franklin, Louisiana, who died at the theater, and Jillian Johnson, 33, of Lafayette, who died at the hospital.
Nine others were injured, including one who was in critical condition, police said.
Gov. Bobby Jindal praised two New Iberia teachers as heroes. One leaped over the other to shield her and pull a fire alarm:
"Her friend literally jumped over her, and in her account actually saved her life," Jindal said during a press conference. "If she hadn't done that ... that bullet, she believed it would have hit her in the head.
"Even though she was shot in the leg, she had the presence of mind to pull the fire alarm to help save other lives."
So there's a bright side. Sure, more people are dead and traumatized this week. After others were dead and traumatized last week — the same day Colorado convicted another guy for killing 12 and wounding 70 at another movie theater two years ago. But, you know, heroes.
At least I know I'm free
We may be slow on the uptake, but Americans have finally learned to respond appropriately to the ongoing gun-rampage carnage. We set up GoFundMe accounts for survivors. Private charity is an appropriate response to gun violence because government action is tyranny. And we buy even more guns. That goes without saying.
So for many of our neighbors, it will be off to Lester's once again for another backup weapon, more magazines, ammo, and maybe one of those new laser sights. Because soon the only way they'll feel safe going outdoors is wearing a web harness with magazine pouches and grenades hanging off it.
If needing an arsenal to defend against neighbors and your government is your idea of freedom, you don't need weapons. You need medication.