Defenseless in Seattle

Early in the morning on March 25,2006, Kyle Huff returned to an all night party. He spray painted "NOW" on the sidewalk as he carried a shotgun and two bandoliers of 12 gauge ammo. Once inside, he went about creating a massacre of the party for no readily apparent reason. Huff's last act, when confronted by Steve Leonard, a sworn officer of the law, was to blow his own brains out with his shotgun. Police spokesman Sean Whitcomb stated police found an "assault rifle", multiple "banana clips" carrying 30 bullets each, a machete and several hundred more rounds of ammunition in Huff's automobile. Whitcomb said the gunman was "extremely dangerous" and it was fortunate there were not more victims.

Four young men and two young women were killed and two people were hospitalized in serious condition. The city of Seattle, in it's shock and grief, wonders what could have averted this tragedy. Seattle's Chief of Police, Gil Kerlikowske, has long been a fierce proponent of gun control. In fact, he was honored the previous day by CeaseFire, a radical anti-gun organization, for his diligence in opposing the second amendment.

Kyle Huff was charged with felony criminal mischief in 2000 after shooting a statue with a shotgun at an art exhibit. Kyle Huff was should have been a felon. Possessing a shotgun was should have been illegal for him. It was should have been illegal for him to possess a shotgun. Every weapon found in his car, if possessed by Huff, was should have been illegal. Gun control legislation did not persuade Kyle Huff not to obtain firearms. Gun control legislation did not dissuade Kyle Huff from going on a mad rampage. Only an armed officer of the law arriving on the scene stopped this massacre. Seven people died in Seattle, and more were injured and scarred for life. Anti-gun legislation did nothing to stop it.

This massacre was stopped by an armed response. Steve Leonard did not stop this massacre. An officer of the law did not stop this massacre. Only an armed response, by Steve Leonard, a sworn officer of the law stopped this massacre. If one, only one, of these party goers had been sober with a concealed handgun, the mass murderer could have been stopped sooner. Perhaps his would have been the only life lost that night.

But Chief Kerlikowske wants those evil guns off the streets. What is lost on Kerlikowske and others like him is the guns are not evil. The people wielding them can be though. An evil person armed with a firearm will not be stopped by legislation. They will not be deterred by legislation. They will only be stopped by an armed response.

Update:
On Nov. 21, 2000, police arrested Kyle Huff for shooting downtown sculptures with a shotgun and a handgun. Originally charged with felony criminal mischief, the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor and small a fine. Link. The relevant passages above have thus been altered.

Seven dead, two injured. Huff had to reload at some time during his rampage. One armed citizen...........