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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: 1pLUs44 on August 20, 2012, 01:57:51 AM

Title: Need Prayers
Post by: 1pLUs44 on August 20, 2012, 01:57:51 AM
Around 4:30am on 8/19, my friend Zach ran up to the Wal-Mart in Cedar Park (Austin area) to get food with his girlfriend and his friend Cody. Upon arriving, he ended up seeing people arguing and starting to fight and then some gangbanger pulled out a revolver and shot 5 people, including Zach and Cody. They weren't even involved in the fight that was going on and this guy shot Zach first, then Cody. Theres about a 70-80% chance that Zach will never use his right arm again, and Cody as far as I know is okay.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/286976/cedar-park-walmart-shooting-stemmed-from-nearby-party

Whats wrong is that this guy Solomon shot 5 people (from what Zach told me, this news story is wrong about the # of people shot) including his own friend (whom he shot twice) and he's only being charged with aggravated assault and I'm not too happy with the fact that this guy isn't even getting attempted murder. But what I'm really coming to is that nobody ever thinks it'll happen to them or someone they know, but it can and it will and I found that out today. I pray that justice will be done and the shooter won't just get aggravated assault and I'm hoping they charge him with attempted murder too and I'm thankful that Zach came out of it alive. Don't take your friends for granted, cause they could be here today and gone tomorrow.

Thank you.  :salute
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: MarineUS on August 20, 2012, 02:33:36 AM
Sent.

And wow....he obviously wanted to kill them and he's getting aggravated assault???
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: bmwgs on August 20, 2012, 05:04:14 AM
Hope your friends make a full recovery.

Fred
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Plawranc on August 20, 2012, 05:51:15 AM
Im not a friend of gods plus.

But for you mate, I will make one hell of a large exception.  :pray
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Shuffler on August 20, 2012, 08:45:45 AM
You don't pull a gun unless your willing to kill. This guy should get multiple attempted murder. The sad thing is that money will be spent to put him to trial when everyone knows he shot 5 people.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Tracerfi on August 20, 2012, 08:54:12 AM
 :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray :pray
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Hajo on August 20, 2012, 09:12:19 AM
Very very sorry to hear of this.  I hope this jerk gets what he deserves.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: ALFAMEGA51 on August 20, 2012, 09:31:03 AM
Will be thought of sir  :pray  :salute
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: bortas1 on August 20, 2012, 09:36:31 AM
 :salute  :pray
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: slimmer on August 20, 2012, 09:48:40 AM
 :pray :pray
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: nrshida on August 20, 2012, 10:15:01 AM
Crickey. In my own way I am praying for your friends.  :pray
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Shuffler on August 20, 2012, 10:32:01 AM
Here is coverage on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/19/us/texas-walmart-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/19/us/texas-walmart-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: 321BAR on August 20, 2012, 10:33:09 AM
Bro i hope both of em will come out of this alright.... <S>



This is one of those times i wish the swearing filter wasn't in place.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: VonMessa on August 20, 2012, 11:05:49 AM
Around 4:30am on 8/19, my friend Zach ran up to the Wal-Mart in Cedar Park (Austin area) to get food with his girlfriend and his friend Cody. Upon arriving, he ended up seeing people arguing and starting to fight and then some gangbanger pulled out a revolver and shot 5 people, including Zach and Cody. They weren't even involved in the fight that was going on and this guy shot Zach first, then Cody. Theres about a 70-80% chance that Zach will never use his right arm again, and Cody as far as I know is okay.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/286976/cedar-park-walmart-shooting-stemmed-from-nearby-party

Whats wrong is that this guy Solomon shot 5 people (from what Zach told me, this news story is wrong about the # of people shot) including his own friend (whom he shot twice) and he's only being charged with aggravated assault and I'm not too happy with the fact that this guy isn't even getting attempted murder. But what I'm really coming to is that nobody ever thinks it'll happen to them or someone they know, but it can and it will and I found that out today. I pray that justice will be done and the shooter won't just get aggravated assault and I'm hoping they charge him with attempted murder too and I'm thankful that Zach came out of it alive. Don't take your friends for granted, cause they could be here today and gone tomorrow.

Thank you.  :salute


Prayers for your friends.  :pray

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, were your friends not at the party discussed in all of the news articles and press conference?  It begs the question, since all of the folks involved were of the same age.

It also seems that the odds are extremely high that 3 people, unrelated to the incident at the party became hungry at 0430 (if they weren't partying) decided to go to the Wal-Mart at the same exact time that the folks fighting at the party had made an arrangement to meet there to settle the dispute.  

In addition, since it doesn't seem likely that two groups mentioned as having this dispute would take the fight to the main entrance of the Wal-Mart, but rather a non-populated part of the parking lot. as would make sense, I am also curious as to how or why your friends were obliged to park so close to such an scene/incident as to be injured when it would seem that parking would not have been at a premium at 0430 on a Sunday morning.

Furthermore, traditionally these types of altercations result in a "circle" of spectators.  If your friends were un-involved, innocent bystanders, that did not know what was going on and were not included in the group of spectators, how did not only one, but two of your friends manage to catch a bullet?  It is perfectly normal and human nature to watch a fight, otherwise there would bot be boxing matches, WWF and UFC fights on pay-per-view and I would not fault your friends for tagging along.

Upon reading as many articles as I could find and watching the press conference, it appears that:

There was an argument at a party where a lot of folks were drinking
It was agreed that the argument would be settled somewhere else (as to possibly not insult the host or have the cops bust the host for underage drinking? mind you, these are my guesses and I have seen it happen like this in the past)
There was an entourage of onlookers that followed the ones with the dispute.
The shooter got his arse whooped (he was hospitalized due to non-gunshot injuries)
He couldn't take his arse-whooping like a man and started shooting up the place
Folks (possible ones not directly involved) took some bullets because the shooter was drunk, had no knowledge of how to shoot or a combination of both.

None of the articles, nor the press conference mentions anything about the shooting being gang-related (which is usually a big deal the the media jumps upon), nor was their any mention of the shooter being a "gangbanger"  How did you come across with this information?

As for the lack of attempted murder charges?  Most states define attempted murder as, the attempted unlawful killing of another person, but the person didn't die.  In this case, with the evidence available, at this time, there is no proof that the shooter had any obvious intentions of actually killing anyone (i.e. making statements to the fact that he was, or targeting one particular person), but this may change as more evidence comes to light.

Aggravated assault is defined as the assailing of someone with the use of some kind of object besides one's bare hands (even including a rock or burning someone with a cigarette butt)  In some cases an argument for aggravated assault can be made if the assailant is proven to be trained in the art of, or very good at hand-to-hand combat when compared to the average citizen.


Again, my prayers to your friends.  I wish them a speedy recovery.   :salute
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Shuffler on August 20, 2012, 11:30:11 AM

Prayers for your friends.  :pray

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, were your friends not at the party discussed in all of the news articles and press conference?  It begs the question, since all of the folks involved were of the same age.

It also seems that the odds are extremely high that 3 people, unrelated to the incident at the party became hungry at 0430 (if they weren't partying) decided to go to the Wal-Mart at the same exact time that the folks fighting at the party had made an arrangement to meet there to settle the dispute.  

In addition, since it doesn't seem likely that two groups mentioned as having this dispute would take the fight to the main entrance of the Wal-Mart, but rather a non-populated part of the parking lot. as would make sense, I am also curious as to how or why your friends were obliged to park so close to such an scene/incident as to be injured when it would seem that parking would not have been at a premium at 0430 on a Sunday morning.

Furthermore, traditionally these types of altercations result in a "circle" of spectators.  If your friends were un-involved, innocent bystanders, that did not know what was going on and were not included in the group of spectators, how did not only one, but two of your friends manage to catch a bullet?  It is perfectly normal and human nature to watch a fight, otherwise there would bot be boxing matches, WWF and UFC fights on pay-per-view and I would not fault your friends for tagging along.

Upon reading as many articles as I could find and watching the press conference, it appears that:

There was an argument at a party where a lot of folks were drinking
It was agreed that the argument would be settled somewhere else (as to possibly not insult the host or have the cops bust the host for underage drinking? mind you, these are my guesses and I have seen it happen like this in the past)
There was an entourage of onlookers that followed the ones with the dispute.
The shooter got his arse whooped (he was hospitalized due to non-gunshot injuries)
He couldn't take his arse-whooping like a man and started shooting up the place
Folks (possible ones not directly involved) took some bullets because the shooter was drunk, had no knowledge of how to shoot or a combination of both.

None of the articles, nor the press conference mentions anything about the shooting being gang-related (which is usually a big deal the the media jumps upon), nor was their any mention of the shooter being a "gangbanger"  How did you come across with this information?

As for the lack of attempted murder charges?  Most states define attempted murder as, the attempted unlawful killing of another person, but the person didn't die.  In this case, with the evidence available, at this time, there is no proof that the shooter had any obvious intentions of actually killing anyone (i.e. making statements to the fact that he was, or targeting one particular person), but this may change as more evidence comes to light.

Aggravated assault is defined as the assailing of someone with the use of some kind of object besides one's bare hands (even including a rock or burning someone with a cigarette butt)  In some cases an argument for aggravated assault can be made if the assailant is proven to be trained in the art of, or very good at hand-to-hand combat when compared to the average citizen.


Again, my prayers to your friends.  I wish them a speedy recovery.   :salute


After reading around the net I have agree. Based on the released information so far.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: 1pLUs44 on August 20, 2012, 11:56:26 AM
Interesting questions to the last 2 posters, and I knew these questions would come up. Zach and Cody did know some of the people at the party, but they were not actually at the party, but you also can't expect good things to happen with a group of people anywhere at 4:30 in the morning. When they showed up the shooter and his friend thought they were the group of kids wanting to fight and ran up on them until they realized they were the wrong people. About that same time, the group of people wanting to fight did show up and Solomon pulled the gun immediately. (keep in mind, Zach had been at Wal-Mart for 2 minutes) Whenever Solomon pulled the gun, some guy in the opposite group saw the gun, got a crow bar/bat/some kind of blunt object, and hit Solomon and he started shooting and for whatever reason or another, he shot Zach first.

I would not have any problem saying "My idiot friend Zach got hammered, started a fight, and got shot" if that was the case just because it would have legitimately been his fault.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Ack-Ack on August 20, 2012, 12:28:23 PM
I think your two friends learned a very valuable lesson.  Do not go to Walmart at 4:30am to watch a fight.


ack-ack
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: VonMessa on August 20, 2012, 12:46:59 PM
Interesting questions to the last 2 posters, and I knew these questions would come up. Zach and Cody did know some of the people at the party, but they were not actually at the party, but you also can't expect good things to happen with a group of people anywhere at 4:30 in the morning. When they showed up the shooter and his friend thought they were the group of kids wanting to fight and ran up on them until they realized they were the wrong people. About that same time, the group of people wanting to fight did show up and Solomon pulled the gun immediately. (keep in mind, Zach had been at Wal-Mart for 2 minutes) Whenever Solomon pulled the gun, some guy in the opposite group saw the gun, got a crow bar/bat/some kind of blunt object, and hit Solomon and he started shooting and for whatever reason or another, he shot Zach first.

I would not have any problem saying "My idiot friend Zach got hammered, started a fight, and got shot" if that was the case just because it would have legitimately been his fault.

Please do not get me wrong.  I wasn't trying to insinuate that your friends were involved in the fight directly, in any way.  I just found it highly coincidental that your friends were an example of "wrong place, wrong time" and that they may be feeding you mostly truth, with a side of smoke up your arse.  :)

All said and done, it sounds stupid to me.  You are correct about nothing good coming of a drunken argument  at 0430.

Even more curious is why the WalMart?  Looking at a local map (assuming the party was in Leander as most of the news seems to think), it seems that somewhere at Lake Travis may have been about the same distance, but would have offered a less conspicuous as a venue for a fight.  I am not a local, so I would not be familiar as to how populated or not the Lake Travis area is or isn't, but WalMart does not even make it to my top one-hundred list of low-profile places to arrange a fight  :headscratch:

Regarding the "guy with the blunt object"  his courage most certainly outweighs his aim or ability to whack someone if the guy was still able to shoot afterwards and wasn't unconscious.  In fact, this is the most likely reason for an aggravated assault charge as opposed to attempted murder.  There aren't too many conscious decisions to be made when someone has knocked you over the head.

I think your two friends learned a very valuable lesson.  Do not go to Walmart at 4:30am to watch a fight.


ack-ack

I am still leaning towards this being the real story. I'm not saying that you are a liar, but that your friends probably are.  They are probably feeding the same story to the authorities.  Not admitting to tagging-along as a spectator gives a degree of plausible deniability and trims down the list of questions from the cops, parents, etc and also relieves one of the burden of ratting-out a friends drinking party in one, fell swoop.  Admitting to attendance at the party opens a whole other exhaustive line of questions.  As with an actor learning his lines, repetition makes the story perfect, and you are probably being used as a practice audience.  If you can fool your closest friends, then the police should be cake.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: 1pLUs44 on August 20, 2012, 02:21:37 PM
Please do not get me wrong.  I wasn't trying to insinuate that your friends were involved in the fight directly, in any way.  I just found it highly coincidental that your friends were an example of "wrong place, wrong time" and that they may be feeding you mostly truth, with a side of smoke up your arse.  :)

All said and done, it sounds stupid to me.  You are correct about nothing good coming of a drunken argument  at 0430.

Even more curious is why the WalMart?  Looking at a local map (assuming the party was in Leander as most of the news seems to think), it seems that somewhere at Lake Travis may have been about the same distance, but would have offered a less conspicuous as a venue for a fight.  I am not a local, so I would not be familiar as to how populated or not the Lake Travis area is or isn't, but WalMart does not even make it to my top one-hundred list of low-profile places to arrange a fight  :headscratch:

Regarding the "guy with the blunt object"  his courage most certainly outweighs his aim or ability to whack someone if the guy was still able to shoot afterwards and wasn't unconscious.  In fact, this is the most likely reason for an aggravated assault charge as opposed to attempted murder.  There aren't too many conscious decisions to be made when someone has knocked you over the head.

I am still leaning towards this being the real story. I'm not saying that you are a liar, but that your friends probably are.  They are probably feeding the same story to the authorities.  Not admitting to tagging-along as a spectator gives a degree of plausible deniability and trims down the list of questions from the cops, parents, etc and also relieves one of the burden of ratting-out a friends drinking party in one, fell swoop.  Admitting to attendance at the party opens a whole other exhaustive line of questions.  As with an actor learning his lines, repetition makes the story perfect, and you are probably being used as a practice audience.  If you can fool your closest friends, then the police should be cake.

The guy with the blunt object didn't even get shot AFAIK. But regardless about Zach on whether or not he is lying, the Wal-Mart Security cameras will have no trouble confirming or denying this statement. We did go back to the Walmart yesterday where it happened and he showed me where he was parked and how everything happened which gives me some ground to him not completely lying. ( I do have a pic of where the other people did get shot, I don't know if I should put it up here because there is a LOT of blood all over the ground)
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: VonMessa on August 20, 2012, 02:43:53 PM
For his sake, if he gave a sworn statement to the police, I hope that the security camera does not disprove him.  Falsifying sworn statements is a big deal.

Walking you through the scenario is also good practice for the big show.

I know that if I was trying to make-believe that I was not at a party to avoid questions from parents, chance of an underage drinking citation, implication the party host, I would make damn-sure that I had one and only one story which would NOT involve my presence at said party.

It would be well-rehearsed, too.  Never underestimate the motives of someone trying to cover one's arse.

  :D

Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: 1pLUs44 on August 20, 2012, 03:37:07 PM
For his sake, if he gave a sworn statement to the police, I hope that the security camera does not disprove him.  Falsifying sworn statements is a big deal.

Walking you through the scenario is also good practice for the big show.

I know that if I was trying to make-believe that I was not at a party to avoid questions from parents, chance of an underage drinking citation, implication the party host, I would make damn-sure that I had one and only one story which would NOT involve my presence at said party.

It would be well-rehearsed, too.  Never underestimate the motives of someone trying to cover one's arse.

  :D



QFT :aok
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Shuffler on August 21, 2012, 09:33:53 AM
Seems the news outlets are saying that no walmart customers or employees were harmed. Only folks involved were in the group that showed up. They say 3 taken to hospitals in critical condition and one taken was treated and released.

It'll be awhile before it gets figured out in the media.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Tracerfi on August 21, 2012, 09:39:28 AM
Seems the news outlets are saying that no walmart customers or employees were harmed. Only folks involved were in the group that showed up. They say 3 taken to hospitals in critical condition and one taken was treated and released.

It'll be awhile before it gets figured out in the media.
The Media is almost always wrong
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Nathan60 on August 21, 2012, 09:41:34 AM
The Media is almost always wrong

Give me  one example of media being wrong.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: VonMessa on August 21, 2012, 09:44:40 AM
Give me  one example of media being wrong.

I came so close to pissing my pants from laughter that I was actually starting to wonder if I had a spare set of boxers in the Jeep.

 :rofl
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Shuffler on August 21, 2012, 09:48:04 AM
I came so close to pissing my pants from laughter that I was actually starting to wonder if I had a spare set of boxers in the Jeep.

 :rofl

 :rofl   :aok
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Nathan60 on August 21, 2012, 09:49:51 AM
 :devil Just wanted some examples wonder if Nancy Grace ever applogised to those Duke Lacrosse players.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Tracerfi on August 21, 2012, 09:53:39 AM
The Media is almost always wrong  at first
ok i fixed it
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Nathan60 on August 21, 2012, 09:56:07 AM
ok i fixed it

Nobody said you were wrong the first time, fix it again!
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: Tracerfi on August 21, 2012, 09:58:19 AM
Nobody said you were wrong the first time, fix it again!
:cry :cry :cry :cry :confused:
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: VonMessa on August 21, 2012, 03:37:00 PM
"Showed up just to stop his friends from fighting"

Liar Liar, pants on fire!

Watch the video.  I assume this is your friend, Zach?

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/austin/four-shot-at-cedar-park-walmart (http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/austin/four-shot-at-cedar-park-walmart)
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: bj229r on August 21, 2012, 05:26:21 PM
Was it a gun-free zone? If so, this oughtn't have happened
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: ap1102 on August 22, 2012, 08:21:16 AM
sounds to me that maybe zach and cody knew about the fight and went to walmart to be spectators and perhaps were mistaken for the people wanting to fight. either way DUMB IDEA.  You think you are bullet proof at that age and ooo theres gonna be a fight lets go watch it. How quick things can get out of hand. If you aint home by midnight at that age you take your life in your hands ...literally.  the only thing on the streets at that time of the morning are cops and crooks.
Title: Re: Need Prayers
Post by: MrGeezer on August 23, 2012, 04:15:49 PM
Amen Rhino.

My wife did 13 years in the ER as a BSN, RN, MICN at a major East Coast hospital, and now another 10 years in the OR.

Her saying is accurate:    "Nothing good happens out after midnight"