Well, it seems that they dodged a bullet there (more or less literally).
I understand that somebody felt alarmed by what the suspect posted in social media and raised the alarm. Police was notified and found a veritable arsenal in the suspect’s home. It seems he held a grudge against his (ex)university for having expelled him.
In this case, obviously, police took the warning seriously. I do not know whether in the past there have been cases of the police receiving warnings but not acting on them because they did not consider them credible. Has there ever been such a case, where a study- or workplace shooting could have been averted but wasn’t?
Wait a second. Sentenced to LIFE in prison for “possessing an arsenal of weapons including pipe bombs and a [that is, 1?] gun, with intent to endanger life”?
Wow. There is your “Minority Report” dystopia coming to life.
I’m with Terr. I am not at all comfortable with the idea of locking someone up for a minimum of eight years, and possibly for life, based on what he might have done. It was a good thing that the authorities took his threats seriously, since he may have actually acted on them. Protecting the students and staff of the college (not a university, BTW) was rightly their priority. But pre-emptive indefinite detention is a very worrying road to travel IMO.
He was not lust locked up for something he might have done, did you actually read the article at all??
You are somewhat forgetting that he should never have had guns at all, possession of these alone is enough to start you off with 5 years, even if no intent to use them is proven.
In this case we had rather more than just possession - we had intent - he had made plans, do we wait until he decide he might like to enact them?
Were you part of the investigation team? Were you present at his trial? Have you read any of the material presented in evidence?
If I had my way, no ordinary citizen would be able to possess a gun. Yes, I really would like to take away your guns, Mr. NRA. The UK has much more sensible laws regarding gun ownership than the U.S. does IMO. I have no issue whatsoever with weapons charges leveled against this wing-nut.
But that doesn’t change my view about the very troubling notion of possibly keeping him locked up for life based on some loony rants. That particular slope is far too slippery for me.
The bit where just possessing (not using, not attempting to use, possessing) one gun and some pipe bombs, and some rants on Facebook gets you life in prison.
I feel the need to be a snob and say it was a College Massacre that was prevented, not a University one. Very different meanings for these words in the UK, like the difference between your vocational community college and your US Ivy League institutions.
(not that you should be killing either kind of student)
Without going into my opinion of UK gun laws, possession of an illegal handgun in the UK is a mandatory 5 year sentence. Not life in prison. So the 5 years of his life in prison are for possession of an illegal handgun. The rest of his life he’s there for thought crimes.
Wonder why he wasnt charged with an inchoate crime? If he had person B planning with him he could have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder…why cant you be charged with a similar crime if you act alone?
Or with attempted murder…given that he planned but failed to commit the crime?
So if Eric and Dylan whatever-their-names had been stopped on the way to Columbine High School, you would have been fine with them just being punished for whatever guns and explosives they were carrying without the correct permits?