The definition of insanity
by digby
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Actually, the definition of insanity is electing mentally deranged people to be the Attorney General of your state.
The chaos of panicked people running out of the store, shoppers who pulled their own guns and multiple victims created a difficult situation for police and slowed their investigation.
Meanwhile, the suspected gunman, Scott Ostrem, remained at-large until he was captured by police at 8:11 a.m. Thursday about six miles from the scene, stuck in rush-hour traffic in Westminster..
The shots were reported at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, and Thornton police sent the first tweet about it at 6:27 p.m.
The first officers on scene needed to assess the situation and develop a strategy to go inside because it was unknown whether the shooter was dead or alive and whether he was still inside or already fleeing with the store’s customers and employees, Avila said. Police teams searched the other stores in the Thornton Town Center and the surrounding area.
Police also had to make sure paramedics and EMTs could safely reach victims. And then once they determined the store was secure, detectives escorted a store employee back inside to begin reviewing security video footage from the dozens of cameras in the store and the shopping center parking lot.
“We had a lot of footage, and hundreds of people self-evacuating,” Avila said. “Obviously, it took time.”
When detectives began reviewing video footage, they noticed multiple people drawing guns, Avila said. That slowed the process of identifying who and how many suspects were involved in the shooting, he said.
“Once the building was safe enough to get into it, we started reviewing that (surveillance video) as quickly as we could,” he said. “That’s when we started noticing” that a number of individuals had pulled weapons. “At that point, as soon as you see that, that’s the one you try to trace through the store, only to maybe find out that’s not him, and we’re back to ground zero again, starting to look again. That’s what led to the extended time.”