UPDATE: I just got word from Dr. Christy, see below
This just happened late today and details are still sketchy and I know many are concerned about Dr. John Christy and Dr. Roy Spencer at the University of Alabama in Hunstville and whether they were victims of the shooting that has left three dead.
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/02/three_dead_one_injured_in_shoo.html
The shooting occurred in the Shelby Center for Science and Technology, apparently in the Biology Dept according to reports from the Huntsville Times.
Dr. Christy and Dr. Spencer work in the Cramer Research Hall across the street, marked “A” on the map below, note the marker for “State Climatologist”:
While I have not been in touch with Dr.’s Spencer and Christy yet, I have no reason to believe they were in the Shelby building at the time of the shooting
I’ll post updates as they become available.
UPDATE:
Al.com confirms this was a biology professor shooting up a biology faculty meeting:
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/02/biology_professor_accused_in_u.html
UPDATE2: Dr. Christy responds to my message:
We’re OK. Evidently a biology professor essentially shot the entire
department at a faculty meeting after learning she was denied tenure.
At the time, I was being taped at a TV station across town by John
Coleman (remotely from San Diego) when they came in with breaking news
about a shooting at UAH.
John C
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Deny tenure? Wow, life is over.
My sympathy goes to the family and friends of the victims. It’s such a pathetically small sounding statement but very heartfelt.
Life is shorter than any of us plan and the end is often a surprise.
Do what you can with it.
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It looks like the decision on tenure was the right one.
Gun free zone?*
(Somebody had to ask)
* Lest anyone think I’m heartless: Heartfelt sympathy for those who lost a friend, loved one, colleague or acquaintance in this tragic event.
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Jeff Id writes:
There’s another thought, though. With three fatalities and some several more severe and potentially permanently disabling woundings, there are now a number of tenure-track openings in the UAH Biology Department.
It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow good for somebody.
—
Hasn’t worked that way in Texas; in fact, just the opposite (we are a conceal and carry state thanks to Suzanne Hupp who has a story to tell: “A DAUGHTER’S REGRET – SUZANNA HUPP”)
Likewise my aged aunt defended herself against an attacker in Muskegon using her late husband’s 357 … he had cut the phone lines, was INTENT on doing her great bodily harm …
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Streleski
Theodore Streleski was a graduate student in mathematics at Stanford University who murdered his former faculty adviser, professor Karel de Leeuw, with a small sledge hammer on August 18, 1978. Shortly after the murder, Streleski turned himself in to the authorities, claiming he felt the murder was justifiable homicide because de Leeuw had withheld departmental awards from him, demeaned Streleski in front of his peers, and refused his requests for financial support. Streleski was in his 19th year pursuing his doctorate in the mathematics department, alternating with low-paying jobs to support himself.
During his trial Streleski told the court he felt the murder was “logically and morally correct” and “a political statement” about the department’s treatment of its graduate students, and he forced his court-appointed lawyer to enter a plea of “not guilty” rather than “not guilty by reason of insanity” as the lawyer had urged. Streleski was convicted of second degree murder and he served seven years in prison for his actions.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/06/13/qc-parasiris0613.html
I agree with self-defense based on real need…
==========================
Murder based on lifestyle demotion is COWARDLY….
I wonder if Dr Bishop was taking SSRIs or some combination of pharmaceuticals. These things are often the common denominator in this type of situation.
it’s a sad and unhappy occurrence for everyone involved.
Dr. G.K. Podila, Dr. Maria Ragland Davis and Dr. Adriel Johnson, all three faculty members at the university, died shortly after the afternoon shooting at the Shelby Center.
Dr. Joseph Leahy is in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital. Stephanie Monticciolo, a staff assistant and Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera are now stable, officials said.
@RossM
More shootings perhaps (though it’s highly debatable) but not more murders. That is the sleight of hand that gun ban advocates tend to use. The overall murder rate has skyrocketed in the UK since they instituted the strictest gun control laws in the western world while in the United States the murder rate has fallen over the same time period. This despite skyrocketing gun ownership rates as well as policy changes such as the expiry of the “assault weapons ban” and wide spread adoption of Concealed Carry and Castle Doctrine legislation. I realize this is a science blog and correlation does not equal causation etc. etc. but it is by no means “blindingly obvious” that restricting gun ownership is beneficial to society. The science ain’t settled.
Ross M (18:43:30) :
“I’m sorry but I disagree with Poptech above… The only way these shootings will come to an end is if you ban guns.”
Yes of course people wishing to commit violent acts always obey gun laws! Why do you want to create more victims? It is a myth that gun control reduces crime, you only punish law abiding citizens.
Myth: Gun Control Reduces Crime (Video) (4min) (ABC News)
REPLY: OK that’s the end of this thread. I’m not going to have WUWT turn into a gun control argument. I posted this only to notify people who were concerned about Dr.’s Christy and Spencer. – A