I went to that school! Can't say I'm surprised...it's not in the best part of town.

I am sure that God told Pat Robertson that would happen.

But, wait, Valdez told us there's no real crime or gun problem here ...

Is there such a thing as a good part of town when referring to Tacoma?

I echoed your sentiment, elswinger, on that great bastion of immaturity, Livejournal, and got an ineplicable sea of spiteful backlash from allegedly mature young adult professionals, insisting that Tacoma is not that bad and I was completely mischaracterizing the area. One even tried to accuse me of racism, even though I never mentioned race in any context!

I wonder if any of these people have actually been there recently. Even in brief visits, I could tell the place was a crime riddeen cesspool and considered myself fortunate that I got on the Soundtransit bus back into town without getting mugged or otherwise attacked.

Anyone who thinks there aren't good parts of Tacoma has never explored the place. I live there, like it, and feel as safe there as in Seattle.

The point is not that Tacoma doesn't have good parts, but that Tacoma's crime is a bad problem. Everyone who's argued the point fails to note this.

Remember, even if you're safe every other time you're there, a mugger, rapist or gangsta need only attack you ONCE to ruin your life. Miami has nice neighborhoods, but that doesn't change the fact that there are neighborhoods so dangerous the cops won't go there.

Wow, it amazes me that Tacoma gets compared to Detroit, New Orleans, or Miami. What next - comparisons of how Fort Lewis soldiers are actually safer in Iraq? I'm sure that's how Charles F'ing Mudede is going to frame it in his upcoming 'faces of death' article on the shooting.

The true story here is this kind of violence could happen anywhere in America - and that's what should be the focus.

Also, I'd like to say that myself and plenty of other Tacomans reached out to Seattle last year after the senseless rave killings and attack on Seattle's Jewish community by a homegrown terrorist. We'd ask for the same courtesy in the light of the recent tragedy.

Yeah, Gomez, parts of Tacoma have a crime problem. So do parts of Seattle. I frequently walk through "good" and "bad" neighborhoods in both cities, and haven't had problems in either. Not saying I won't, but I honestly don't feel the risk I'm exposing myself to is higher in one city than the other. If you're that scared of crime, move to a gated community!

I lived in Tacoma for many years and my kids went through the public school system. While there are lots of wonderful kids and families and neighborhoods in Tacoma, there also exists a huge "underbelly" in that town - it's scary (not to mention dangerous). Lots of parents are oblivious to what is going on in their schools
and/or right under their nose in their own homes (or converted garages).

It goes without saying that every student SHOULD be safe in school; sadly they are not.

While I recognize that the incident at Foss could theoretically happen anywhere,
it's not a big surprise in Tacoma,but it is very un-PC to
delve into the underlying reasons and the resulting reactions to such an event.

Check out some of the local blogs and myspace - weird - or
maybe I'm just getting older.

Yes, Tacoma is not a pristine city like Seattle is. Any moron that has the ability of sight can drive up or down I-5, take just about any exit to Tacoma and Seattle and notice huge a difference in quality of life, living conditions, ect.

The economy and average income in seattle and tacoma are very different. For example we have the military bases and you have nice places such as Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing and others. Tacoma is a blue-collar/army town. These types of things make cities different.

Not everyone has the income to live in a money sucking place like Seattle, there are always people who can not afford it.

Seattle is not the center of the world, Seattle is the jewel of the northwest, lucky for you Tacoma is a great point of reference so you can reinforce what a grand city Seattle is. But why keep bringing it up? it makes you look insecure. There are plenty of other "crappy" towns in this state but you always insult Tacoma just because Tacoma is in close proximity of Seattle and its the third largest city in Washington you always pick on Tacoma to prove that you are better? in doing so repetitively you make yourselves look small minded and isolated.

Forget about Tacoma, Lets look at things with a broader perspective. At the world or national level Seattle is a rather small and unimpressive city. Yes its true, whether you realize it or not. Also there is nothing unusual about what Tacoma is or what happens here.

Seattle is a place for people with higher incomes, Tacoma is not. Not every person in this world has a high income, most people do not. Dont you know anything about the world you live in?
Tacoma is a crappy town but someone has to live there. There are many shitty towns and people with lower income jobs in this country so just realize that, except it, suck on your lattes and shut the hell up!