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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Time Warner Austin's news channel story

Posted: 12/12/2003 1:13:06 PM EDT

Austin's local news channel is like many others in Time Warner areas - a 24 hour channel dedicated to local news, weather, and sports. I turned it on this morning to check the weather and came across a story you might find interesting.

Million Mom March speaks out on shooting death
12/11/2003 2:41 PM
By: Erin Ochoa

Wednesday’s shooting death of a young woman in North Austin has sparked the interest of the Million Mom March. Police say she was killed by her former boyfriend.

The MMM works to pass laws that will prevent gun violence and believe this is a tragedy that could have been prevented.

“These incidences are all preventable - we just need to move on them and we need to do something about them," Anna Astalas of the Million Mom March of Central Texas said.

Astalas is the chair of the lobby committee. She hopes Wednesday's tragedy will translate into action.

Alvaro Lee Contreras, 18, is charged with the murder of Marivel Vargas, his former girlfriend. Police said he shot her Wednesday morning in the parking lot of a North Austin office complex at MoPac and Steck Avenue.

"I think we've become sort of immune to these type of deaths and injuries and we no longer are concerned in preventing these types of incidences from occurring," Astalas said.

With no waiting period, safety training requirement or background checks at gun shows, the Million Mom March wants to educate the public on state gun laws.

Contreras was old enough to own a gun, but Astalas said the shooting raises some serious questions.

"We would like to know where did this perpetrator obtain this gun - number one. Number two, did he have a criminal background? Did he have a mental health history? Did he have a domestic violence history?" she said.

Police are now investigating these questions. After a 12-hour standoff at a Southeast Austin home, officers discovered the suspect was not in the house.

Opponents of gun control laws have long argued that weakening gun ownership rights will only cause more crime.

But the MMM said it's just too easy to get a gun in Texas and many other states.

"These incidences occur because of easy access laws that are completely inadequate and child safety laws that are completely inadequate in our state and our nation and these need to be addressed, and we need to demand it," Astalas said.

Police are still looking for Contreras. He is still at large and considered armed and dangerous.

Any information on his whereabouts should be reported to the APD homicide tip line at (512) 477-3588 or call 911.

Re "incidences" - you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Gloftoe says I may have just bought the family a satellite system for Christmas.

Posted: 12/12/2003 1:33:54 PM EDT

[#1]

Wow, nothing like empowering women to defend themselves. A young woman caught in a domestic violence situation with an abusive partner and possibly pregnant (wasn't in the article, but it makes sense) and the problem is...

gun laws.
Thank you, I'll be here all week. [stick]

Posted: 12/12/2003 1:46:26 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Re "incidences" - you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

View Quote

I agree with you, [b]MrsGloftoe[/b]. There is an increasing incidence of these incidents when incidence is used instead of incidents. 'Incidences" is not a word at all, anyway.

Posted: 12/12/2003 1:47:46 PM EDT

[#3]

And where is the MMM when spouses and girlfriends are being beaten, stabbed, or killed with something other than a gun, which is FAR more common? Oops... I guess they don't REALLY care about the women; they just want the guns.

Who'da thunk it?

-Troy

Posted: 12/12/2003 1:52:46 PM EDT

[#4]

This is just a no f*cking brainer ... If she'd had a gun she could have probably prevented it.

I know, I wasn't there, I don't know the circumstances, etc etc etc but these things (and worse if you ask me, rapes) [b]really[/b] piss me off.

The ultimate in democracy, the ultimate equalizer -- and they want to freakin ban them all.

Unbelievable.

Posted: 12/12/2003 5:26:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I remember when that one was airing yesterday. My wife started yelling "get in here" to me followed by "What! Would you have been happy if the **hole used a knife?"

The real issue is that if the commie Travis County judge wouldn't have reduced this guy's bond to $2500 a month ago when this piece of dung assaulted a Deputy and tried to take his weapon, while defending his 4-pound stash of weed and ounce of Coke, the accused murderer would have been locked up in Del Valle, awaiting trial, and wouldn't have been able to murder his girlfriend.

View Quote

DAMN! and now we know...the [i]rest[/i] of the story.
What a waste.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Time Warner Austin's news channel story

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