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The Guardian is reporting that...
Two gunmen have been killed and a security guard injured during what appeared to be an attack on a contest for cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad in a Dallas suburb.
The gunmen drove up to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland shortly before 7pm on Sunday where the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) were hosting the exhibition and contest.
According to city authorities an unarmed guard at the event was shot at before the men were engaged and killed by police.
Further...
A bomb squad was called in after reports of a possible incendiary device at the scene of the incident. Police said a "bomb container trailer" had also been deployed in which to place any suspect device.
A police spokesman said two males had been killed and their bodies were still lying outside their car hours later.
"Because of the situation of what was going on today and the history of what we've been told has happened at other events like this, we are considering their car (is) possibly containing a bomb," Officer Joe Harn, a spokesman for the Garland Police Department, said.
(Score: 5, Funny) by CirclesInSand on Monday May 04 2015, @10:11AM
According to city authorities an unarmed guard at the event
They called a taxi to take him to the hospital, but the taxi driver didn't have a car. So then they called a medic to help him, but the medic didn't have any bandages. A local musician, feeling bad for him, decided to play him some music to feel better. But the musician didn't have an instrument. So the poor guard went to a restaurant to eat...but the chefs work without food. So the hungry guard finally went home. Except his home didn't have any walls, or roofs, or a floor.
(Score: 1) by skater on Monday May 04 2015, @11:39AM
Funny, but kind of sad that in the USA "guard" is equated with "needs a gun".
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday May 04 2015, @01:46PM
A guard without armor or weapons is just a person in costume who is performing security theater. That doesn't mean they are useless. They just aren't actually useful in guarding anything against threats of violence. They can still help maintain order and assist people.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @05:01PM
Do you have any indication that he was meant to guard against violence (as opposed to, e.g. guard the people to the correct place where they can present their cartoons)?
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday May 04 2015, @06:42PM
I would have to see what his uniform looked like. If it had epaulets, cargo pockets, a police-like badge, and stuff like that. Did he look like a police officer or did he look like a concierge. I think the old term "watchman" applies better to these situations than guard. If someone says they are a guard i expect them to be able to perform that duty without requiring another person/organization to do it for them. A watchman is supposed to maintain order but has no authority or equipment to force compliance.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @06:46PM
Great.
Hurray for meaningless pedantry!
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday May 04 2015, @08:12PM
I doubt you'd find it meaningless the next time you get shot in the leg by a crazy man because you were dressed like law enforcement.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @08:21PM
> I doubt you'd find it meaningless the next time you get shot in the leg by a crazy man because you were dressed like law enforcement.
Because a crazy man is really going to take time to ponder the deep significances of minor variations in a uniform.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday May 04 2015, @08:59PM
That was exactly the point, yes.
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(Score: 1) by skater on Monday May 04 2015, @06:31PM
Uh, I get that...hence my comment. I'm not sure why you and the AC are responding to me, instead of to the GP.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday May 04 2015, @06:38PM
I misunderstood then, sorry : ) I thought you were saying that guards shouldn't need guns. I'd say that a guard without a gun is just an imitation of real authority that has a gun. Sort of like how some non-venomous snakes imitate very poisonous snakes.
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(Score: 1) by skater on Monday May 04 2015, @08:35PM
See, now, this seems opposite of what you said above. I know it's Monday and I'm kind of tired, so I may be misreading it.
The OP was implying that guards had to have guns, by comparing it to things like a taxi driver without a car. I was saying that it was sad that guards seem to need guns - a commentary on the USA in general. I suspect many Western countries have mostly unarmed guards.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday May 05 2015, @09:23AM
I can confirm that that is true for all civilised countries.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1) by skater on Tuesday May 05 2015, @11:27AM
Let's not get nasty.
Actually I'd guess that most guards in the US are unarmed, too. Where I work, some guards are armed (the ones on gate duty mostly), but most of them aren't. Heck, we just learned recently that the guards didn't even have radios, an oversight that caused some issues during a recent incident and is being rectified.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @12:57PM
This is made even more incredulous by the fact that this incident happened in Texas!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @05:50PM
He was probably the only one without a gun.
(Score: 1) by redneckmother on Monday May 04 2015, @06:28PM
Prolly so, prolly so.
On the other hand, he may have been familiar with Texas Parks and Wildlife rules and regulations.
While there is no closed season or bag limit on religious nutters, there are penalties for shooting them in a baited area.
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Monday May 04 2015, @02:19PM
steven wright humor time:
I bought a new phone though. I didn't have much money so I had to buy an irregular phone -- it had no number 5 on it. I saw a close friend of mine the other day... He said, "Steven, why haven't you called me?" I said, "I can't call everyone I want. My new phone has no five on it." He said, "How long have you had it?" I said, "I don't know... My calendar has no sevens on it."
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."