As everyone knows by now, there was a shooting spree in SE Alabama Tuesday [article link]. The towns of Samson, Kinston and Geneva bore the brunt of the killings by Michael McLendon, 28 years of age. That's about a 3 or 4 hour drive from where I live in Mobile, AL. As of this writing, there were 12 people dead, including Michael McLendon who committed suicide. He practically wiped out his entire family, including his mother, grandparents, an aunt, uncle and cousin. Several law enforcement officers were wounded trying to capture McLendon. I do know that Mobile County police officers were sent speeding up I-65 in an attempt to bolster local law enforcement of these towns. Most of the small towns in Alabama have a "Mayberry" type police department. In a case like this, everyone in law enforcement within a 3 hour drive was called upon. There is not much more I can add to this. I know the gun control advocates will have a field day with this. But, not on this blog.

In Germany, 17 year old Tim Kretschmer launched a "Columbine" type killing spree [article link] that resulted in the deaths of 9 students and two teachers. Four other people were killed by Kretschmer before he too committed suicide. As was the case in Alabama, there has been no substantiated motive for Kretschmer to go on this killing spree of innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is news that, at least, in the Alabama case, McLendon kept a list of people who did him wrong. That is rumor at this point. Both cases are very disturbing.

I don't know what comes over someone who is an ordinary person one day; and then the next day is a mass murderer. My mind just can't process something like this. Hopefully, police will at least find out what provoked this outrage in both Alabama and Germany. There is never justication for either incident. I just don't know how you can possibly predict something like this. How can you stop it from happening again? And, even if you eliminate the 2nd Amendment, people are always going to find a way to get a gun. Of that, I am firmly convinced. It's a sad day here in Alabama. I'm sure the people in German are equally as sad.