{"id":31781,"date":"2024-02-15T22:04:58","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T06:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=31781"},"modified":"2024-02-15T22:49:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T06:49:49","slug":"a-rare-look-at-the-devastation-caused-by-ar-15-shootings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/15\/a-rare-look-at-the-devastation-caused-by-ar-15-shootings\/","title":{"rendered":"A rare look at the devastation caused by AR-15 shootings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TERROR ON REPEAT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: The photos, videos and personal accounts below are extremely disturbing and may be too upsetting for some people. Read why The Post is publishing this story.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Icon: Scroll down to continue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When a gunman fires an AR-15 …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 a seemingly safe, familiar place instantly transforms into a hellscape ofchaos, destruction and mass death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Body<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Silvia Foster-Frau<\/a>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

N. Kirkpatrick<\/a> and <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arelis R. Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov. 16 at 6:00 a.m. (WashingtonPost.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mass shootings involving AR-15s have become a recurring American nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weapon, easy to operate and widely available, is now used more than any other in the country\u2019s deadliest mass killings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fired by the dozens or hundreds in rapid succession, bullets from AR-15s have blasted through classroom doors and walls. They have shredded theater seats and splintered wooden church pews. They have mangled human bodies<\/a> and, in a matter of seconds, shattered the lives of people attending a concert, shopping on a Saturday afternoon, going out with friends and family, working in their offices and worshiping at church and synagogue. They have killed first-graders, teenagers, mothers, fathers and grandparents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the full effects of the AR-15\u2019s destructive force are rarely seen in public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMERICAN ICON<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A series examining the AR-15, a weapon with a singular hold on a divided nation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More stories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Press Enter to skip to end of carousel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AR-15\u2019s destructive force: A rare look at the weapon\u2019s impact<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are we showing graphic AR-15 content? A letter from the executive editor.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does an AR-15 do to a human body? A visual examination of the deadly damage.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A letter from Executive Editor Sally Buzbee on the AR-15 series<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decades of marketing reinvented the AR-15 into a top-selling firearm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sutherland Springs survivors haunted by an AR-15’s carnage, trauma<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magazine restrictions could reduce mass killings by AR-15s, but courts must decide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AR-15’s impact in America: Here’s what The Post’s examination found<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do people own AR-15s? 33% of owners cited self-defense, poll finds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gunmakers’ growth in red states marks a divide on weapons like the AR-15<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed with AR-15s, extremist and militia groups anticipate civil unrest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As guns saturate the United States, police turn to the AR-15<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the AR-15 became a powerful political, cultural symbol in America<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mass shootings rise, some senators are recanting their gun debate votes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Louisville bank shooter bought a gun despite struggles with mental health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

End of carousel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the terminology  <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The impact is often shielded by laws and court rulings that keep crime scene photos and records secret. Journalists do not typically have access to the sites of shootings to document them. Even when photographs are available, news organizations generally do not publish them, out of concern about potentially dehumanizing victims or retraumatizing their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, drawing on an extensive review of photographs, videos and police investigative files from 11 mass killings between 2012 and 2023, The Washington Post is publishing the most comprehensive account to date of the repeating pattern of destruction wrought by the AR-15 \u2014 a weapon that was originally designed for military combat but has in recent years become one of the best-selling firearms on the U.S. market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This piece includes never-before-released pictures taken by law enforcement officials<\/a> after shootings inside Robb Elementary School<\/a> in Uvalde, Tex., in 2022, and the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Tex., in 2017, that were obtained by The Post. It is also based on Post interviews with survivors and first responders from multiple shootings as well as transcripts of official testimony provided by law enforcement officials who were among the first to witness the carnage. Read a note here<\/a> from the executive editor about how The Post decided what to publish and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review lays bare how the AR-15, a weapon that has soared in popularity over the past two decades as a beloved tool for hunting, target practice and self-defense, has also given assailants the power to instantly turn everyday American gathering places into zones of gruesome violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an oral history told in three parts that follows the chronological order of a typical AR-15 mass shooting. It weaves together pictures, videos and the recollections of people who endured different tragedies but have similar stories to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PART 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHOTS ARE FIRED<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To some it sounds like fireworks, to others a deafening roar. The initial burst from the AR-15 is often the first sign that something unusual is happening. Moments later, bullets riddle walls, windows, shelves and notebooks. Some people are shot and others scramble for safety. Later, investigators identify dozens or hundreds of bullet casings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of a sudden, <\/strong>out of nowhere, you just hear the loudest, most unbelievably piercing sound you\u2019ve ever heard in your life. Danielle Gilbert, high school student. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People started screaming,\u00a0<\/strong>and there was hysteria and people were dropping to the ground.\u00a0Heather Brown Sallan,\u00a0vendor. Route 91 Harvest festival, Las Vegas.<\/em>Play\/pause buttonhttps:\/\/d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net\/washpost-production\/Las_Vegas_Shooting_Archive_Youtube\/20231101\/65428439dc0bc856569ca692\/65428440b711eb5ff5a0c8af\/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\nhttps:\/\/d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net\/washpost-production\/Danielle_Gilbert\/20231101\/6542820aedb43e061e8b0376\/654282115007d06111532162\/file_720x1280-2000.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u200b\u200bRoute 91 Harvest festival, Las Vegas. Oct. 1, 2017. 60 killed.

[Jason Aldean singing]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned around<\/strong> and … looked at the back doors, just trying to get my bearings and figure out, is this some kids throwing firecrackers? David Colbath, church congregant. First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Tex.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard<\/strong> what sounded like metal chairs<\/strong> falling, and I figured that was for the holiday program or something.Abbey Clements, teacher. Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I just saw things<\/strong> flying off the walls, and that\u2019s when it hit me \u2014 that it was bullets, that it was a gun that was firing off. Arnulfo Reyes, teacher. Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Tex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Six
First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Tex. Nov. 5, 2017. 26 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Dec. 14, 2012. 26 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Tree of Life synagogue, Pittsburgh. Oct. 27, 2018. 11 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The face my wife<\/strong> made the moment we heard shots and she started to run with the stroller \u2026 super tense \u2014 I don\u2019t know how to describe it. Daniel Seijas, shopper. Allen Premium Outlets, Allen, Tex.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smoke filled<\/strong> the place up from the constant shooting inside here. … You could smell the smoke. David Colbath, church congregant. Sutherland Springs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it was pitch black<\/strong>, I could see the muzzle flashes coming from that left side. … There was drywall fragments falling from the ceiling. Anthony Burke, police detective and SWAT officer. Tree of Life Congregation, Pittsburgh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Tex. May 24, 2022. 21 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Tree of Life synagogue, Pittsburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Dark
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Blood
Century 16 movie theater, Aurora, Colo. July 20, 2012. 12 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To be able to cope<\/strong> with being in a position where I couldn\u2019t do anything, I did the most useful thing that I can think of: I was counting rounds and reloads. Morgan Workman, church congregant. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bullets were ricocheting off the street<\/strong>. … You could hear the pinging and the ricocheting of them hitting the cars around you. It was the chaos of it \u2014 it just kept going and going and going. Heather Brown Sallan, vendor. Las Vegas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before he ever came in<\/strong>, there was really hardly anybody that could rise up and challenge him. But with these bullets just flying through the air, there was nobody going to be able to do it and nobody could. David Colbath, church congregant. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTE TO READERS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This video was recorded by Danielle Gilbert, moments after a gunman shot into classroom 1213 in Parkland, where she, Maddy Wilford and other students were taking AP Psychology. In the video, you\u2019ll hear a loud alarm, wounded students who are not visible crying for help and additional gunfire. It is upsetting.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Play\/pause button<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0:08 \/ 0:35Mute\/unmute button<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Parkland, Fla. Feb. 14, 2018. 17 killed.

I got shot four times<\/strong> …I thought I got hit with a ton of bricks \u2026 so I looked behind me to try to see if there\u2019s anyone to help me. And all I could see was blood. Maddy Wilford, high school student in classroom 1213, Parkland.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s dust everywhere.<\/strong> There\u2019s debris. … I had like dust and debris coming off of my hands. \u2026 I was still just covered from head to toe. Danielle Gilbert, high school student. Parkland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I could hear the gunfire<\/strong>, I knew where he was. When I didn\u2019t hear the gunfire, I\u2019m thinking, \u2018Oh my gosh, he\u2019s coming this way.\u2019 I kept thinking that everyone was dead. There\u2019s no way they\u2019re not all dead. Dallas Schwartz, employee. Old National Bank, Louisville.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I only thought he got shot<\/strong> one time, and it was five. … As the police and them come to us I just grab on my dad and just kept telling him I loved him before he died. Dion Green, bar patron. Oregon Historic District, Dayton, Ohio.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dozens
Oregon Historic District, Dayton, Ohio. Aug. 4, 2019. 9 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Route 91 Harvest festival, Las Vegas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Century 16 movie theater, Aurora<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bullet
First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NOTE TO READERS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next section includes photographs where you can see the blood and destruction that remain after bodies have been removed from the scene of an AR-15 shooting.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

PART 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE ATTACK UNFOLDS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In minutes, injured and dead fall to the floor. Some are able to flee, others are rushed to safety by police. Smoke from the rifle fills the air. The Post obtained never-before-published photographs from Robb Elementary School classrooms 111 and 112 in Uvalde. They show the carnage left behind, including the large volume of blood that collects. The photos, along with personal accounts describing young children\u2019s lifeless bodies, echo descriptions provided 11 years earlier by witnesses at Sandy Hook Elementary School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He shot the students there under the table.<\/strong> And so, I didn\u2019t hear any yelling or crying. But I think it was due to the bullets, the gun, being so loud. Arnulfo Reyes, teacher. Uvalde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was stunned.<\/strong> I was hurt. I couldn\u2019t move. Two kids fell on my back. Another two kids fell on those two kids\u2019 back. We were stacked up right here like cordwood. David Colbath, church congregant. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw my right arm get blown open<\/strong> in two places and my right hand. The pain was the worst pain I ever felt. I looked at it as I felt it, and it looked like shredded raw meat. And there was a lot of blood. Andrea Wedner, synagogue congregant. Pittsburgh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a war zone <\/strong>and there was injured, there was blood everywhere. There was magazines, there was bullets. Danielle Gilbert, high school student. Parkland.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I notice on the whiteboard<\/strong> it looked like somebody had taken, like, their hand and, like, it just, it was wrote in blood \u2014 it looked like they wrote LOL on the whiteboard. Travis Shrewsbury, Border Patrol agent. Uvalde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Inside
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Wet
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"An
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I could hear a little girl<\/strong> say, \u2018Officers come in, we\u2019re in here,\u2019 and she sounded far away so I knew it was in the other room. And she said that once. And then maybe two or three minutes later she said it again. And then I just heard him walk into that other room. And he shot some more. So after that I didn\u2019t hear her no more. And so I had figured he had killed her. Arnulfo Reyes, teacher. Uvalde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My breathing was changing<\/strong>, it was getting more shallow, more rapid. I was salivating. I was losing my ability to expand my lungs. I was drooling. The pressure in my abdomen was getting greater by the minute and through my rectum. I felt that I was leaving. … I felt that I was dying. Daniel Leger, synagogue congregant. Pittsburgh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could hear people screaming,<\/strong> and I could hear people \u2014 you know, last words were uttered, things that were \u2014 fear, and just really awful sounds. And then it eventually started getting quieter. And that was the worst part. Was knowing that the quiet meant the worst. Morgan Workman, church congregant. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a while,<\/strong> I could see she was shot and she wasn\u2019t going to survive. \u2026 I kissed my fingers, and I touched my fingers to her skin. … I cried out, \u2018Mommy.\u2019 Andrea Wedner, synagogue congregant. Pittsburgh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
Tree of Life synagogue, Pittsburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Blood
Oregon Historic District, Dayton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of my cousins<\/strong> \u2014 the cops dragged him in the hallway when they were taking us out. I saw the bullet in his head. Jaydien Canizales, elementary school student. Uvalde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two 6- or 7-years-old girls<\/strong> followed by two older, taller boys came out the east exit and approached. One little girl was heavily blood spattered and dazed. \u2026 Her friend said that she was all right and \u2018stuff got on her.\u2019 … I told the two to hold hands and go.Paul Lukienchuk, state trooper. Newtown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kids,<\/strong> some are scared, some are quiet, some are crying, some don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on. Some thought it was a practice fire drill. But they were ready to see us. \u2026 We told them: \u2018Single file. Get your kids. Let\u2019s go. Let\u2019s go. Let\u2019s go.\u2019 Alexander Cuellar, Border Patrol agent. Uvalde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elementary
The Covenant School, Nashville. March 27, 2023. 6 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Elementary
Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Dec. 14, 2012. 26 killed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They came, these three police officers <\/strong>with long guns. … I was instructed to unlock the doorandto raisemy hands and we all came out at gunpoint and were evacuated. Marcus Kergosien, store manager. Allen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I exit the classroom,<\/strong> there\u2019s two more bodies on the right-hand side in the hallway, a girl and a boy both face down. Danielle Gilbert, high school student. Parkland.<\/em>Play\/pause button<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0:04 \/ 0:07Mute\/unmute button<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland

It was emergency vehicle sounds, <\/strong>and I couldn\u2019t even look up. I looked at my feet, and the cold air in my chest, we had no coats and we were running toward the firehouse and it was \u2014 we didn\u2019t know that it was over, so the trauma continued there. And then it\u2019s just the worst scene you can imagine. You had chaos, and kids couldn\u2019t find their siblings. Abbey Clements, teacher. Newtown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember when <\/strong>we ran out and there was the police. \u2026 The look on his face, the terror on his face. He had people under his car. In his car. And I remember him just screaming: \u2018Run for your fucking lives. Do not stop.\u2019 … I remember my mouth being bone dry and my lungs were burning and I was so physically uncomfortable and I was so thirsty and I couldn\u2019t stop. I just kept running and running and running. Heather Brown Sallan, vendor. Las Vegas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He threw me down<\/strong> on the ground and got on top of me. \u2026 I think that moment was him grabbing my face and saying, \u2018This is happening, like there are actual bullets flying at us now.\u2019 … I just remember that feeling, I swear it was the moment that photo was taken, when he opened my eyes to what was actually happening. Dani Westerman, concertgoer. Las Vegas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dani
Route 91 Harvest festival, Las Vegas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PART 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DEVASTATION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the shooting ends, police, coroners and other first responders bear witness to the destruction. They check for signs of life, attempting to separate the barely living from the dead. They collect evidence, photograph the scene and remove the bodies. A once familiar place is now forever changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
Century 16 movie theater, Aurora<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Century 16 movie theater, Aurora<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was dim.<\/strong> The movie was still playing. The alarm was going off. \u2026 I could smell the gas. … Then I began to notice the bodies. … There was blood on seats, blood on the wall, blood on the emergency exit door. Pools of blood on the floor. Annette Brook, police officer. Century 16 movie theater, Aurora, Colo.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in<\/strong> there<\/strong>, and you\u2019re, like, slipping and sliding, trying not to slip because it was bad. And just the thing I won\u2019t forget is the smell. Alexander Cuellar, Border Patrol agent. Uvalde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were shoes scattered<\/strong>, blood in the street, bodies in the street. Straight out of a nightmare. Dion Green, bar patron. Dayton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looked like a bomb went off in there<\/strong>. When you can tell the difference between, you know, when somebody is alive and somebody is dead, it\u2019s because there were pieces of people just laying everywhere. And those were the dead ones. The ones that were alive were barely moving but were moving. Rusty Duncan, volunteer firefighter. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Route 91 Harvest festival, Las Vegas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We were standing there<\/strong> looking at the scene and the phones kept ringing and ringing and ringing in the backpacks and on the desk of the parents calling their children. … They kept calling and calling and calling.Eulalio Diaz, justice of the peace and coroner. Uvalde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we were clearing the rooms,<\/strong> we came across a classroom which I thought at first was an art room because I saw a lot of red paint all over the walls and in the far left corner I thought I observed a pile of dirty laundry. \u2026 As I continued to stare at the room not being able to figure out what I was looking at, I realized that the red paint was actually blood and the pile of dirty laundry were actually dead bodies. Carlo Guerra, state trooper. Newtown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I stared in disbelief<\/strong>, I recognized the face of a little boy on top of a pile. … I then began to realize that there were other children around the little boy and that this was actually a pile of dead children. \u2026 I tried to count the number of dead between rooms #10 and #8, but my mind would not count beyond the low teens and I kept getting confused. William Cario, police sergeant. Newtown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can only imagine that gun<\/strong> being pointed down and shooting as much as you can into a body, what it would do. It\u2019ll make you unrecognizable in a heartbeat. So, yes, I believe it, because I saw it with my own eyes. Rusty Duncan, volunteer firefighter. Sutherland Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Body
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

See how other readers responded to this story and share your own thoughts.5753 Comments<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this story<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Reporting by Silvia Foster-Frau, N. Kirkpatrick and Arelis R. Hern\u00e1ndez. Additional reporting by Jon Gerberg, Holly Bailey, Robert Klemko, John Harden, Jon Swaine, Elyse Samuels, Sarah Cahlan, Joyce Lee and John Woodrow Cox. Public records requests by Nate Jones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design and development by Shikha Subramaniam and Aadit Tambe. Design editing by Madison Walls and Matthew Callahan. Visual editing by Kainaz Amaria. Additional photo editing by Robert Miller and Natalia Jimenez. Additional video editing by Angela M. Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editing by Peter Wallsten, Rosalind S. Helderman, Kainaz Amaria and Wendy Galietta. Additional editing by Jordan Melendrez, Brian Cleveland, Kim Chapman and Tom Justice. Additional support from Sarah Murray, Ashleigh Wilson, Kyley Schultz and Brandon Carter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following people were interviewed by The Post: Jaydien Canizales, Abbey Clements, David Colbath, Eulalio Diaz, Rusty Duncan, Danielle Gilbert, Dion Green, Marcus Kergosien, Arnulfo Reyes, Heather Brown Sallan, Dallas Schwartz, Daniel Seijas, Dani Westerman, Maddy Wilford and Morgan Workman. Seijas was interviewed in Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comments from Annette Brook, Anthony Burke, Daniel Leger and Andrea Wedner are drawn from court testimony. Comments from William Cario, Alexander Cuellar, Carlo Guerra, Paul Lukienchuk and Travis Shrewsbury are drawn from police investigative files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While other weapons, including various types of semiautomatic rifles, are used in violent crimes, AR-15s have been used in 10 of the 18 shootings since 2012 in which 10 or more people were killed \u2014 making it the most commonly used weapon in the country\u2019s deadliest mass killings.This data is drawn from a databasemaintained by the AP, USA Today and Northeastern University and analyzed by The Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo and video credits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction: Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Colorado; David Becker\/Getty Images; and Texas Department of Public Safety\/Obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: Texas Department of Public Safety\/Obtained by The Post; Connecticut State Police; U.S. Justice Department; Dayton Police Department; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; and Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Colorado. Videos by Las Vegas Video Archive\/YouTube; Danielle Gilbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2: Texas Department of Public Safety\/Obtained by The Post; Dayton Police Department, Jonathan Mattise\/AP; Shannon Hicks\/Newtown Bee\/Polaris; David Becker\/Getty Images. Video by Ryan Deitsch via Storyful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3: Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Colorado; Texas Department of Public Safety\/Obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Texas Department of Safety photographs were not released by the agency but were separately obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crime scene photos from the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh have been cropped to remove labels placed by investigators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video provided by Danielle Gilbert from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland was originally played in open court during the trial of the gunman. The Post spoke to four people who were in the classroom including Maddy Wilford, who identified herself as one of the wounded students who can be heard in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photograph of the large field strewn with bodies from the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas was posted on Reddit and 4chan on Oct. 2, 2017, the day after the shooting. The Post verified the time and location of the photograph by comparing it to body-camera footage, social media videos, police reports and other pictures taken at the scene. The Post could not determine the original online post or the photographer. The Post consulted Siwei Lyu, a computer science and engineering professorat the University at Buffalo and an expert on photo and video manipulation, who found no signs of manipulation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why we are publishing disturbing content from AR-15 mass shootings<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\"Silvia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Silvia Foster-Frau<\/a>Silvia Foster-Frau writes for The Washington Post about the nation\u2019s emergence as a predominantly multicultural society, exploring its changing racial, ethnic and cultural demographics, and telling the stories of everyday Americans affected by and a part of such change. Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TERROR ON REPEAT Editor\u2019s note: The photos, videos and personal accounts below are extremely disturbing and may be too upsetting for some people. Read why The Post is publishing this story. Icon: Scroll down to continue When a gunman fires an AR-15 … \u2026 a seemingly safe, familiar place instantly transforms into… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31781"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31781"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31807,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31781\/revisions\/31807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}