Firefighters shot/killed in Webster

[OpIv37]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/24/us/new...html?hpt=hp_t1

For those of you who don't know, Webster is a suburb of Rochester. I grew up there- my parents bought a house there when I was in 3rd grade and I lived there (except when I was away at college) until I was about 22. This is craziness- stuff like this just doesn't happen there. I think in the 15 or so years that I lived there, there were 2 murders. Not 2 a year. Two total. It's the kind of place where stolen garden hoses make the police blotter in the paper because the police have nothing better to do.

There are two fire houses in town. I know for a fact that one is volunteer, and I'm pretty sure they both are. So, here we have volunteers putting their lives on the line to help people, and some asshat is shooting at them. Just great. So far, they are saying 2 killed and 2 wounded, although fortunately it looks like the wounded ones are going to be fine.

[MikeInRoch]

10 miles from my house. Both dead fire fighters are volunteers - one was also a town police officer. The more in guarded condition, and a third person being hospitalized with "shrapnel wounds". The shooter is dead - I'm hearing he committed suicide on the beach.

- - - Updated - - -

I suppose this means that the NRA will call for firefighters to have armed guards now.

[bf1]

Guns don't kill people. People shooting guns kill people.

[SmokeShowin]

This is bothering me a lot, being a former on-call firefighter and a current dispatcher as was one of the victims. My thoughts and prayers to family, friends and co-workers of these heroes. One of the firefighters where I dispatch is getting a group together to head over for the wakes and funerals. I want to go so bad but have to work.

[Valerie]

Very sad! God bless the men who lost their lives and their friends and family.

I just don't understand why people can't see the need to take guns out of the hands of the general public and make it illegal for anyone other than a trained professional to own/carry a gun. And, this guy was a convicted murderer, WTF was he doing out and on the loose? Time to keep the murderers locked up for life!

[OpIv37]

Very sad! God bless the men who lost their lives and their friends and family.

I just don't understand why people can't see the need to take guns out of the hands of the general public and make it illegal for anyone other than a trained professional to own/carry a gun. And, this guy was a convicted murderer, WTF was he doing out and on the loose? Time to keep the murderers locked up for life!

There are 350 million guns in the country and 80 million gun owners. It's impossible to get them off the streets. Do YOU want to be the one to knock on a gun nut's door and demand that he hands over his weapons? I'm sure that'll end well......

Aside from that, this guy was a convicted felon and shouldn't have been allowed to own guns anyway. There has been a rash of gun thefts in Wayne County, which borders Webster on the east, so the police are looking into the possibility that the gun used in this case was one of the stolen ones. Translation: the gun was illegal in two ways because it was a) stolen and b) sold to someone who can't legally own guns. It's a fallacy that making something illegal actually prevents it.

[MikeInRoch]

I just found out that one of the wounded firefighters was a guy who was new to one of my fantasy football leagues this year. Yikes.

[Discotrish]

I just found out that one of the wounded firefighters was a guy who was new to one of my fantasy football leagues this year. Yikes.

Yeah I guess there are worse things than leaving a guy who scores 40 points on your bench.

At Mass this morning there was a specific prayer intention for the "New York State firefighters" -- this is in Florida.

Patti

[SmokeShowin]

This was posted on one of the public safety pages I frequent on Facebook. Great pic from the wakes.





Four men in a small community did their duty on a cold winter morning. Two of them didn't go home, and the other two nearly met the same fate. One man bleeding and frightened calmly summoned help. An off-duty police officer on his way to work kept innocents from the line of fire. Another police officer returned fire, possibly saving even more. Dispatchers, EMTs, paramedics, police officers and firefighters put their feelings, emotions and fears aside and did their jobs, evacuating citizens, fighting the fire, and held the line despite witnessing the cost.

That day, and every day and night since, we put our boots on the same way as always when we leave for work, but we hug our kids a little tighter, kiss our wives and husbands a little longer, and when we pull out of our drive, we pause to look at our home and wonder if we will be back after our shift. We do our duty, because our brother's bodies might have been killed, but their spirit lives on stronger than ever. We do what we do because it is both a blessing and a curse to be able to do it. We share in the triumphs of our jobs as surely as we share in the burdens of them. Our bodies and our spirits bear the scars along with the joys equally bestowed upon us by what we bear witness to in the service of others. We were reminded that we are not safe. No matter who or where we are, there are people who wish us harm. We are forever changed.

Thousands of our brothers and sisters silently stood in the falling snow to pay their respects to our fallen. They came from our town, our county, and from across our state and country. They came to show that the sacrifices we may be called to make are not done in vain. That those we might leave behind will never be left alone. To show that we might be bloodied, but we remain unbroken. They stood there on a cold winter night to show the community what strength really means.

On this night, we put aside our differences. There were no volunteers, no paid, no EMTs, no Paramedics. No police, no unions. No privates, no commercials. No animosity or jealousy. Tonight there were only brothers and sisters, standing strong, proud and determined. While we shed tears of pain and sorrow, we also drew strength from one another. We will continue to do our duty because it is who and what we are. And we know that we are never alone.

[SmokeShowin]

Also, an update. There was an arrest in this case. A woman who bought the guns that the shooter used. And he was with her when she bought them. This bitch needs to get the death penalty.

http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=362252

Officials held a press conference Friday afternoon to announce they have made an arrest in connection with the fire and shooting in Webster Christmas Eve.

Dawn Nguyen is being charged with falsifying business records when she purchased guns at the Gander Mountain Store in Henrietta.

Nguyen said she would be the sole owner of the guns and officials say evidence shows Spengler was with her when she purchased the guns.

[justasportsfan]

Very sad! God bless the men who lost their lives and their friends and family.

I just don't understand why people can't see the need to take guns out of the hands of the general public and make it illegal for anyone other than a trained professional to own/carry a gun. And, this guy was a convicted murderer, WTF was he doing out and on the loose? Time to keep the murderers locked up for life!

[ublinkwescore]

Very sad! God bless the men who lost their lives and their friends and family.

I just don't understand why people can't see the need to take guns out of the hands of the general public and make it illegal for anyone other than a trained professional to own/carry a gun. And, this guy was a convicted murderer, WTF was he doing out and on the loose? Time to keep the murderers locked up for life!

the british wanted to do this to the colonies. Hitler did this to germany. guns are not a right for us to hunt, they are a right for us to deter tyrants. and to those of you who trust government, look @ world history regarding gun prohibition