Nine Dead in Shootings at Westroads Mall
Posted by Angela on 12/5/07 in Nebraska, Ramblings
Life is too short. Life is as short as distance between my house and the Westroads Mall where we LOVE to hang out and take our kids to get their pictures done.
I’m sitting here listening to Teresa crying and upset as she should be and I would be too if it had been me. She was in the store when the shooter started shooting people. The guy was crazy enough to shoot stuffed teddy bears!
Von Maur is where we bought our flower girl dresses for our wedding day. Westroads Mall is my favorite mall because they have a family center where Mom’s can breast feed if they need to do so in private and change their baby’s diaper not far from the children’s play center. We get our family portraits done at JC Penneys at Westroads Mall.
Now it’s 9 Dead and 5 injured in the shooting. The shooter’s name is Robert Hawkins and he’s from the La Vista area. According to the owner of the house that he lived in, he was troubled, had spent some time in jail and just got fired from his job today.
I’d like to know where Robert got his rifle from. Aren’t you curious about that? I know I am!
All I know is I am so thankful that I didn’t go to the Mall today. Out of all the malls here in Omaha that would have been the one I would have gone to had we done our normal stuff that we do when we go. The kids like to have lunch there and play at the children’s center.
I’m going to end this post for now. I need to call my friend Heather back who called to see if I was ok as well as my brother Chris.
We certainly live in a troubled world.
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JACOB | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply
Thank you Omaha Police Department for your fast response at the Westroads Mall.
KaRi | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply
I don’t know why guns are legal.
*Marie* | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply
You are in my prayers, Honey.
Plymouth Belvedere | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply
Guns are legal because free men always carry arms. Arms = freedom. To be without arms is to be defenseless — utterly subject to the power of another person.
I don;t know why cars are legal. Almost 50,000 people every year die in automobile-related accidents. That’s as many people as died in the Vietnam war.
Cid | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply
From what I have heard the rifle was a SKS standard Russian model weapon. Unfortunately, this kind of gun can be bought at any one of our (Omaha’s) pawn shops, or two major gun stores whom I will not name. This city will abide and pray it grow stronger…I am sick though of hearing about how the new conceal law needs to be more available to people.
rumpagump | Dec 6, 2007 | Reply
he stole the gun from the family he was living with, well not quite stole they thought he was going hunting in the morning
which is kinda true
yhadz | Dec 6, 2007 | Reply
Sometimes even the mall isn’t safe anymore. And just in time for the holiday rush too
wut | Dec 6, 2007 | Reply
The difference is cars are made for driving; guns are made for killing people.
Dana | Dec 7, 2007 | Reply
Glad you are ok, Angela. However, I don’t think all of your commenters are.
And jm487…most foster kids don’t go on killing sprees. Nor do most people who break up with their girlfriends. Nor do most people who get fired.
All sorts of people have messed up lives, but that does not make it reasonable for them to murder.
Offutt | Dec 8, 2007 | Reply
From start to finish it was over in 6 minutes - another gone wouldn’t have made it any shorter - probably would have made it longer, given this kid some sport with something shooting back like a video game.
No, some days a storm comes through your life, it can be a cloud shaped like a funnel, a kid with a rifle, or a thoughtless mid western housewife that accuses you of being a deadbeat dad when you are not, but were the victim of one yourself and have sold your soul to clothe and feed your kids. But some people have no shame.
angela | Dec 10, 2007 | Reply
You’re right Dana. I had to go ahead and delete the comments that were leaning to the side of virtually worship of the shooter.
I don’t like link that take me to sites that show people shooting themselves in the head either.
Any more comments like that and you will be wasting your time. And don’t bother trying to put the URL in the comment form because I’ll just go through and either edit OR delete those too.
If you want to play punk on my blog think again because you will never in a million years guess who is watching it!
Josh | Dec 13, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
We have created a free and open memorial site to pay tribute to those loved ones who have passed away and to capture a glimpse into how their memory still persists.
We have placed the Westroads Mall tragedy on the front page.
http://www.people-to-remember.com
Thanks,
Josh