2 Federal Marshals Shot In Las Vegas Courthouse - cbs2.com

All Courthouses have screeners screening for weapons when entering. How did someone get through with a shotgun?

That's awful!! At our courthouse, the screening is right as you come in the door. You stand in line. Perhaps the shooter had gotten to the door and hadn't been screened yet.

My son is in law enforcement and every day I pray that he'll be safe. There are plenty of crazies out there.

Maybe the courthouse is like ours here. You can get part way in the building before you get to security.
Judy

I thought all the security stations are right at the door. At least all the ones I've been to are.

On another note, the security guard and gunman have died.

What can I say. Small town, small town thinking. They don't think it will happen here.
Our courthouse is part of the police station. There is a lobby. One way goes to the police, the other to the court.
Judy

You have to go through a metal detector and take everything out of your pockets to go into the courthouse in Eugene. Even if you are going into one of the city or county offices housed there and not entering the courtroom. The tax office, sheriff's dept., admin., anything.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

some court houses allow entrance into the building, but before you can go into any offices or courtrooms you have to go through the security screening/metal detectors....

Others have security at the entrance. Of course, if this person entered as some sort of service entrance--there may not have been any security screening.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Interesting - I never thought of that. All courthouses in this area are large stand alone structures. No other agencies are in those buildings. I guess I thought it was the same all over.

This was in a federal building in Las Vegas. The article says he walked in the front door and just started shooting. So sad....

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Kim

Most Federal buildings have entrance areas where you place your items for screening and go thru a metal detector. So, it would be easy to get through the front door with a shotgun. Then, since Federal buildings are pretty sleepy places, it would be easy to catch the guards by surprise and start shooting. Most don't have a guard aiming at the door and ready for a nutjob who busts in shooting.

At my building, there is a place for visitors to walk through a metal detector and to have their bags screened, but right next to it is a huge walk through area for the employees with badges. Someone could get off quite a few shots before being taken down.

There are 100's of Federa buildings in the US. Without having guards with guns drawn at all times whose sole duty is to keep aimed at the entrance, things like this can't be avoided. Sad, but crazy's happen.

That was my first thought - that he came in ready to fire. Most security checks are based on finding hidden weapons and bombs. It's harder to stop someone who makes no attempt to hide the fact that they're there to kill and are prepared to die themselves.

Ours is a small town, the screener is right inside the door. EVERY time I go in there, taxes, tags and such the retired police officer sitting in the chair just waves me on thru as if I am his child. I honestly don't know this man, he was retired before I even moved here. I always just walk right thru the screener and all the junk in my pockets sets off the alarm everytime and he just laughs. Yes, it gives me a good feeling that he has no problem with me setting off the alarms, I wouldn't do anytning wrong anyway, but I have wondered about things like that happening here. It is just sad to me that there are so many bad people in this world.

Ours is in the flipping state capitol---and no entrances have metal detectors, and only a couple of the courtrooms have metal detectors. It is right beside the law enforcement center--however, in the 3-5 minutes it would take for officers to respond several people could get shot.
That is the city/county/state courthouse. Of course, this state has very liberal concealed weapon laws. It's nothing in some of the smaller towns to see people walking around w/ their six gun strapped to their side--just like in an old western movie.

I have not been in the Federal Courthouse, so I don't know

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

A little off topic, but, I think many of the "security" measures in place for the public are laughable. I am more referring to the airlines, than this situation. Just google TSA theft, and you will see what I mean. Think about it, if they are stealing people's clothes, how long will it take for a terrorist to get into the system or worse yet, a terrorist to offer up the right amount of money to a TSA screener, and they plant "something".

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Your are so right.
It seems that the "security measures" are simply there to make the public think something is being done when in reality it's just a show. Those terrorists are always at least one step ahead of us so it's not going to bother them that they can't get up in the last hour of a flight or put anything on their laps. That is only going to inconvenience everyone else.
What would make more sense is to monitor the names of people going on flights and to pay attention when someone's FATHER calls and says "my son is a terrorist don't let him on the plane". Duh! I didn't go to spy school but I can figure that much out.
And at the risk of being not PC I say Profile Profile Profile. The only terrorist I can think of that was not a Muslim extremist was Tim McVey.
Back in the 60s and 70s on the East Coast the Mafia was big a lot of Italians got profiled. Back in the 80s in Florida the Cuban coke dealers were big. Cuban looking men driving IROCs were profiled.
If a group of middle aged beautiful white women were all of sudden killing people I would expect to be profiled.
It just doesn't make sense to "be fair" about this. White haired grandma and soccer Mom with kids and beer bellied Uncle Bob have never committed terrorist acts so they should be allowed to board the plane with a minimum of invasion and inconvenience. And I'm sorry but everyone who resembles a terrorist should be detained.


What a coincidence check this out

Joan Rivers, a.k.a. Joan Rosenberg, a.k.a. Potential Terrorist


http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/01...rosenberg.html

Because we all know that old white rich Jewish women are apt to terrorist acts right? There's your airport security. Rich old white Jewish woman gets detained while man whose father called everywhere he think of to report his son is a terrorist gets on the plane.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.