The recent shooting at CrossIron Mills shopping mall north of Calgary rightfully topped the news. One man was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the shooter remained at large at press time Monday.
According to a press release from Airdrie RCMP, the shooting occurred in the parking lot of CrossIron Mills near the food court entrance. The mall was given a "secure in place" status while officers cleared the mall.
The male suspect is described as having a slender build and dressed fully in black.
With Carstairs only 30 minutes away and Didsbury only 10 minutes more, CrossIron Mills is not far away. In fact there are a number of people from this area who work at the mall.
It didn't take long for the news of the shooting to reach social media. For parents and friends of those working at the mall that evening it was undoubtedly a stressful time, especially if they didn't hear from their loved ones right away.
Fortunately, in Canada these incidents are pretty rare – unlike in the United States, which has weaker gun laws and stronger gun lobby groups, including the powerful National Rifle Association.
Police have not said what they believe may have been the reason behind the CrossIron shooting. Was it targeted? Was it drug/gang related? We may never know.
I understand people, particularly in rural areas, using guns for hunting and protection. I'm still not a fan but I get it. In Canada that's why most people have firearms. At least I hope so.
Why anyone would need to carry a semi-automatic rifle or any gun really, out in public is beyond me. For some reason many U.S. states have concealed carry and even open carry laws. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't really feel safe seeing someone carrying a pistol.
One of the arguments is protection. The old a-good-guy-with-a gun defence. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Seriously, many of these mass shooters in the U.S. haven't committed any previous crimes. Who knows why, but I guess they snap.
Not to mention that while police officers and military personnel are well-trained in firearms use and being calm under pressure, the average citizen is not. Even if they do go out to a range once a month or whatever, can they keep steady and aim at a moving target? While people around them are panicking, screaming, running, maybe bleeding?
You hear Donald Trump and other conservatives talking about mass shootings as being primarily a mental health issue. But while other countries have their share of people with issues, including Canada, they thankfully don't have shootings on the mass scale as the U.S.
And while you can say that anyone who kills another human being is crazy, the majority of shooters have no background of mental health problems.
You would think that even the most staunch conservative would find it hard to not want stricter gun laws after so many mass shootings. How could one ever justify knowing that schoolchildren in the U.S. have to practise active shooter drills in school?
Here in Canada let's hope our government officials, no matter who wins the current election, keep our gun laws strong and keep everyone safe. I know you won't completely eliminate shootings – but without easy access to guns it's much rarer, thank goodness.
– Craig Lindsay is the reporter for the Mountain View Gazette
