Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Yes, but unless you were in the zoo, you are not qualified to comment on what happened in the zoo. Of course, if you were in the zoo, comment away.

Wait - someone isn't qualified to comment on the news unless s/he was there? Come on.

Now you are just being difficult. There have been comments in this thread saying that such and such was happening in the zoo that were made by posters not in a position to know. Those accounts were contradicted by posters who were in the zoo. What good is uninformed speculation and unfounded claims?

As I said in my first post in this thread, there are a few posters who seem to be showing a great deal of glee about today's event. You would almost think that they would have been disappointed had today's event go off without a hitch. Similarly, there is an unfortunate eagerness to rub black peoples' faces in it. None of this is helpful.

We don't know if the shooting was connected to the event at the zoo. We don't know if last week's shooting was connected to today's. We don't know a lot of things. So, let's just ease off a bit with comments about things we don't know.

Here's cell phone video of mayhem outside the zoo courtesy of PoPville:

http://www.popville.com/2014/04/reader-report-gunshots-fired-by-woodley-park-metro-around-5pm/

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Yes, but unless you were in the zoo, you are not qualified to comment on what happened in the zoo. Of course, if you were in the zoo, comment away.

We were not inside the zoo but right outside when all i described happened. Who are you to tell me what my kid and i saw and felt and what we didnt? Why do you even participate in this thread unless you were right in or out of the zoo?

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Yes, but unless you were in the zoo, you are not qualified to comment on what happened in the zoo. Of course, if you were in the zoo, comment away.

Wait - someone isn't qualified to comment on the news unless s/he was there? Come on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in my car on Connecticut right after the shooting. It's odd how none of the new sources report on the almost riot atmosphere that occurred afterwards. People flooded the streets stopping all traffic, banging on car windows, climbing on car hoods. They were not scared either but in party mode. It was terrifying.

Last year my cousins were from Indiana were visiting DC at Easter. The next day, they did the tourist thing and visited the zoo. They said that the whole atmosphere was scary, and vowed they would never go back. I tried to convince them that the zoo is normally very safe. And last year, there was no shooting.

Scary - code for full of black people.

God this thread is disgusting.

I would think "scary"is code for an overwhelming police presence, armed "youth" and an atmosphere of tension and mayhem that (as today) flares into gun violence. Does that work?

Let me guess - you weren't there today or any other Easter Monday. Yes there were extra police out front, no I did not notice many police inside, nor did I know there were armed youth of course, there was no tension or mayhem for the several hours I was there and no, gun violence does not break out each year. You people are insane. I get the feeling a lot of racist people sit around and wait for situations like this so they can pat themselves on the back for their racism.

Are you crazy? I am a different PP, and live by the zoo. This happens every year. This year it even started earlier - some thugs (AA, sorry) fired five shots and terrorized neighbors last week, which is why there was so much police today. And today it happened again. Stop the BS. If you love violence and harassment, do so in your hood, dont impose it on others.

I doubt this "event" will be allowed again next year. At some point, enough is enough, whatever you want to call it.

=!

Do we have new standards? As in, do not comment on an event if you weren't there.

Anonymous wrote:How about some facts?
(I don't actually know the answers, but maybe someone else does.)

In the past 15-20 years, how many times have there been shootings at the zoo?

How many of those episodes have been on Easter Monday, and how many on some other day of the year?

There was a multiple shooting at the Easter Monday event (6 or 7) victims in 2000, and another shooting in 2006. In 2011 there was serious violence, but no gunshot injuries, according to press reports on the internet. I can't speak to other shootings at the zoo, but I live in Woodley Park and shootings of any sort in the neighborhood are very, very unusual. However, last week there apparently was a min-riot on the Calvert St bridge, as others have written about.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Yes, but unless you were in the zoo, you are not qualified to comment on what happened in the zoo. Of course, if you were in the zoo, comment away.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Washington post coverage of this is bizarre. First, it didn't cover last week's shooting and problems at all. Now, the article is very sparse and just says the zoo was having special events that had been a tradition for decades. No mention that it's African American day. No mention of past history of violence on African American day. No mention of the fact that part if the problem is that people from all different neighborhoods and crews come to the day and that causes tension. It's just bizarre. I would really love to know the decision making behind their lack of more extensive coverage.

Good questions. Washington Post?

I know! It was SO vague! I've only seen one article that reference AA day. Every other article made vague references to Family Day. If it's generic Family Day (which seems like every day I've ever visited the zoo), how come neither I nor none of my friends knew about it?

PP here (I posted this original bit about the WaPo). I'm pretty PC and liberal myself, and all for allowing African American family day at the zoo to continue. And I understand not mentioning race about, say, a crime if the only detail you have about the perpetrator is his race. But...by just ignoring it, the WaPo is copping out. Maybe they will update the article, but it would be better to tell the full truth. And ignoring the fact that there was a SHOOTING last week was just wrong. Being racially sensitive shouldn't mean ignoring events because you are afraid of how to cover them.

Might be a good time to really pay attention to what's going on and ask yourself why this is occurring in the media. What is the media afraid of? Why?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in my car on Connecticut right after the shooting. It's odd how none of the new sources report on the almost riot atmosphere that occurred afterwards. People flooded the streets stopping all traffic, banging on car windows, climbing on car hoods. They were not scared either but in party mode. It was terrifying.

Last year my cousins were from Indiana were visiting DC at Easter. The next day, they did the tourist thing and visited the zoo. They said that the whole atmosphere was scary, and vowed they would never go back. I tried to convince them that the zoo is normally very safe. And last year, there was no shooting.

Scary - code for full of black people.

God this thread is disgusting.

I would think "scary"is code for an overwhelming police presence, armed "youth" and an atmosphere of tension and mayhem that (as today) flares into gun violence. Does that work?

Let me guess - you weren't there today or any other Easter Monday. Yes there were extra police out front, no I did not notice many police inside, nor did I know there were armed youth of course, there was no tension or mayhem for the several hours I was there and no, gun violence does not break out each year. You people are insane. I get the feeling a lot of racist people sit around and wait for situations like this so they can pat themselves on the back for their racism.

Are you crazy? I am a different PP, and live by the zoo. This happens every year. This year it even started earlier - some thugs (AA, sorry) fired five shots and terrorized neighbors last week, which is why there was so much police today. And today it happened again. Stop the BS. If you love violence and harassment, do so in your hood, dont impose it on others.

I doubt this "event" will be allowed again next year. At some point, enough is enough, whatever you want to call it.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Washington post coverage of this is bizarre. First, it didn't cover last week's shooting and problems at all. Now, the article is very sparse and just says the zoo was having special events that had been a tradition for decades. No mention that it's African American day. No mention of past history of violence on African American day. No mention of the fact that part if the problem is that people from all different neighborhoods and crews come to the day and that causes tension. It's just bizarre. I would really love to know the decision making behind their lack of more extensive coverage.

Good questions. Washington Post?

I know! It was SO vague! I've only seen one article that reference AA day. Every other article made vague references to Family Day. If it's generic Family Day (which seems like every day I've ever visited the zoo), how come neither I nor none of my friends knew about it?

PP here (I posted this original bit about the WaPo). I'm pretty PC and liberal myself, and all for allowing African American family day at the zoo to continue. And I understand not mentioning race about, say, a crime if the only detail you have about the perpetrator is his race. But...by just ignoring it, the WaPo is copping out. Maybe they will update the article, but it would be better to tell the full truth. And ignoring the fact that there was a SHOOTING last week was just wrong. Being racially sensitive shouldn't mean ignoring events because you are afraid of how to cover them.

How about some facts?
(I don't actually know the answers, but maybe someone else does.)

In the past 15-20 years, how many times have there been shootings at the zoo?

How many of those episodes have been on Easter Monday, and how many on some other day of the year?

Where was this event promoted?

For the record, DCPS has nothing to do with the Zoo event.
True, DCPS is always closed on Easter Monday but not so that students can go to the Zoo.
DCPS parent for 10 years and I have never heard this event promoted at schools, on the website, in the calendar or in mailings.
DCPS has its own issues, but please keep our schools out of this one.

Too bad about the day. I was in Cleveland Park today and saw lots of families walking with strollers and bigger kids skipping to the zoo. Seemed like a great day. Why do just a few jerks have to ruin a nice event for thousands of innocent people?