May 25, 2022: Where is the Light

When something feels emotionally overwhelming, I am often in a place where I seek more information to understand a problem. I think my friends agree with me that we have a tremendous problem with gun violence in America. As I sought to understand the problem and posted about this last year, I have continued to update the list and read with deep sadness about "mass shootings".

I will say that as far as I can tell this is a complete list, using Congressional Research Service standards for "mass shootings" (4 or more people killed).

Sadly there are many more where 4 or more people were shot and injured but this is complete starting January 1, 2021:

January 9th, Chicago and Evanston, IL 5 dead, 2 injured

Shooter was Jason Nightengale

January 24th, Indianapolis, IN 6 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Raymond Childs III

February 2nd, Muskogee, OK 6 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Jarron Deajon Pridgeon

February 28th, Cincinnati, OH 4 killed, 2 injured

Shooter was Chandra Moore

March 13th, Indianapolis, IN 4 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Malik Halfacre

March 16th, Atlanta and Ackworth, GA 8 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Robert Aaron Long

March 16th, Phoenix, AZ 4 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Gilbert Gonzalez

March 22, Boulder, CO 10 dead, 1 injured

Shooter was Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa

March 28, Essex, MD 5 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Joshua Green

March 31, Orange, CA 4 killed, 1 injured

Shooter was Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez

April 5, Dallas, TX 6 killed

Shooter was Farhan Towhid

April 6, NYC, NY 4 killed

Shooter was Joseph McCrimons who previously shot and killed someone else and served time for manslaughter.

April 7, York County, SC 6 killed including 2 children, 1 injured

Shooter was Phillip Adams, a former NFL player.

April 15th, Indianapolis, IN 9 killed, 5 injured

Shooter was Brandon Scott Hole, interviewed by FBI last year after mother said son wanted “suicide by cop”.

April 28th, Boone, NC 5 killed.

Shooter was Isaac Alton Barnes, killed his parents and 2 police officers and himself. Police were called previously due to his mental illness and threats to harm others.

May 8th, Gwynn Oak, MD, 4 dead, 1 injured.

Shooter was Everton Brown. He killed 3 neighbors and was killed by the police.

May 9th, Colorado Springs, CO, 7 killed.

Shooter was Teodoro Macias, opened fire at a birthday party.

May 24, West Jefferson, OH 4 killed.

Shooter was John Paul Steckel, still alive, charged with murder.

May 26, San Jose, CA 10 killed.

Shooter was Samuel Cassidy. Workplace incident, shooter killed himself.

June 6, Portland, OR 4 killed.

This case remains open. Jeremy Michael Lenoire was arrested in Texas. Deceased were drug dealers some from Texas and the deal went badly according to police.

June 15th, Chicago, IL 5 killed, 4 injured.

Shot near Garfield Park by "multiple offenders" according to police. Case remains unsolved.

July 20th, Jacksonsville, TX 4 murdered.

3 arrested Jesse Pawlowski, Billy Phillips and Dylan Welch in what police say was a robbery that turned to murder.

July 25th, Wasco, CA 5 killed, 1 injured.

Jose Manuel Ramirez was the shooter. Restraining order from the woman at the house he killed with an AK 47. Also killed a responding officer.

September 5th, Lakeland, FL 4 killed, 2 injured.

Marine veteran Bryan Riley had significant PTSD, was on amphetamines and said God told him to go to the home of strangers where he was asked to leave. He returned at 4 am and killed them.

September 5th, Houston, TX 4 killed.

Suspect William Esconah Yah killed himself when the police tried to arrest him.

September 12th, Wheeler, WI, 4 killed.

Killer Antoine Darnick Suggs is arrested. He is alleged to have shot them in Saint Paul and then dumped their bodies in a cornfield in Wheeler.

September 24th, Aiken, SC, 4 killed, 1 injured.

Killer Johnathan Andrew Seward took his own life.

September 25th, Athens, TN, 4 killed.

Curtis Smith and Jazzmine Hall were charged in the killing, which was related to a custody dispute.

October 20th, Farwell, MI, 4 killed.

Judy Boyer was arrested after a large police search.

October 21, Tacoma, WA, 4 killed.

A pastor Louie Iese lost his wife and child in the multiple killing. Maleke Dominque Pate has been arrested and charged with the killing.

November 14, Tucson, AZ 4 killed.

Homeowner was not named and was not charged. Incident began when 4 men attacked him at his trailer after being asked to leave a party and returning.

November 28th, Lancaster, CA 5 killed.

Germarcus Lamar David turned himself in after killing 5 members of his family.

November 30th, Rex, GA 4 killed, 2 injured.

Arthur Allen Gilliam killed a police officer during his rampage and shot a 12 year old in the face.

November 30th, Oxford, MI, 4 killed, 7 injured.

Killer Ethan Crumbley is under arrest, and his parents have been charged as well for providing his weapon. He attacked at a school. The school system has been sued by parents of victims alleging that it ignored clear signs that this shooting would happen.

December 27th, Denver and Lakewood, CO 6 killed, 2 injured.

Lyndon McLeod, a sci-fi writer with a history of psychiatric problems, was stopped and killed by police officer Ashley Ferris after he had been on a killing spree in two separate communities.

December 31, Gulfport, MS, 4 dead, 3 injured.

Mario Clark, Vincent Jaquan Armstrong, Khalid William and Isavian Preston have all been charged in connection with the killings that police allege were gang related.

2022

January 23, Inglewood, CA, 4 dead, 1 injured.

A woman was shot and killed at her birthday party. From a news story, “Investigators believe the fifth victim who survived may have been the intended target and was a known gang member. The suspects are also believed to be affiliated with a gang. Inglewood Mayor Butts said there were multiple shooters and at least one of the gunmen used an assault weapon. "These are sociopathic killers that have to be sequestered from society," the mayor said at a morning news conference…A description of the suspects was not available and no arrests have been made."

January 23, Milwaukee, WI, 6 killed.

4 were in custody at one point, I do not see a person charged with murders. 3 of the victims were on a witness list related to another homicide.

January 28th, Goodlettsville, TN 4 killed

James Pitts killed his wife and daughters before killing himself. He called 911 and said he snapped. He had been prominently featured as a success story from Nashville Rescue Mission.

February 5th, Corsicana and Frost Texas, 6 killed, 2 injured

Kevin Milazzo had a history of mental illness and had recently moved back in with family. He killed 5 family members before killing himself.

February 24th, Granbury, TX, 4 killed

Marcus Buchanan seems to have killed himself and his family in a murder suicide but I could not find a final determination.

February 28th, Arden-Arcade, CA 5 killed

A non custodial parent killed his 3 children, and their chaperone at a church where they had a supervised visit before killing himself. David Mora Rojas had a history of mental illness and his ex wife had gotten an order of protection because of threats he made.

April 3rd, Sacramento, CA 6 killed, 12 injured

Dandrae Martin and Smiley Martin have been charged in what police say was a gang fight. Over 100 witnesses came forward with photos and video from the shooting. Smiley had been released early from previous felony sentences.

April 7, Latimer, Mississippi, 4 killed

64 year old Thomas Griswold killed 3 family members and himself.

April 18, Cooleemee, NC 4 killed

Aschod Ewing-Meeks, 26 entered the police station with his girlfriend and their 2 young kids asking to speak to an officer. He then left with them, and later that day killed them before killing himself. His phone calls the same day to police that someone was following him may indicate mental health issues.

April 20, Duluth, MN, 5 killed

Brandon Taylor Cole-Skogstad killed his aunt and uncle and 2 other family members, then spoke about his mental illness on Facebook and confessed to their killing. When police arrived at the home he killed himself.

April 21, Mountain View, AR, 4 killed

2 people were shot and then 2 more shot to death in separate locations. No arrests have been made or charges given for the shooter at this point.

April 27, Biloxi and Gulfport, MS 4 people killed

Jeremy Reynolds shot and killed 3 people at a motel, then shot and killed a victim whose car he took, then died of smoke inhalation while in a standoff with the police. Since 2015 he had been arrested at least 10 times.

May 14, Buffalo, NY, 10 killed, 3 injured.

Payton Gendron carried out mass murder at a Tops supermarket wearing body armor and livestreaming. He claims to have been radicalized online and in his manifesto says he is a left wing racist who believes white people are being erased.

May 19, Houston, TX, 4 killed

A man who was in the midst of a divorce who had tried to drown his daughter was somehow still free and went and attacked and killed his family before killing himself. He has not been named but is identified as in his 40s and from Pakistan.

May 22, Riverside, AL, 4 killed

William Huntoon Vance called the police chief who was a friend and said he had done something terrible. When the officer went inside his home, he killed himself.

May 24, Uvalde, TX, 22 killed, 11 injured

Salvador Romas 18, seems to have killed his grandmother, and gone to an elementary school to commit mass murder. He did not as far as I know have a manifesto, but it seems to have also been planned in that he messaged someone on Instagram before it happened.

How many of these events were you aware of? I heard about a few of them before I took some time to see whether mass shootings have been increasing during this time.

One things that is abundantly clear is that police officers have reason to be fearful at times when they are headed to a domestic violence call. Some of these shooters want to have suicide by cop.

We also have a pattern of mentally ill people who may be dangerous being ignored or left in dangerous situations by our society. Any attempt to curtail mass shootings must address mental illness.

I am also encouraged by the fact that Crumbley's parents were charged with a crime. If your son is joking about shooting up a school and you buy him a gun, you are not just unwise, you are a criminal.

Almost all of these mass shooters were known to police and/or mental health professionals before these incidents occurred. It can be incredibly challenging to know what could be done better, and I would love to hear your suggestions (and will not be editing comments except for language).

My concern about "red flag" laws being used inappropriately is less than my certainty that mentally ill people who are a danger to others should not be able to legally purchase firearms.

A few of these cases seem to have surprised the people closest to the situation. The rest in that they were not a surprise seem preventable.

I am thankful for the incredible work of school resource officers and I think there is a tremendous ancillary benefit for students to have many positive interactions with a trusted law enforcement officer before they leave a school system. Othering that leads to hatred and distrust is so much harder when you know and are known by someone. I do not understand how after crashing a vehicle the shooter in Uvalde was able to get inside the school (did he shoot out a door or window and climb through the broken glass?) but I hope our schools have access control so they are not soft targets. Whatever amount we need to spend to make that happen is worth it IMO.

Ultimately there are so many facets to these tragic events. Our country has a spiritual crisis of hopelessness. We have a crisis of isolation. We have inadequate systems for dealing with the mentally ill. We have an overburdened legal and social work system.

I am praying and seeking solutions. The easiest ones start close by. Remove stigma from mental health treatment, while recognizing that those who are struggling deeply in that area are not served well by fights to make sure they have guns.

Make sure that those you know who are in shame and isolation are moving toward the love and community God designed them for.

There are no easy answers to these problems. Have grace for people who are trying to help solve them, even if their proposed solutions are different than yours. I see people proposing things I think are clearly impossible and unworkable, but I also recognize we share the same impulse to stop these tragic occurrences. Assume good will on the part of those who have a different view than yours, and not thinking the worst of them. Outside of the domestic murder suicides that dominate this list, the rest involve a level of othering that says someone else who is made in the image of God does not matter and is not worthy of life. That is a lie, and we can speak against that together no matter which tribe or tongue we count as our own.

John 1:5 "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."