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RSS icon Comments on Shooting at UW, Two Dead

1

There are so many inappropriate, ill timed jokes about Seattle's attitude toward urban planning that are on the tip of my tongue right now. What is wrong with me?!

Posted by Carollani | April 2, 2007 10:25 AM
2

A lot, apparently.

Posted by Gavigan | April 2, 2007 10:32 AM
3

I had precisely the same response and am equally ashamed. What crummy news to kick off the week.

Posted by sniggles | April 2, 2007 10:33 AM
4

My first thought was that someone must be REALLY pissed off about that viaduct vote.

Yes, that makes me a very bad man.

I'm so ashamed.

Posted by SDA in SEA | April 2, 2007 10:55 AM
5

My first thought was, "is Jeremy Stevens still enrolled at UW?" I'll see you all in hell, sigh.

Posted by longball | April 2, 2007 10:58 AM
6

Any details? Disgruntled student? Nutcase with a grudge against his ex?

Posted by tsm | April 2, 2007 11:02 AM
7

This is on the front page of Yahoo! news right now. Is it just me, or is that a bit odd?

Posted by Levislade | April 2, 2007 11:02 AM
8

It's kind of surreal to have just read that while sitting on the UW campus, having been two blocks from that building at 8:40.

Posted by Cate | April 2, 2007 11:04 AM
9

The PI article is more complete now.

"Police believe the victims are middle-aged, in their 30s or 40s.

UW Assistant Police Chief Ray Wittmier said officers recovered a gun, which likely belonged to one of the victims, and added that the incident could have been a murder-suicide.

Wittmier said that one of the victims is likely a staff member."

Posted by golob | April 2, 2007 11:05 AM
10

"From court records, it appears the deceased woman had a domestic violence protection order against the deceased man, although police have not confirmed it. It's not clear if the victims are staff members or student"

Why cant these jealous tools just shoot themselves?

Posted by SeMe | April 2, 2007 11:05 AM
11

kind of not funny in that i, my wife, and about 50 of my co-workers were educated in that building, and my daughter lives in a dorm 2 blocks from there.

so yeah, the jokes aren't really funny at this point, so give them a rest until we find out who what where when.

Posted by Max Solomon | April 2, 2007 11:06 AM
12

@8 - no kidding. I walked right past there earlier this morning en route to work, and didn't notice a thing.

Posted by tsm | April 2, 2007 11:08 AM
13

What is it with some people who can not move on after a relationship ends? Earlier poster had it right, why can't these losers just shoot themselves? Why always the ex, the kids and possible the pets?
And what is it with a-holes who's first shallow instinct is too make light of tragedy?

Posted by rufus | April 2, 2007 11:20 AM
14

I believe David Schmader's line is "remember, if you're going to do a murder-suicide, always do the suicide part first."

There are some very unhappy people around the UW today. My thoughts are with you.

Posted by Fnarf | April 2, 2007 11:24 AM
15

Rumor has it that the woman had a "protection order" against the shooter.
I don't think that it was a matter of the shooter not being able to move on. He was probably a batterer (physical, verbal or otherwise.) Domestic violence is all about control. The abuser escalates the violence only when he thinks he is losing control. The most dangerous time is when the woman feels the safest (protection order, supportive friends, new, safe place to live.)

Posted by Steffany | April 2, 2007 11:38 AM
16

When I came out of my class in Denny Hall around 10:15am, there were helicopters circling around the campus... They might still be there. Hovering helicopters are always unnerving. What a shame this had to happen.

Posted by Jamey | April 2, 2007 11:39 AM
17

I wasn't expecting this guy to do this. She was very worried that he'd turn violent, and she took all of the steps that she was told to take as a woman trying to deal within the law with a cokeheaded, fucked up, abusive ex-boyfriend that wouldn't leave her alone.

And while she had a protection order, they couldn't find him to serve him with the papers, so they didn't apply yet. How fucked up is that.

Posted by bma | April 2, 2007 11:45 AM
18

And btw... fuck you @1.

Posted by bma | April 2, 2007 11:47 AM
19

Domestic violence has nothing to do with a "jealous" ex, or someone who's just hung up on their SO. This is probably, most likely, a classic case of DV. A shining example of why the most dangerous thing a woman can do is attempt to reclaim her life-- and the answer for all of the people who always ask the question, "Well, why doesn't she just leave?!"

Thank you, 15.

For the rest of you:
http://www.dawnonline.org/aboutdv.htm

Learn something.

And... Why do people always make shit about them?... "OMG, I was educated in that building! This is so not funny! It really, like is hard for me to even think about this!" -- "Oh, I know someone who lives three blocks away from there! OMGZ!!!1!!! I need to leave work early to process this traumatic event." What-the-fuck-ever. If this shit outrages you, upsets you, makes you fucking sad... Call your reps. Because a Protection Order doesn't mean shit. It's a piece of paper and doesn't stop anyone. What we need is more funding for DV services, more education, and, well, MORE FUCKING MONEY.

And, on a final note, people get murdered all the time. Women get murdered by their abusers all the time. The only reason this shit is splashed all over Yahoo! and CNN and shit is because it happened in the privileged universe that is academia.

Call me when the poor-single-mother-of-color-getting-stabbed-to-death-by-her-abusive-ex-husband-in-front-of-her-children makes headlines. 'Cause that shit happens every day and no one cares.

Racist/classist assholes.

Posted by Jealous, Schmealous. | April 2, 2007 11:56 AM
20

I don't get why it is so hard for someone to get a reasonable amount of protection from a stalker. Reasonable arguments can be made that it is too easy to ruin someone's life with a rape accusation, but AFAIK, an order of protection just means that some dude can't follow you to work and show up at your house. Is there some right to follow an exgirlfriend to work that is being violated here?

I spent thousands of dollars protecting my mother in law from a crazy exboyfriend (in chicago) _after_ he'd shot himself in the head with a nail gun. He tried (and failed) to poison her dog, threatened her friends and the chicago police did basically nothing. It was only when his family finally decided that he was crazy (I guess the nail gun thing didn't quite convince them) and locked him up for a year that we got any rest.

If you tell someone to leave you alone and they don't, the police should get immediately involved. Is that really such a hard thing to do?

Posted by mason | April 2, 2007 12:01 PM
21

And thanks @19

I should have noted the obvious: that things would likely have been much worse if my wife and I didn't happen to be lucky enough to have thousands of dollars available to protect her mother for that jackass. When the police can't protect people, it is usually the poor that get the shaft.

Posted by mason | April 2, 2007 12:07 PM
22

@ 19:

i was merely attempting to clear some space before the snark machine closed in on a real, everyday tragedy. i have a sister who lives under the threat of DV from her crazy ex every day. i don't have to go home to "process" it.

your belittling of my comments, followed with the pathetically ineffective solution of "If this shit outrages you, upsets you, makes you fucking sad... Call your reps." (like more laws will stop guns), makes me unsympathetic to your outrage.

Posted by Max Solomon | April 2, 2007 12:07 PM
23

Domestic violence is about power and control. We should all be outraged that this man killed this woman, however, we should be outraged any time we see a man belittle his wife in public or call a woman a bitch, a whore or a slut. This is not a governmental problem, it is a societal problem and people's cavalier attitude about the terror that this woman (and all victims of DV) is disgusting. What if this was your mother or sister? When one woman is victimized, we are all, as a society, to blame.

Posted by Steffany | April 2, 2007 12:30 PM
24

Calling your reps is "pathetically ineffective." Wow. So, what do you suggest people do?

Sit idly by while another woman is killed, wondering how our society got so fucked up? How do we fund the necessary services, short of paying for them ourselves?

Calling your reps is by no means the end of the story-- people should be working to break the cycle of violence, as so much of DV (both being the abuser and the victim) is learned behavior. We need a better, more proactive foster care and CPS system to remove children from abusive homes so as to end the cycle. We need to better treat children already exposed to violence in the home. We need to educate our daughters to recognize red flags; we need to raise our sons to be feminists and to respect women. We need to destigmatize abuse so that women aren't ashamed, aren't afraid to tell people about it. We need to quit blaming the fucking victim. We need to have more in place within our legal system to recognize and advocate for the victim-defendant. We need to have immediate and long-term sentences and rehabilitation for those perpetrating the abuse.

There are a million things that need to be done to end domestic violence, but calling your rep should be one of the first things that any person does.

Posted by Jealous, Schmealous. | April 2, 2007 12:30 PM
25

I'd just add outrage and call for help would be better voiced in civil manner - both out of respect of the loss of human life and to actually aid your cause. Swearing at people like an over-caffeinated teenager is far less effective than a clearly stated summary of DV statistics along with links to legitimate outreach organizations that people can donate to. This is a time to reach out to the community, utilize this press to gain moneys and press for your cause, not to call it a class war because it's not a socioeconomically challenged case.

Posted by mahalie | April 2, 2007 12:38 PM
26

I'm pretty sure that somehow this could have been prevented if only more people had guns.

Posted by gex | April 2, 2007 12:51 PM
27

Why don't all of you assholes talking all big about what a terrible socio-economic problem DV is *do* something about it? Organizations like New Beginnings need your money, not your fucking blog bullshit.

http://www.newbegin.org/help.html

Posted by Fucking Do Something About It | April 2, 2007 12:52 PM
28

I agree with 25. Although Jealous Schmealous has a point, I have learned that when you rant and rave about your cause, no matter how noble, people stop listening (reading) especially if you are a woman (you are labled as hysterical.) Most people are ill-informed about domestic violence. I would love it if people would take the time to learn, but they won't until it hits close to home. Oh, and domestic violence doesn't just occur in the financially challenged portions of our society. It crosses all racial and economic barriers. Ironically, the media reports on violence in more economically-disadvantaged areas on regular basis. The DV support group I belong to has women from all walks of life. What we have in common is we trusted the wrong people and felt we did not deserve better. If you thing DV only occurs in the "hood" it is not only naive, but insulting.

Posted by Steffany | April 2, 2007 12:52 PM
29

@27 I am confused? Why is it that you assume that we AREN'T doing something about it? Or is it that you just want to shut up and open our wallets? Support requires not only money, but educating those around you, which includes "blog bullshit." I don't understand why it bothers you so much. Why aren't you scolding the ones who were making inappropriate jokes?

Posted by Steffany | April 2, 2007 1:02 PM
30

Thanks so much for "educating" all of us Steffany. I guess it bothers me because as some have said here -- and I'm assuming a few like @25 have probably put her money where her mouth is -- this is a tragically familiar scenario for anyone who has been involved in DV prevention and advocacy. A high profile incident occurs and everyone comes out of the woodwork talking about what a horrible epidemic DV has become and how we really should do something about it. At the same time, laws rarely change (though there was a small victory this year in Olympia that seems to have slipped through the cracks of the Stranger media machine) and there is never enough shelter space.

I'm tired of being civil. If you have enough time in your busy day to waste on the Slog, you certainly have $1000 or $100 or $10 to help victims get out of their situations. So thanks for your education, Steffany; now it's time to put up.

Posted by Fucking Do Something About It | April 2, 2007 1:14 PM
31

OK F*cking do something about it, I would put up. I work nights. I'm a waitress. I make less than 20 grand a year. I am still living with my abuser. If I had the money to donate - I would.
Shame.

Posted by Steffany | April 2, 2007 1:20 PM
32

Steffany, I am sorry about your situation and I very much hope that you can find a way to leave your abuser. There is help for you out there. Just not enough of it.

However, I'm still not willing to cede ground on this. If the Stranger editorial staff and the majority of the slogging community put half the effort into DV issues as the monorail, smoking in bars, allowing wheelchairs on express buses, a court system that is too harsh on teenage prostitutes, or a guy who is pretending to be an anti-gay Christian rocker then we might start making headway on the problem. Instead, they do things like publishing the name of the victim prior to official release. Because they wanted a scoop.

So Steffany, I really do hope you make it. And Dan, I know *you* can do better.

Posted by Fucking Do Something About It | April 2, 2007 1:44 PM
33

Steffany: you need to get the hell out of there. Think about it: no matter how much worse whatever happens to you if you leave gets, it's better than what's going to happen to you there. Staying with your abuser is HOPELESS.

Call DAWN in Tukwila at 425-656-7867. That's a 24-hour line. Or the YMCA -- they offer emergency shelter too: 206-461-4888. Call from work or wherever. If you have friends call from there. Lean on them if you have to. And call 9-1-1 if you see the bastard anywhere. There are services out there to help you: USE THEM. Today would not be too soon. Tomorrow might be too late.

Posted by Fnarf | April 2, 2007 2:39 PM
34

What really pisses me off is that it these kind of fucked-up people find ways to procure a gun. This guy could've taken out more people if he wanted to, so jealous @ 19, it's not just that this happened in academia - it happened in a public place where people shouldn't have to think about this kind of shit (call me a NIMBY, but isn't this a fair statement?!). Of course, we need to do more to combat DV, but we also have to do more to keep guns away from the wrong people.

Posted by sick of guns | April 2, 2007 11:01 PM

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