Why the Route 66 shooting got so much attention…
The shooting at Route 66 is still getting public attention beyond the fact that two men have been charged. When I watched FOX Toledo’s coverage of local ministers met in the parking lot this part caught my attention:
The church leaders met in the parking lot of that bar Thursday afternoon. They say what happened is not Toledo, is not the norm for this community and is hurting those that live here.
Bar shootings happen everywhere, sometimes they happen similar to this one where shots are fired and no one is hurt. The only reason this particular episode of a shooting got national and so much local attention was because there was video…Some recent examples that came up when searching bar shootings that didn’t get national attention are below…
In Tracy, California, shots were fired with seven people being injured and one later died at least eight shots were fired through a door after people had been ejected from the bar, three were arrested. No national coverage, no video released. Tulsa Police Officer, Two Other Victims Recovering After Weekend Shooting. In Tulsa an off duty police officer was picking up his wife who worked at the bar and was shot in the cross fire of eight to 10 shots fired into the building. Why didn’t that make national news? There was no video, though it does go to show you, even with a police officer there, shootings happen. In the town of Hazelton, Shots fired, stabbing reported outside Hazleton bar. No national media coverage on that October 10th incident…October 10th, Madison, Wisconsin news reported a multitude of shots fired, with no one injured. No video, no national coverage. In Mishawaka, IN on October 2nd, Shots fired outside of Blue Jeans Bar & Grill no one appeared to have been injured but they found over a dozen shell casings from bullets. No video so no national coverage…
It’s ironic that the very video that could help identify those who were responsible ended up being what brought national negative attention to Toledo when bar shootings are not that rare…Part of that is the fact that it’s being presented as something that was not so rare, when the real truth is? The only rare aspect was having video to share.
Everyone loves a video.
Even though the shooting was a bad thing, it’s a good thing that the owner of the bar did have the video cameras up and running.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:07 pm