Case Studies
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Short Cuts - USA - Columbine - Waco - UK - Dunblane - Jean Charles de Menezes

USA

Columbine
On April 20th 1999 two high school students 18 year old Dylan Klebold and 17 year old Eric Harris walked into Columbine High in Littleton Colorado and in less than 15 minutes had shot and killed 12 students and a teacher, had injured 23 pupils and left thousands psychologically traumatised (Lawrence & Birkland, 2004 p1193). They then turned their guns on themselves. The boys were armed with 4 guns, over 900 rounds of ammunition (bought from the local K-Mart) and 50 explosive devices. It is interesting to note that this occurred about an hour after the largest US bombing in Kosovo (Moore, 2002). Littleton Colorado’s biggest employer is Lockheed Martin which is the world’s biggest weapons maker so weapons are an integral part of the town (Moore, 2002). Although the company accepts no responsibility for what happened at Columbine high school they do now offer anger management training to all the local schools.

Not only is there the presence of Lockheed Martin but just outside of Denver is a radioactive dump along with a place over seeing nuclear missiles (Moore, 2002). So by all accounts this is not a town that really has much going for it other than weapons. In 1998 Klebolds 18 year old senior prom date Robyn Anderson had purchased two shotguns and a 9mm at the Tanner gun show in Denver (Spitzer, 2003, p67).

They supplied the money and she supplied the ID. The 4th gun was bought at another gun show by a friend Edward Maries he then sold it to the boys for $500. In America gun shows have what is called a gun show loophole. This loophole allows the sale of guns at shows by unlicensed dealers to be conducted without checks or waiting periods (Spitzer, 2003, p67). After Columbine a state-wide referendum to close the gun show loophole won approval by a wide margin but due to the NRA was never passed (Spitzer, 2003, p68). Just ten days after Columbine Charlton Heston held a pro gun rally in Denver, many saw this as bad taste and hundreds of people spoke out against it but the rally still went ahead. (Moore, 2002).

Public Reactions
Studies have shown that at least 20% of the public held the boys parents responsible for the events that happened at Columbine High (Markel & Joslyn & Mark, 2001, p525). For congress it was easier to stick with issues they were already looking at so they highlighted the need for tighter security in schools. On April 24th Clinton introduced his safe schools bill which included things like introducing metal detectors into schools and allowing school security to search pupils (Lawrence & Birkland, 2004 p1196).

Schools then implemented a zero tolerance policy expelling and suspending children for the smallest misdemeanours due to fear of another Columbine. For example a young student was suspended for pointing a paper gun while playing a game with some friends (Moore 2002). The American nation became gripped with fear that there were child killers everywhere. It seems that even after something as horrific as columbine America looks to place the blame everywhere except on the weapon itself.

Waco
The Branch Davidans are a religious group originating from the Seventh day Adventist church. They are best known due to the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian building near Waco, Texas, carried out by the FBI and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco and firearms). The siege ended in the deaths of eighty of the churches members including head figure David Koresh and 4 AFT agents along with 16 wounded agents. In 1981 Vernon Howell (David Koresh) joined the group as a regular member. In 1983 he began to teach his own message and 1984 after an armed struggle at the community’s compound the group split into several factions, one of which was loyal to Howell (Wright, 1995, p325).

In 1990 Howell became David Koresh, the group that he lead were apocalyptic, they believed they were living in a time when Christian prophesies of a final judgement were coming to pass and Koresh predicted Armageddon would be unleashed (Hunt, 2003, p28). He believed this would be a conflict in which the Branch Davidians would play a huge part. Former Davidians told the ATF that Koresh taught his followers to be prepared to “kill for god” (Hunt, 2003, p28). In May 1992 the ATF were notified that the group was importing weapons worth more than $10,000, grenade casings and a substantial quantity of explosives.

Then on June 9th a neighbour reported hearing machine gun fire at the Mount Carmel compound, an investigation then began into potential violations of federal gun laws (Wright, 1995, p366). Koresh was said to have disdain for gun laws and owned fifteen AR-15'S twenty five ak47'S and three 12 Gauge shotguns (Wright, 1995, p326). In early 1993 search and arrest warrants were issued and the ATF began planning its raid. On February 28th 1993 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) raided Mount Carmel. Unfortunately for the ATF the raid was found out by the group so they had fortified the compound and thus drove back the initial attack. What proceeded was a gun battle between the two groups. During the gun battle Wayne Martin called Waco authorities on the 911 emergency line to ask for the attack to be called off due to the children, ninety minutes later it was (Wright, 1995 p326).The raid resulted in the deaths of four agents and five Davidians. Shortly after the initial raid, the FBI took command of the federal operation and contact was established with Koresh inside the compound.

Communications over the next 51 days included telephone exchanges with various FBI negotiators. The 51 day siege ended on April 19th in the FBI’s final assault.FBI agents inserted CS gas into the compound and attacked it with tanks. Shortly after this three fires started and the fire engulfed the building with most of the Davidians inside.

It is not know how the fires started it was either by the Davidians or due to the gas that was inserted iinto the comound. Koresh himself died of a gun shot wound to the head. Many have questioned the motives behind planning a raid of such massive proportions, claiming that the Davidians had committed (at worst) only minor firearms violations. Stephen Hunt (2003, p28) says that the FBI found justification for besieging the heavily armed camp at Mount Carmel after tip offs that the camp had illegal firearms. The question is were the Davidians just acting in self defence and did the AFT have proper warrants. Koresh himself actually predicted an attack and siege on the compound which was why he had been collecting weapons and was in the process of making them all fully automatic.

UK

Dunblane
On the 13th of March 1996 Thomas Hamilton entered Dunblane primary school in South West Scotland and shot and killed 16 pupils and 2 teachers (Pease& Pease, 1999, p57). He then turned his gun on himself. He was carrying 4 handguns all of which were licensed. Thomas Hamilton was known to local authorities and the police. He was a scout leader from 1973-1974 but due to complaints about his treatment of children was forced to resign (Pease & Pease, 1999, p57).After this he set up various clubs for young boys which the council also received many complaints about.

It was from a member of one of these clubs that he gained the information he needed to attack Dunblane Primary School. He asked one of the boys the time of assembly but was accidentally given the wrong time. So it is presumed he planned to cause mayhem in the assembly hall full of 200- 300 pupils. Thomas Hamilton had his firearms license renewed twice even after he had struck all police officers that had come into contact with him as troubling and strange (Pease & Pease, 1999, p57). He lied about his affiliations to gun clubs, shot excessively fast in competitions and talked of guns as if they were babies. Five years before Dunblane sergeant Hughes wrote a memo to his senior officer detective Mc Murdo “I respectfully request that serious consideration is given to withdrawing this mans firearm certificate as a precautionary measure’’ (Pease & Pease, 1999, 57). Mcmurdo replied that no action could be taken as no crime had been committed by this man.

In England after the events of Dunblane the public were shocked and knew something needed to be done to protect their own children and for the parents of the children killed in Dunblane (Pease & Pease, 1999, p55). The snowdrop campaign began and soon snowballed into a political campaign that the labour government supported but conservatives did not (North, 2000, p191). The outcome was a ban on all handguns and a new labour government (North, 2000 p193).

The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes
Jean Charles De Menezes ( 7th Jan 1978-22nd July 2005) a Brazilian electrician living in Tulse hill in London was shot dead by British police officers on 22nd of July at Stockwell tube station in London. He was mistaken for a would-be suicide bomber, followed from his flat and then shot with seven bullets to the head and one to the shoulder inside a train carriage. Menezes had no explosives and was later found to be unconnected with the attempted bombings.

Immediately after the shooting, the Metropolitan Police stated that the shooting was "directly linked" to the investigation of the attempted bombings the previous day. It was revealed that police policy toward suspected suicide bombers had been revised, instructing officers to fire directly toward the head, as British authority’s state that shooting at the chest could detonate a concealed bomb.

Almost all of the facts regarding the Menezes shooting were initially disputed by various parties. Contradictory witness accounts, "off the record" statements from police, and media speculation added to the confusion. An ITV report on 16th August 2005 claimed to contain leaked documents from an IPCC investigation which provided additional information and an anonymous senior police source claimed the leak to be accurate. The report conflicted with previous statements by the Police Chief Sir Ian Blair as to the reasons why Menezes was a suspect and the events that led to his death. (Wikipedia, 2006, Para 6)

Public Reactions
The reaction of the British public to the shooting was mixed. While many sympathised with the need for the police officers in question to make a split-second decision, and saw it as a case of collateral damage, others condemned the killings as an example of police brutality.

The reaction of the Brazilian public was overwhelmingly negative. Protests and demonstrations were held in Brazil, and some Brazilian commentators noted that incidents such as Menezes killing are more typical of a developing country such as Brazil than a developed nation like the UK.

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