Ellen Interviews Las Vegas Security Guard: "I'm Doing Better Each Day"

Stephen Schuck, Jesus Campos and Ellen DeGeneres

Las Vegas security guard Jesus Campos, who first discovered the Las Vegas shooter who killed 58 and wounded hundreds in the deadliest shooting massacre in the United States, appeared on ELLEN today to share his story.

Via Billboard:

The appearance came just days after widely circulated reports that Campos -- who was shot in the leg by one of the approximately 200 bullets Paddock fired through his hotel room door several minutes before he began his Oct. 1 assault on the 22,000 fans below -- had disappeared.

"I'm doing better each day, slowly but sure, just healing physically and mentally," said Campos. The soft-spoken security guard explained that he was called to check on Paddock's room because of a security notification about the shooter's door being left open for an extended period.

Coming up from the 31st floor to the 32nd, Campos said he was unable to open the door on the stairwell, which was blocked off, a situation that raised an alarm for him. After walking around a different way, Campos said he approached the room and saw a metal bracket holding the door to the blocked stairwell in place. After calling maintenance to check it out, Campos heard what he thought were "drilling" sounds shortly after, which turned out to be gunshots fired by Paddock.

As Campos walked back down the hallway away from Paddock's room, he told DeGeneres that he heard the outer door slam, which he said caught Paddock's attention. "As I was walking down I heard rapid fire and at first I took cover, I felt a burning sensation," he said. "I went to go lift my pant leg up and I saw the blood. That's when I called it in on my radio that shots had been fired."

Campos was going to report that he was hit, but thinking fast, he used his cell phone to do so in order to keep the radio channel free. According to the revised timeline of the shooting, Campos -- who was joined and comforted during the interview by Mandalay Bay building engineer Stephen Schuck -- was shot in the leg nearly six minutes before Paddock began firing from his hotel room window.

Watch the interview below.

Mike Huckabee: I've Never Heard Any Pro-Lifer Suggest Attacking Planned Parenthood

“I don’t know any pro-life leader, any - if you can tell me one, please correct me - but I don’t know of anybody who has suggested violence toward Planned Parenthood personnel.”

I think The Huckster is walking a fine line there. He may not want to name a "pro-life leader" but he knows there are those in that tribe that call for violence to close down Planned Parenthood. That's not news to anyone.

(h/t JMG)

Suspected WDBJ Shooter Dead From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

Apparent #WDBJ shooting suspect has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials say: http://t.co/oGjNAHxHVE https://t.co/4uEfbtIrAP

— CNN (@CNN) August 26, 2015

Army Warns Recruiters: Treat Armed Civilians At Security Threat

I know I would feel safer with this crew standing guard

Earlier today an armed civilian who appointed himself as a guard for a military recruitment center in Lancaster, Ohio, was ordered off the property after he accidentally discharged his rifle on Thursday.

No one was injured.

Christopher A. Reed, 28, of Lancaster, was charged with discharging a firearm in the city limits, and was issued a summons to appear in Fairfield County Municipal Court on Tuesday, after he accidentally fired his AR-15 rifle.

The shopping-center owner issued a statement saying it was decided that “for the safety of tenants, customers and construction personnel working in the immediate vicinity of the Military Recruiting Center, it would be best to request the removal of the armed individuals.”

Because, after all, what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

According to Stars and Stripes, Army has warned its recruiters to treat gun-toting civilians gathering at centers across the country in the wake of the Chattanooga, Tenn., shooting as a security threat.

Soldiers should avoid anyone standing outside the recruiting centers attempting to offer protection and report them to local law enforcement and the command if they feel threatened, according to a U.S. Army Recruiting Command policy letter issued Monday.

Armed citizens — some associated with activist groups and militias — were standing vigil outside recruiting centers in Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Idaho and elsewhere this week, saying they want to provide protection to servicemembers barred from carrying firearms on duty.

Four Marines and a sailor were killed by Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, a 24-year-old Kuwait-born resident of Tennessee, during an attack Thursday on a strip mall recruiting center and a Navy facility that is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

President Obama Orders Flags Flown At Half-Mast Honoring Chattanooga Shooting Victims

GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Perry Calls South Carolina Shooting "An Accident"

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry

“This is the M.O. of this administration, any time there is an accident like this — the president is clear, he doesn’t like for Americans to have guns and so he uses every opportunity, this being another one, to basically go parrot that message.” - GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry in response to President Barack Obama’s Thursday remarks.

Perry also shifted the discussion from guns to drugs, saying, "It seems to me, again without having all the details about this, that these individuals have been medicated and there may be a real issue in this country from the standpoint of these drugs and how they’re used.”

More at Right Wing Watch.

South Carolina: Nine Dead In Hate Crime At Church Shooting

Police in Charleston, South Carolina say a white gunman killed nine African-Americans during a Bible study class at an historic black church on Wednesday night.

Police are searching for a white male, approximately 21 years old, with sandy blond hair. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

More at CNN.

UPDATE:

The suspect, Dylan Storm Roof, had been apprehended about 245 miles northwest of Charleston, according to USA Today.

Police said the suspect, from Columbia, S.C., had been sought in a black Hyundai with vehicle tag LGF330 and appealed to the public for any information on his whereabouts.

A Facebook page for a Dylann Roof' carries a photo of a young man in a bowl-like haircut similar to the image in a surveillance photo outside the Emanuel AME church just before the killings Wednesday night. The page says he attended White Knoll High School in Lexington.

The Facebook page also carries a photo of Roof standing in in front of a swamp forest wearing a jacket with patches of the racist-era flags of South Africa and Rhodesia, the one white-ruled country now called Zimbabwe.

White House Condemns Shooting At Texas Muhammad Cartoon Contest

The White House on Monday condemned a shooting at a controversial cartoon contest in Texas, saying that while Muslims may have found the event offensive there is no justification for violence.

Two gunmen were shot and killed by a security guard Sunday night after opening fire at a Garland event that offered a $10,000 prize for the best cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. One security guard was injured in the assault.

“We have seen extremists try to use expressions that they considered to be offensive as a way to justify violence not only in this country but around the world, and in the mind of the president there is no form of expression that would justify an act of violence,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We saw a pretty important and notable display of bravery on the part of first responders and … because of their courage the only person that was injured by these gunmen was a security officer.”

(via Washington Post)

Missouri: Arrest Made In Shooting of Two Police Officers In Ferguson

An arrest has been made in connection with the shooting of two police officers in #Ferguson. Thank you for your help. #saferstl

— St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) March 15, 2015

From MSNBC: St. Louis County Police said on Sunday afternoon that an arrest had been made in connection to the Ferguson, Missouri police shooting of two officers last week.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch and St. Louis County Chief of Police Jon Belmar will hold a press conference Sunday at 1:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET).

Missouri: Officer Darren Wilson Resigns From Ferguson Police Department

Darren Wilson, the Missouri police officer who killed an unarmed black teen, has resigned, his lawyer says. http://t.co/Jk67R2RBs5

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 30, 2014

Statement From Officer Darren Wilson's Attorneys On Ferguson Shooting

"Law enforcement personnel must frequently make split-second and difficult decisions. Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law."

Grand Jury Decision In Ferguson Shooting Incident Reaches Decision

The grand jury deliberating whether to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown has reached a decision, CNN and The Washington Post report.

Stay calm, everyone...

Law enforcement officials tell CNN a decision by grand jury in the Ferguson case is expected to be announced today. http://t.co/XDYVyY0UNW

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 24, 2014

Things Could Get Ugly Down In Missouri Soon

Missouri governor activates National Guard before grand jury decision on Michael Brown shooting: http://t.co/v4iYoO8sgj
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 17, 2014

Mo. governor activates National Guard in advance of Ferguson grand jury decision about shooting of Michael Brown http://t.co/iLWYjjGwy2

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 17, 2014

BREAKING: Shooting At Washington State High School

BREAKING: Washington State high school on lockdown after reports of shooting on or near campus: Seattle Times newspaper
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 24, 2014

According to the Seattle Times, the gunman appears to have shot himself to death after injuring several at Marysville-Pilchuck High School:

A gunman believed to have opened fire at Marysville-Pilchuck High School Friday morning is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to two law-enforcement sources.

Police have not released details, but there are reports of as many as seven other people shot about 10:45 a.m.

Three of the injured were taken by ambulance to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, including one with a head wound.

Canada Mourns For Murdered Cpl. Nathan Cirillo

With flags flying at half-mast, Canada mourns the murder Cpl. Nathan Cirillo after yesterday's terrifying shooting in Ottawa at Parliament.

On Sunday, we asked a very handsome guard for a picture with my friend visiting from Cali - RIP Nathan Cirillo pic.twitter.com/q80EZ6nwmo
— Megan Underwood (@megunder) October 22, 2014

Guns don't kill people, 9 year old girls do

A gun instructor has been shot and killed by a nine year old girl who was getting a lesson on how to use an Uzi.

Charles Vacca, 39, of Lake Havasu City was shot Monday morning, airlifted to a medical center in Las Vegas and pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

Vacca was working at the Bullets and Burgers outdoor range in White Hills, about 60 miles southeast of Las Vegas, when the accident occurred. The girl and her parents were at the range while on vacation, a sheriff’s spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times.

He was standing next to the girl, instructing her how to use the Uzi, when she pulled the gun’s trigger and the recoil sent the weapon over her head, causing him to be shot, the sheriff’s office said.

“This is a rarity for something like this to happen,” the spokeswoman said.

You have to be 18 to join the armed forces; you have to be 21 to drink in most states; you have to be 16 to drive a car legally in most states; but with no regulation whatsoever, you can hand an Uzi to a 9 year old girl?

FYI - Bullets and Burgers hosts children's birthday parties.

Because, what could possibly go wrong?

Possible audio recording of Michael Brown shooting surfaces

It is possible a recording of the actual shots fired at Michael Brown may have just surfaced.

According to CNN, an unidentified man, who has since been interviewed by the FBI, may have inadvertently  recorded the incident in which Michael Brown was shot by Officer Darren Wilson earlier this month.

The most interesting aspect of the short recording is what appears to be two separate, distinct sets gunfire from Officer Darren Wilson's weapon.

From CNN:

In the recording, a quick series of shots can be heard, followed by a pause and then another quick succession of shots.

Forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg analyzed the recording and said he detected at least 10 gunshots -- a cluster of six, followed by four.

The man who recorded the shooting was talking to someone on video chat when the sounds of gunfire erupted in the background. The Daily Mail added:

Lopa Blumenthal, the attorney for the unidentified man who recorded the alleged gunfire nearby said that she believed the audio shows, if it is authentic, that Officer Wilson had a clear 'point of contemplation' while pulling the trigger and aiming at Brown."

Watch a portion of the report on CNN below:

(via The Wire)

Missouri Gov. Nixon disagreed with the release of convenience store robbery video

Gov. Nixon of Missouri addresses the latest developments in the Michael Brown shooting debacle, including the release of video allegedly showing Brown stealing cigars from a shop.

Nixon said he and the Justice Department disapproved of the video's release as it only served to somehow disparage the character of the shooting victim.

We and our security team and the highway patrol didn’t know that was going to be released, and I don’t think the Attorney General knew that. Quite frankly we disagree deeply I think for 2 reasons. Number one to attempt in essence to disparage the character in the middle of a process like this is not right. It’s just not right. And secondarily it did put the community and, quite frankly, the region and the nation on alert again. These are old wounds, these are deep wounds in these communities and that action was not helpful.

Ferguson, Missouri, police fire tear gas on news crew, dismantle equipment and point camera to the ground

Why would police in Ferguson, Missouri, fire tear gas at a news crew, run them off, them come in specifically to turn off the lights and point the news camera down?

Is there something to hide?

(via KSDK.com)

LGBT Advocacy Groups issue letter in support of slain Missouri teenager Michael Brown

18 year old Michael Brown

LGBT advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, GLAAD, Center for Black Equity, Inc., PFLAG National and more have issued a statement in support of slain Missouri teenager Michael Brown and his family.

The shooting death of Brown has inflamed racial tensions across the country. The letter calls for a swift and thorough investigation.

When communities experience fear, harassment and brutality simply because of who they are or how they look, we are failing as a nation. In light of the recent events in Missouri, it is clearer than ever that there is something profoundly wrong in our country.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community cannot be silent at this moment, because LGBT people come from all races, creeds, faiths and backgrounds, and because all movements of equality are deeply connected. We are all part of the fabric of this nation and the promise of liberty and justice for all is yet to be fulfilled.

The LGBT community stands with the family of Michael Brown, who was gunned down in Ferguson, Missouri. We stand with the mothers and fathers of young Black men and women who fear for the safety of their children each time they leave their homes. We call on the national and local media to be responsible and steadfast in their coverage of this story and others like it--racialized killings that have marred this nation since the beginning of its history. We call on policy makers on all levels of American government not to shrink from action, and we are deeply grateful to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice for their immediate commitment to a thorough investigation.

At this moment, we are inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies ... but the silence of our friends.”

The letter is signed by the following:

ACLU
AIDS United
Center for Black Equity, Inc.
Courage Campaign
Equality Federation
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
GLAAD
GMHC
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality Human Rights Campaign
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Minority AIDS Council
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) PFLAG National
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
Soulforce
Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
Trans People of Color Coalition
Transgender Law Center
Trevor Project