Deja Vu All Over Again

The person of interest in the Lewiston, ME mass shooting was similar in description to Oklahoma’s own mass shooter of 1986.

In Maine the name is Robert Card. In Oklahoma it was Patrick Sherrill. Both are similar in age. Both are white. Both are obviously male. And both just happened to be firearms instructors in military units.

As for Sherrill, who killed 14 postal workers in Edmond in 1986 before taking his own life, he was an Oklahoma Air National Guardsman who happened to be my firearms instructor since we both served as members of the 137th Airlift Wing stationed at the Will Rogers ANG Base in southwest Oklahoma City.

Additionally, just before Technical Sergeant Sherrill went on his killing spree, we both were on temporary duty at Royal Air Force [RAF] Mildenhall, England and he, of course, was in charge of all our weapons and training during the routine deployment.

Within days of our return, the disgruntled and just-fired Edmond postal worker took the coward's way out by killing innocent people who had nothing to do with his personal problems which apparently were many.

Card apparently also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Early reports were that he was armed with a high-velocity long rifle [code for semi-automatic], appeared to be by eyewitnesses as very confident in handling his gun, killing 18 people and wounding 13 in two distinct locations, one a bar and one a bowling alley.

As this story continues to develop two things are certain: 1. It will trigger the usual nationwide debate about guns, their usage and should the status quo be maintained or some other initiatives be undertaken in an attempt to reduce carnage and 2. The flood of prayers will overwhelm the nation for a period of time while sympathy and tears will provide some level of comfort for the victims and their families.

But then, what with a newly-elected speaker of the House, two wars raging [one in Eastern Europe and the other in the Middle East]; a government shutdown looming in Congress; and a few other responsibilities and problems too numerous to mention here, my guess is within a week the outrage will pass, guns laws will loosen throughout the states and then we will turn our attention to something even more important ... college football on Saturday followed by the pros on Sunday.

Boomer Sooner and all that.