Another young man snapped and took law in his own hand. 20-year old, Tyler Peterson (inset: left) stormed into a Duplex in Crandon, North Wisconsin and killed 6 teenagers in a rampant shooting. This happened on Sunday - a day after my friends had advised me against relocation to the U.S. Their reason being the Land of Freedom is unsafe.A failed attempt to reconcile with his old girlfriend invited mockery from guests who were present at that house for a pizza party during the school's reunion weekend. He was called a "worthless pig." This enraged Peterson to retrieve the AR-15 rifle from his car outside and marched into the house firing 30 rounds that killed everyone except one who is critically injured. Hours later, he was found dead after fleeing the crime scene when the Swat team nailed him. Whether he shot himself or died in an exchange of gunfire with the armed police, the authority is not revealing yet. Peterson's killing raised many eyebrows: how could a sheriff's deputy and a part-time police officer possibly commit such heinous crime? Who could have guessed that a 'non-trouble maker' as his good friend described him would become a bersek gunman? Can you tell from his photo that the cherubic face smiling at you is capable of killing? I can't. News leaked that apparently he did not undergo psychological screening piror to his acceptance as a law enforcement officer.
This brings me back to my friends' comment. In a country where gun control is luke warm, It is better to get a good insurance scheme than to worry when will I be gunned down. According to handgunlaw.us, most States allow gun ownership provided that the applicants satisfy the minimum age requirement of which varies from States to States (inset: left). Most States require the applicants to be at least 18 or 21; only Missouri has the exception - 23. The Wisconsin's tragedy is the 2nd rampant shooting after the VirginiaTech massacre on April 16, 2007. 23-year old Korean, Seung-Hui Cho killed 33 people at the campus before shooting himself. This marked one of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. The minimum age to apply for Carrying Concealed Weapons (CCW) for private citizens in Virginia is 21 which Cho is eligible for. Although Wisconsin is denied the right to CCW, Peterson, is however, a qualified law enforcement officer. Sadly the case.
Reported by Reuters and quoted sources from National Rifle Association (NRA), an estimated 34 percent of the citizens in the United States owns firearms and 200 million firearms are in private hands. Considering that private resales of guns is largely unregulated and that the U.S. popluation to be 300 million, it is highly possible that in the most densely populated State such as New Jersey, 6 households out of 10 are likely to own a gun.
Singapore has no history of rampant shootings. Primarily, possession of firearms by citizens is a criminal offence that warrants caning and imprisonment. The terrors that struck the heartland so far were cases of soldiers who went missing with rifles and bullets. The first case was in 1984 and another happened recently last month. Singaporeans at large are either too tame or too sane to commit massacre. I can safely generalise that 99.9 percent of the population is capable of shooting from water guns; the 0.01 percent may be potential gunmen but they have a 99.9 percent chance of not finding a gun in the first place. So what's my take - Singapore or U.S?
Give me the Green Card but spare me the gun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------Wisconsin gunman Tyler Peterson 'snapped over rebuff by ex-girlfriend' - Times Online
Bananation Condolences to the families and vicitim of Virginia Tech Massacre.
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