VIRGINIA BEACH
The man who police say opened fire on apartment complex workers last week, killing two and wounding three before killing himself, had an additional gun and plenty of ammunition, according to court documents.
"As bad as it was, it could have been worse," said Adam Bernstein, police spokesman.
William T. Smith, 52, shot at workers with two semi-automatic weapons in the Thalia Gardens apartment complex last Wednesday. They had been attempting to inspect the unit where he was living, police said.
After the shooting, police searched the apartment and found another rifle and scope, two boxes of ammunition, two fully loaded "banana" magazines, a rifle stock and barrel, a gas mask, $335 in cash, and a cardboard box of writings, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Smith, firing an AK-47 assault rifle and a MAC-10 semi-automatic pistol, killed Rebecca Hughes, 32, and Sam Shestul, 63, both maintenance workers at the complex, before apparently fatally shooting himself.
Police did not release any information on the content of the writings or photos of the items seized. They have not said where Smith got the guns and whether he had them legally.
The apartment was leased to Smith's mother, police said. Her lease, due to expire March 31, was not going to be renewed because of noise complaints, according to officials with S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co., the property manager.
The day of the shooting, Smith's mother called from New York to authorize an inspection of the unit in order to get her deposit back, officials said.
The first time workers went to the door to do the inspection, Smith was naked, said family members of Hughes. When they went back an hour later, Smith, who had dressed, began shooting.
Hughes was killed in the parking lot. Police found Shestul and Smith dead inside the breezeway of the apartment building, about 10 feet from the open front door of the unit, according to court documents.
At least one neighbor had complained in writing to the apartment management as early as June about strange noises coming from the unit where Smith was living.
Marcia Elsbery said she heard incessant pounding on the walls and a man frequently crying and groaning. She said she never actually saw the man because the window was blocked with a cloth and he never answered his door.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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georges61555 said, "Your
georges61555 said, "Your opinions are no more important than mine, but you definitely think your's are."
Wow, you know what I am thinking!?!?! Why is it when people like you meet up with people like me, who only provides facts and prefaces opinions with 'I believe', do you change you tactics to silly personal attacks?
The only thing I have against you is; you want to take away or infringe upon my rights. Rights that were guaranteed by the Founding Fathers and the rights that everyone who has served in the Military defended.
RE: You are dead wrong
"Fair enough georges61555, you have exercised your first amendment right to promote squashing my second amendment right and I am exercising my first amendment right to tell you that I believe you are dead wrong."
Trust me, I could careless what you think. Your opinions are no more important than mine, but you definitely think your's are.
I believe you are dead wrong.
Fair enough georges61555, you have exercised your first amendment right to promote squashing my second amendment right and I am exercising my first amendment right to tell you that I believe you are dead wrong.
Something I posted in the past
When it comes to the lack of gun control mental health is a major problem. Some people register guns, and there are guns you can buy that don't require any permit. Life happens and lives change even to those who have registered a gun, have a permit for one, and at the time were law abiding citizens. The mental stability of an individual can rapidly change under some circumstances. Do I think ALL guns should be registered? Yes! Do I think ALL guns should require a permit? Yes! Should such registrations and permits be updated? Absolutely yes! Do I think there should be a database for ALL guns? Absolutely yes! As we know the right to bear arms is legal, but does the owner still have a legal right to own one? With a national database, names can be added and pulled as circumstances change. Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I have an obligation to justify my thoughts, feelings or opinions. Please understand that should I not respond to your questions.
georges61555, "Can you
georges61555, "Can you provide me proof that gun violence in D.C. would decrease if guns were legal?"
Yes I can!!! Look at the stats before and after the banned was put into effect!!!! When the criminals know that you, a law bidding citizen, cannot carry a gun, they have free reign! Why do you refuse to see that?
With the VA Tech shooting, did you notice that NO LAW BIDDING CITIZEN had a gun to stop the crazed killer??? Did you notice the outcome? 32 Law bidding citizens killed because no one NOT CRAZY was carrying a firearm.
Please; Define your ideas for gun control! But make sure you leave the Feds out of it, we all know what happens when the feds know too much. "HITLER!" to name just one. I have no problems with states sharing information, so don't use that as a reason. They should share any information on firearms that they do with driver's licenses; and that is; they share nothing until the person breaks the law.
Pappy62
If one mentally ill person like the Va Tech killer has a gun than that's one too many. How many own guns? I don't have a clue, but you know and I know it's true. Can you provide me proof that gun violence in D.C. would decrease if guns were legal? No you cannot and neither can I. The problem with gun advocates is they want absolute contol of that right to bear arms, and I'm sorry, but it is my humble opinion that there should be more gun contol laws. Like it or not that's how I feel and if I had my way, and maybe one of these days I will, there would be a national data base on ALL guns. If you want to own them, then lets keep a record of them.
georges61555!?!?
georges61555, do you have any proof to back up your claims? Or are you just guessing and we are all supposed to believe you?
georges61555, "The sad fact is there are many mentally ill people with guns" True. How many? What is the percentage of the population in the U.S.? If you do not know, then your claim is completely meaningless.
georges61555, "and some of them have a license or permit to have them." True. How many? What is the percentage of the population in the U.S.? If you do not know, then your claim is completely meaningless.
georges61555, "To me that's a part of the problem when it comes to a need for gun contol." So far there has been no law that I know of that has taken the guns out of the bad guy's hands. They have only served to take them out of law bidding citizen's hands. D.C. is a great example of 'Gun Control' and all the crooks thank people like you who took the guns out the victim's hands and left them defenseless.
RE: Holy Cow Georges
"Why not make the story about a crazy man instead of clouding the story with personal opinions about firearms?"
My comment was in regard to another post. The man was mentally ill and I would never dispute that. The sad fact is there are many mentally ill people with guns and some of them have a license or permit to have them. To me that's a part of the problem when it comes to a need for gun contol.
Holy Cow georges!!
"He killed 2 innocent people then himself. Holy Cow, that's enough don't you think?"
Why add useless fluff to the story? I have more ammo in my house than that and I just shoot at a shooting club on Monday nights. Why not make the story about a crazy man instead of clouding the story with personal opinions about firearms?
RE:Holy Cow
He killed 2 innocent people then himself. Holy Cow, that's enough don't you think?
Holy COW!!!
"...police searched the apartment and found another rifle and scope, two boxes of ammunition, two fully loaded "banana" magazines, a rifle stock and barrel..." WOW! I mean that's a TON of stuff... You mean he actually had three whole guns?!?!? And TWO boxes of ammo??? What kind of sick society are we living in that anyone can buy TWO WHOLE BOXES of ammo?!?! I mean that's 40 bullets!!! Add the "bananna" clips (which come in 4-5 different sizes actually) and you might have another 20-300 rounds!!! He could have killed us ALL!!! Thank you Pilot for not hyping this up to unreasonable proportions!
Responsibility
With each new revelation about this incident we find a lack of responsibility in people who could have done something to prevent this. The mother who vacated the apartment, apparently leaving her son and his arsenal for someone else to worry about and the apartment management who apparently felt that pounding on the walls, with frequent crying and groaning was a normal situation requiring no investigation or intervention, leaves a lot to be desired on the part of both the lessor and the lessee. The apartment manager paid the ultimate price for her responsibility. Now we need the mother to explain her lack of responsibility for her inattention to her obviously impared son and his arsenal, in her home.
So What
Don't get me wrong it's a terrible tragedy but unless it is determined that he was in possession of the firearms illegally ie: convicted felon or diagnosed mentally ill by a Dr. not the general public then so what I'm sure many people across the area have more than a few firearms and ammo in their house.
Kmart
You can buy a rifle and ammo at Kmart. No invasive government tracking required. People all around any randomly selected neighborhood also own such things with no problems. The exception absolutely never proves the rule for rational thinkers.
Had more guns and ammo
If there was a National database perhaps they could be traced to where he got them from.
When will the General Assembly learn?
When are we, as a society, going to learn that the mentally ill must be confined to a hospital for the insane. Smith was obviously out of his mind, yet state law (and the ACLU) make it almost impossible to involuntarily commit anyone unless it can be PROVEN they are a danger to themselves or others. Even with the law changes made this year in the legislature, it is still nearly impossible. Basically, authorities can only (effectively) act after the person commits an act of violence. Then it is too late. Great damage, injury or death is already done. Society can be compassionate and protect public safety at the same time. Compassion for the mentally ill and safety for the public are NOT mutually exclusive!