Terrorist Attack in Paris

[Mokat76]

I am horrified by this brutal attack by Islamic extremists in an effort to stymie the Western world's freedom of speech. This group of journalists knew they were taking risks but refused to be silenced. They were far, far more courageous than most mainstream media reporters and/or their editors are. I salute their bravery in the face of the ongoing threats. I mourn their deaths. I am so very sorry for the good people of France. They do not deserve this hell they've been thrust into.

 

[NFLDERS]

I am horrified by this brutal attack by Islamic extremists in an effort to stymie the Western world's freedom of speech. This group of journalists knew they were taking risks but refused to be silenced. They were far, far more courageous than most mainstream media reporters and/or their editors are. I salute their bravery in the face of the ongoing threats. I mourn their deaths. I am so very sorry for the good people of France. They do not deserve this hell they've been thrust into.

Well said. Thanks I needed to read words of strength regarding these horrific crimes against humanity.

May they R.I.P. And their families "Soldier" on in their memory.

 

[minkydog]

Did I hear correctly that the officer who was shot was unarmed? And the two police that came up were on bicycles, also unarmed. I heard they turned around and left the scene, after which a lone officer came on a car? If that is true, I am really horrified. I know that it is much more rare for people to carry weapons in Europe but I can't help thinking that this might have turned out differently if police or neighbors had been packing heat.

At any rate, my heart and sympathy goes out to all the families who had loved ones who were gunned down in cold blood.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Did I hear correctly that the officer who was shot was unarmed? And the two police that came up were on bicycles, also unarmed. I heard they turned around and left the scene, after which a lone officer came on a car? If that is true, I am really horrified. I know that it is much more rare for people to carry weapons in Europe but I can't help thinking that this might have turned out differently if police or neighbors had been packing heat.

At any rate, my heart and sympathy goes out to all the families who had loved ones who were gunned down in cold blood.

Here we go....ugh..

Talk of gun laws and such really have no place in discussion of this horrific attack. Perhaps we should all have a ittle respect for other countries by not trying to turn this into another debate about American gun laws.

 

[minkydog]

Here we go....ugh..

Talk of gun laws and such really have no place in discussion of this horrific attack. Perhaps we should all have a ittle respect for other countries by not trying to turn this into another debate about American gun laws.

I'm not trying to start a debate. It's a legitimate question: were the officers armed or not. In no way does the question take away the horror we all feel about this incident , nor does it diminish thecompassion I have toward the families

 

[Shutterbug]

Conan O'Brian took time out at the beginning of his show to talk about what happened.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Minkydog - The two police officiers killed on the 7th were armed as are all National police - they carry as standard Sig Sauers Pro - but when you are faced with Kalashnikovs you might as well not be.

The trainee Municipal police woman who was killed yesterday morning was not armed but as she was shot in the back again by a Kalashnikov it wouldn't have changed anything.

Municipal police are generally not armed except in certain areas that are known to be "difficult". The Montrouge area where I used to work is not a difficult area and at 8.00 am when everyone is going to work it is the last thing you would expect to happen.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I'm not trying to start a debate. It's a legitimate question: were the officers armed or not. In no way does the question take away the horror we all feel about this incident , nor does it diminish thecompassion I have toward the families

Nor is it likely to have affected the outcome in either case in Paris---as the poster above me explains.

 

[ronandannette]

Nor is it likely to have affected the outcome in either case in Paris---as the poster above me explains.

May I suggest that MInkydog's assumption is that in places where (paraphrasing her words) "people are packing heat", the knowledge of that acts as a deterrent to the criminal element because they may reasonably expect some resistance to their attacks. I agree with you and Carrie Cat that in this case even if every person in the vicinity was carring a handgun, the attackers had them so out-gunned it would have made no difference AT ALL.

We had a recent incident at our Nation's capital that was also perpetrated by an Islamist in a self-declared act of Jihad. After murdering the military sargent-at-arms the perpetrator was killed by another member of the Parlimentary security force before he reached our Prime Minister. This was possible because it was 2 guys/2handguns. It would likely not have worked out that way if the bad guy had been spraying bullets with an automatic weapon.

 

[firecracker725]

May I suggest that MIGrandma's assumption is that in places where (paraphrasing her words) "people are packing heat", the knowledge of that acts as a deterrent to the criminal element because they may reasonably expect some resistance to their attacks. I agree with you and Carrie Cat that in this case even if every person in the vicinity was carring a handgun, the attackers had them so out-gunned it would have made no difference AT ALL.

We had a recent incident at our Nation's capital that was also perpetrated by an Islamist in a self-declared act of Jihad. After murdering the military sargent-at-arms the perpetrator was killed by another member of the Parlimentary security force before he reached our Prime Minister. This was possible because it was 2 guys/2handguns. It would likely not have worked out that way if the bad guy had been spraying bullets with an automatic weapon.

Pssst! It was Minkydog, not MIGrandma.

 

[ronandannette]

Pssst! It was Minkydog, not MIGrandma.

You are correct - I've edited my post. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[skylizard]

Continued prayers to all those in Paris. According to the news, they've located the two gunmen and are trying to negotiate the release of a hostage.

 

[SirDuff]

We had a recent incident at our Nation's capital that was also perpetrated by an Islamist in a self-declared act of Jihad. After murdering the military sargent-at-arms the perpetrator was killed by another member of the Parlimentary security force before he reached our Prime Minister. This was possible because it was 2 guys/2handguns. It would likely not have worked out that way if the bad guy had been spraying bullets with an automatic weapon.

Just correction. The man murdered was not the Sergeant-at-arms. The Sergeant-at-arms (Kevin Vickers) is the one who took down the gunman (and, as an aside, was just named Ambassador to Ireland). The soldier who was murdered was the Ceremonial Guard at the War Memorial.

Despite the name (Sergeant-at-arms), Vickers was not actually armed - he had to go get the gun out of a lockbox. This fact (that he was not armed) did not, in fact, lead to anymore deaths.

Totally agree that the two situations were very different.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Continued prayers to all those in Paris. According to the news, they've located the two gunmen and are trying to negotiate the release of a hostage.

It's a bit more complicated than that right now.

They have been watching that hostage situation since 8.00 am local time.

Since 1.00 pm local time we have a second hostage situation as the person who shot the police woman yesterday is holding at least 5 people(women and children) hostage in a kacher/kosher supermarket in Paris.

This suspect knows the other ones so we have a unique situation with 2 sieges at the same time by linked indivuals.

 

[Dawnlight]

Continued prayers for the citizens of France. May this be resolved without further loss of life.

My heart weeps for those who've lost loved ones.

 

[Mizzoufan]

My heartbreaks for the victims and their families. So much evil in the world today.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

It's a bit more complicated than that right now.

They have been watching that hostage situation since 8.00 am local time.

Since 1.00 pm local time we have a second hostage situation as the person who shot the police woman yesterday is holding at least 5 people(women and children) hostage in a kacher/kosher supermarket in Paris.

This suspect knows the other ones so we have a unique situation with 2 sieges at the same time by linked indivuals.

My local news said they weren't reporting the two incidences as being connected.

 

[firecracker725]

It's a bit more complicated than that right now.

They have been watching that hostage situation since 8.00 am local time.

Since 1.00 pm local time we have a second hostage situation as the person who shot the police woman yesterday is holding at least 5 people(women and children) hostage in a kacher/kosher supermarket in Paris.

This suspect knows the other ones so we have a unique situation with 2 sieges at the same time by linked indivuals.

With reports of casualties now...

 

[JanaDee]

I heard on our local news this morning they had 90,000 security forces in the area in dealing with the 2 suspects.

That HAS to be a mistake, right?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

My local news said they weren't reporting the two incidences as being connected.

They are connected as one of the brothers responsible for the Charlie Hebdo massacre and the killer of Montrouge know each other and plotted together to free a 3rd person who is in prison here. There is photos and reports showing this.