Eric Holder Calls Sikh Temple Shooting a Hate Crime at Memorial

Holder speaking at today's memorial.

At a large memorial service for the victims of the Sikh temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Attorney General Eric Holder described the attack, which was carried out by white supremacist Wade Michael Page, as "an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime." Calling the incident "the very worst of human kind," he went on to say that, "In the recent past, too many Sikhs have been targeted, victimized simply because of how they looked and what they believed." All that aside, Holder, who said he was appearing on behalf of President Obama, stopped short of making a substantive statement on gun control, instead focusing on the more nebulous — and difficult, if not impossible — project of "changing the hearts" of those motivated to commit senseless crimes. 

Governor Scott Walker also addressed the crowd — gathered in a high school gym where the coffins of the six people killed were displayed alongside their photos — praising the Sikh community for "[showing] us the best way to respond is with love" — and Jesse Jackson led a closing prayer. Jackson also made a Thursday visit to the temple, after which he said, "It's easy to be polite to say 'We're so sorry this happened' and give the same speech at the next killing a month from now." He added that it was time to move from "politeness to a change in policy."

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Jared Loughner Pleads Guilty to Arizona Shooting, Avoids Death Penalty

After more than a year of medication and psychological evaluations, Jared Lee Loughner was deemed competent to stand trial and pleaded guilty today to nineteen counts in the 2011 massacre that killed six people and wounded thirteen, including former Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Loughner, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, will serve life in prison with no parole under the deal, but cannot be put to death. "Gabby and I have been in contact with the US Attorneys' Office throughout this process. We don't speak for all of the victims or their families, but Gabby and I are satisfied with this plea agreement," said Giffords's husband Mark Kelly in a statement. "The pain and loss caused by the events of January 8, 2011 are incalculable. Avoiding a trial will allow us — and we hope the whole Southern Arizona community — to continue with our recovery and move forward with our lives."

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America in 2012: City of Houston Releases Video on What to Do During an Office Shooting

The city of Houston and the Department of Homeland Security have teamed up to produce this pretty intense public-service video on how to respond in the event that a gunman goes on a rampage at your office, and even though the massacre in Aurora didn't take place in an office setting, this does seem like well-timed advice. According to the video, the three best options are, in order: run, hide, or fight. Do not just continue working as normal.

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Aurora Shooting Copycats: Part III

This week, the cops arrested a 49-year-old Maine man and a 60-year-old Department of Education employee for planning crimes inspired by James Holmes, the 24-year-old Aurora shooter. Now Maryland police say they've arrested 28-year-old Neil Prescott, who calls himself "the Joker," for threatening his former boss by saying, "I'm gonna load my guns [of which he has 20] and blow everybody up." There was also a little something about his "brains splatter[ing] all over the sidewalk." And perhaps the most worrying detail of all: When the police arrived at Prescott's apartment to arrest him, Prescott answered the door wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan, "Guns don't kill people. I do."

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