I am amazed at how many online and MSmedia journos and pundits, bloggers and facebook and twitter folks… have no idea about caliber nor shooting power of firearms, automatic, semi-automatic. Nor about the horror of devastating bodily destruction from bullets. Many appear to have no horrific images/memories in their minds, no gun oil on their hands, but plenty of dry dust opinions. Problem is many opine from a distance too far to see anything relevant that has to do with real and true ‘leave no human life uncounted.’

Since the slaughter at Aurora, Colorado, far too many in the blogosphere have been making all kinds of uniformed assertions all the way from ‘Holmes had only a one-bullet-at-a time rifle,’ [Wrong. The fact is Holmes had an AR-15 assault weapon and we do not know if it was automatic or semi automatic. Regardless it had a 100 bullet drum and even if semi-automatic could theoretically kill 60 people a minute, murder another 40 people in the next minute before running out of ammo and another drum added. Then another 60 dead in one minute, another 40 in the next minute. It’s ridiculous to be asserting ‘oh it was just a one shot weapon’ as though the person would have many seconds between squeeze offs].

More fantasy from bloggers: ‘Oh Holmes only had a 22 pistol” (which kids used to use for shooting tin cans) [wrong],

More fantasy: ‘Holmes had a canister sub-machine weapon a la 1920 Mafioso ‘specials.’ [Also wrong.]

Here’s what has been reported so far by Aurora Police Department:

James Holmes used 3 different kinds of guns during his assault on a Colorado movie theater … including a high power assault rifle.

The Aurora PD says Holmes was in possession of an AR-15, a Remington 870 shotgun and a 40 caliber glock handgun when he was arrested this morning.

Cops say they found another 40 caliber glock in the shooter’s car, located outside the movie theater.

An AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon, depending how configured … The firing power of the AR-15 — a version of the M-16 assault rifle, is enormous. Apparently Holmes had a 100-round rifle drum and the weapon’s firing capability, Chief Oates (Chief of Aurora police department) said he did not know whether the rifle was fully automatic or sem-automatic but “even if it was semi-automatic, I’m told by experts that with that drum magazine, he could’ve gotten off 50 to 60 rounds … within one minute.”

So there’s the skivvy we know so far. ‘Fog of war’ that occurs at disaster sites means corrections may be forthcoming. ANd, this is how it stands now.

CODA
I’d just add this sad note; At Columbine where I was a post-trauma recovery specialist to the high school and community for 3 years after the massacre, the procedure Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold used to murder 12 students, one teacher, and wound 24 others, often with spinal injuries putting them in chairs for life… was very similar to Holmes: first set off smoke bombs, try to arm propane bombs additionally, and then use a multiple-weapon arsenal to blast away at people sitting/standing/walking close to each other. At Columbine, most shooting and deaths took place in the stairwells, halls, library, where children were in close proximity, readying to or already eating their lunches. Two students were shot to death on the grass near the doors to the school where Klebold’s and Harris’s entered. Not boobytrapped like Holmes configured in his apartment, but Klebold and Harris’ homes were filled with sawed off shotgun, parts, ammo, pipe bombs, bombs ready to go. The love of incendiary and death is a story for another time, a story of the predictability of these fascinations in certain mental disorders.

For now, May there be peace for the families at the Memorial today (Sunday) and we hear President Obama is coming to help the mourners of which there are so so many. And we hope that pastor Fred and his ghouls are kept from boarding any airship on its way to Denver International Airport. He and his crew were at the Columbine Memorial holding a huge sign saying “God HATES Columbine.” We stood in front of him in our long dresses and held our skirts wide so he was blocked from the camera crews which were hanging like spiders everywhere. Pastor Fred. Speaking of evil and illness. Just my .02

Thanks all who commented on firearms here even though often conflicting info. A friend in law enforcement sent this re weaponry used by police departments: “General statements about what police carry will most often be wrong. It depends on the district, funds, Captain’s preferences, legislative money given and other factors. Just because someone owns a firearm or many firearms doesnt mean the average citizen knows what each police district carries now, or ever. Also law enforcement uses language to describe firearms that may be different from that used by the average citizen gun owner. Unless you’re a police officer, and again, depending on the language used in the district, descriptions may vary. At this time there is much public speculation that is opinion only as the photos of actual weaponry have not been released. The claim that Holmes’ gun jammed, is corroborated by only one person. Good investigation requires we gather all claims and sort through them factually before ‘jumping the gun.'”