Compare 1984's San Ysidro massacre to today's killing of 14 in New York.

[Liberal_in_LA]

Anyone recall the San Ysidro, CA shooting? 21 killed. Back in the day when mass shootings were rare the McDonalds site was torn down and the victims honored on the site. Now we have become numb to all these shootings. we talk about them for a few days then life moves on.

From Wiki:

San Ysidro shooting

Aftermath
On September 26, 1984, McDonald's tore down the restaurant where the massacre occurred and gave the property to the city. They in turn established the Education Center as part of Southwestern Community College. This location was built in 1988 as an expansion of its off-campus locations. In front of the school is a memorial to the massacre victims, consisting of 21 hexagonal granite pillars ranging in height from one to six feet, designed by Roberto Valdes. Every anniversary, the monument is decorated with flowers and on the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead candles and offerings are brought on behalf of the victims.

In 1986, Etna Huberty, James Huberty's widow, unsuccessfully sued McDonald's and Babcock and Wilcox, his longtime former employer, in an Ohio state court for $5 million, claiming that the massacre was triggered by the combined mixture of McDonald's food and work around poisonous metals. She alleged that monosodium glutamate in the food, combined with the high levels of lead and cadmium in Huberty's body, induced delusions and uncontrollable rage. An autopsy did reveal high levels of the metals,<2> most likely built up from fumes inhaled during 14 years of welding. Autopsy results also revealed there were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the killings.

[Mike 03]

1. Indeed, I was living in Los Angeles that summer. It was the summer of the Olympics (also

held in Los Angeles). I was living in the Olympic "Village" at the time (as a USC student) and there was a ton of paranoia. It was a long, hot summer. I remember jogging one night up a parking garage and having a "guard" or somebody point a weapon at me (I took him by surprise, I guess).

The San Ysidro massacre was horrifying. It was a huge deal and it made everyone's breath just stop. I recall the subsequent controversy about what to do with the McDonalds. I think it was eventually razed and a park put up, but I'm not certain. (ON EDIT: Your post addresses this, sorry).

I think John Douglas has written about this case and there some "triggers" or something that preceded the massacre--job loss, or marital discord, health crisis, etc...

[SoCalNative]

2. Also remember the Luby's shooting

in Killeen, TX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hennard

[Mike 03]

6. Yes, your post triggered a memory of that one too.

I had forgotten that one, but the moment I saw the reference it all came back.

Thanks for the reminder of that one.

It would be most interesting if someone were to write a book about these events, why they happen, and why they happen in groups.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. I remember it because of the woman who had her handgun in the car, out of reach

[Hekate]

3. It just keeps happening. Here in pokey little Goleta we had a massacre at the postal sorting station

Just 3 years ago in January a former employee, Jennifer San Marco, murdered her neighbor before heading out to the processing facility and murdering 7 more people. Then she committed suicide. She had a history of problems pointing to mental illness.

Somehow I don't think providing everyone with an assault rifle would solve this almost uniquely American problem.

Hekate

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11107022//

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. This one stands out because it was a woman.

[slackmaster]

4. I've been contemplating Liberal_in_LA's thoughtful question, and have an answer for just myself

Seeing hundreds of people murdered in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, followed by thousands of people murdered in the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001, and tens or hundreds of thousands of people murdered in the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were touched off by the 9/11 attacks; all the people murdered in the terrorist attacks in Spain and Britain and Indonesia; the ongoing violence in the Middle East with people murdered even in a peaceful, stable country like Egypt; and on and on and on. Maybe it started with Brenda Lee Spencer.

Having 10 or 20 people murdered at once is almost a daily occurrence in Baghdad. We're bombarded by multiple killings in the news every day, and they're by no means all in the US. That, I believe, has desensitized me somewhat. It's still horrible, but I've been on outrage burnout for something like five years now.

To me, some wacko brandishing a gun and executing a bunch of innocent, defenseless people in a church or an immigration center in the USA is the same thing as some wacko strapping on an explosive vest and taking out a bunch of people at a police academy in Iraq. Hasn't that one happened twice now? Or was the latest one the third time? I'm so burned out on it, none of it has much effect on me any more.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. Sadly to say, I think most people would agree.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

5. I do remember it

I was nine, and it was the first mass shooting I had ever heard of. It made me very angry and scared as to why anyone would do that.

[X_Digger]

7. List of spree / mass killings..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_murderers_and_spree_killers_by_number_of_victims

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. Interesting list. International news portrays these events as "like the US" but it happens everywhe

everywhere.