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Shooting at Pittsburgh Gym Leaves 5 Dead

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 4, 2009 9:45 PM CDT
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(Newser) – A gunman opened fire tonight at a fitness center near Pittsburgh, leaving five people dead. The shooter is believed to be among the victims, reports the Post-Gazette. About a dozen more people were wounded. Police say the gunman walked to the back door of the LA Fitness Center in Collier, Pa., and began shooting. "I saw people flying off the treadmills, hitting the ground" for cover, one witness told the newspaper. "We crawled through the fire escape and I sprinted out the back."

"It was panic," said another person in the gym. "Then we realized it was gunfire. Once the shooting started, everybody started running."

Police officers stand at the front door of the gym.
Police officers stand at the front door of the gym.   (AP Photo/Tribune Review, Joe Appel)
Patrons stand in the parking lot outside of LA Fitness after a reported shooting at the health club on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009.
Patrons stand in the parking lot outside of LA Fitness after a reported shooting at the health club on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009.   (Joe Appel/Tribune-Review)
Emergency workers help a woman from the back of an ambulance.
Emergency workers help a woman from the back of an ambulance.   (AP Photo/Tribune Review, Joe Appel)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Jojo
Aug 5, 2009 6:16 AM CDT
It is about militias, but unfortunately they were very vague: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. " It starts off in regard to a militia, but ends in regard to an individual's rights and doesn't clarify if that individual is a member of the militia, or just anyone. Anyway, it's sad that so many hang on to this to justify gun sales.
Kookey90
Aug 5, 2009 5:56 AM CDT
I agree with you; it sounds like no public place is safe anymore. Can you imagine people going to the gym to improve their health and lifestyles and get death instead - real sad.
Jojo
Aug 5, 2009 5:46 AM CDT
I agree. But it will never change. Too many people look at the Constitution as the Holy Grail, and frankly at this point - so many billions of guns have been produced, if they quit all guns sales tomorrow there would still be enough for every man woman and child to own 2 for centuries to come. If only the founding fathers could have been visionary enough to foresee what their actions would cause, you know they would written it differently.

 
Pittsburgh • shooting rampage • gunman • gym

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