AL deals with rash of shootings since Fri injuring/killing 3 kids,

Since court cases are often won by arguing preponderance of the evidence, it may prove useful to draw attention to these everyday situations each time they happen, as was suggested in an earlier post.

Alabama is one of those states that does NOT have an "opt-out" gun law in place for such institutions as businesses, schools, hospitals and other public gatherings who wish to circumvent existing lax concealed carry law by declaring a "gun-free zone" policy and posting a sign.  In most states, even those provisions carry no enforcement bite, since carriers are simply asked to leave, and face no fines or sentencing when they are found to be in violation.  Therefore, when Jason Letts entered St Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham yesterday morning, the gun he carried with him was perfectly legal.  The shooting and subsequent injuries sustained by a police officer and two employees....not so much.  Another officer shot Letts dead on the scene while horrified cardiac patients within earshot endured a rather eventful hospital stay, one they had no way of anticipating when they signed their admission papers.  Wonder if the hospital will face any costly lawsuits behind the incident, the expenses of which future patients counld end up having pass on to them?  

A few hours later, a man armed with the aforementioned AK47 led police on a 3-hour chase after killing 3 men at a trailer park and injuring a baby who had not yet reached its second birthday.  During the chase, the shooter crashed his first car at a busy intersection and fired on one of the officers in pursuit, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition.  Naturally, the other officers returned fire but, thankfully, no innocent bystanders were struck by stray bullets.  Not this time.  However, the shooter did carjack another vehicle, leaving its shaken traumatized occupants stranded on foot.  He crashed their car into another vehicle about 5 minutes later.  No details if those folks were hurt or not were given.  This time he tried exiting the car with AK47 in hand, when officers finally shot him dead.

On Friday, a mom and her two kids, ages 3 and 4, were slaughtered in their Homewood AL apartment home.  A neighbor, who had the misfortune to discover the grisly crime and report it, is being held in "protective custody."  Meanwhile, the shooter and his gun (type unknown) are roaming around in the free world while the investigation is underway.    

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/12/alabama-hospital-shooting-gunman-wounds-3-people-police-say--83148.html