Freeway shootings - its bad

Here in and around Los Angeles CA we have been experiencing shootings on the freeway. Recent shootings have been where a pickup truck comes up in back of another vehicle with bright lights on and someone fires into the car. Last night I believe a truck comes alongside and the guy points a shiny object at the driver and fires. The state police are saying oh this is road rage. Bull I say, if it happens close to LA it’s the bad guys who live there simply killing others, instead of drive by shootings they are doing it on the freeway.
There is no warning they are simply trying to kill people. I believe it was last night when cops were chasing a SUV and caught it, something like ten cops shoot about 100 rounds into the car and only 4 hit the guy. Do you think special training and tactics could help with hitting the target?
I believe there is road rage around here pretty bad but when it comes to shooting they are planned in my mind. The police cannot be everywhere and being armed with a guy shooting at you doing 80mph isn’t going to help a great deal in my opinion.

Like any facet of a disorganized segment of society, real change comes only when the core element (profit, turf, revenge, etc.) can no longer be achieved by that method.

You didn't see alot of samurai and ninja after feudal Japan fell. Southern California bike clubs lost their strangle hold on local crime after they found that RICO applied. You don't see as many blue and red rags hanging on belts anymore. And this ugly shooting spree will pass, as well.

The problem is that these guys know that Californian motorists are unarmed. If even one family fired back and hit a BG, the whole dynamic might shift. Now, instead of macho entertainment with little or no risk, suddenly there would be lots of risk.

But, oh I forgot, good guys don't have guns in California. This might take a while.

FortyFive,
That is scarey stuff. While it could be gang related turf war, etc. it could also be gang related "rite of passage" and the victims are simply random. I guess time will tell.

"...The police cannot be everywhere and being armed with a guy shooting at you doing 80mph isn’t going to help a great deal in my opinion..."

But the alternative is being unarmed "...with a guy shooting at you doing 80mph...", is much less attractive to me.

"...The problem is that these guys know that Californian motorists are unarmed. If even one family fired back and hit a BG, the whole dynamic might shift. Now, instead of macho entertainment with little or no risk, suddenly there would be lots of risk..."

I tend to agree. It's the old, "Nobody attacks a police station." scenario - it's too much risk. And it maybe that if a couple of the shooters get shot, the risk perception will deter that type of shooting, but I tend to think it would just shift the desire to shoot someone to a paradigm with less risk.

Once again it punctuates that we must be responsible for our own safety as much as we can and always be vigilent.

I have to agree that these seem to be somewhat planned out versus random road rage.

I also have to agree that if an armed citizen shot back things would change. BGs go where they believe they have the advantage. That's why you don't see this in Texas, for example.

I think the LAPD needs some training in where to shoot at a vehicle if there was a 4% hit rate. That seems low even with some shots to disable the vehicle.

BTW when and where in LA do you go 80mph? I did it once at 5AM on a Saturday morning on the 405.

-Scott-

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Originally Posted by Scott

I have to agree that these seem to be somewhat planned out versus random road rage.

BTW when and where in LA do you go 80mph? I did it once at 5AM on a Saturday morning on the 405.

-Scott-

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Its really not that difficult to get the speed up in certain sections of the freeway, especially at interchanges, being an aggressive driver or when someone is shooting at you. I have done well over(***) at times when it was safe with little traffic.
When we speak of LA its an area maybe 100 miles across considering a couple of counties. Certain freeways are more jammed than others at times.

You know, not to worry our Democrat politicians are fast at work to protect us. Read on and learn from the example of others helping!

Senate Bill 357 would establish a program requiring serialization of handgun ammunition to be enforced by the Department of Justice. The manufacture, transfer, and possession of non-serialized handgun ammunition after July 1, 2007 would be considered a crime. SB 357 would also require ammunition vendors and manufacturers to register with the Department of Justice. This anti-gun legislation is waiting to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please continue to contact members of the committee at (916) 651-4101 and urge them to oppose SB 357.

A ''drive-by at speed'' is also very likely to involve other vehicles as well - with chances for a major multi wreck. Imagining here - driver being shot at gets hit - vehicle then an out of control missile!

This could be the case even if a BG could shoot back - lots of potential there for some major catastrophies.

Cops call it road rage eh!? I'll say - and then some.

bset to learn so defensive driving techniques. such as using brakes, and how to spin out someone. Also evasive action.

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Originally Posted by Scott

....I also have to agree that if an armed citizen shot back things would change. BGs go where they believe they have the advantage. That's why you don't see this in Texas, for example....

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Can't speak for other Texas cities, but in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, there seemed to be a series of "road rage" incidents...none that appeared like random or gang-related....they still do the ole drive-bys.....by the way, with a State population around 9 million, there are only about 250,000 CCW permits issued...odds for the BGs are pretty good here. :rolleyes:

And those of us qualified to have one who have applied have to wait several months to get one :tongue:

We have maybe 15 million or so people around this area not including the San Diego area so its very congestive. In all honesty being armed may not really help or ward off the shootings. It would of course help very much for other types of incidents where the driver could pull over and protect themselves. These shootings are planned with the attacker coming from behind mostly on the left side of the car and simply firing at it. A seperate issue not what is going on now but a few blocks away from my house on a side street a guy in a pickup with a shotgun simply leaned over toward a car stopped at the light with him and blew the guy away.
Now keep in mind folks these are illegal activities. The press(a column writer) is now saying we are blowing the concerns way out of proportion. This goes on all the time we just don't hear of it. Example, a friend of my son was shot at going to work one night and the round was stuck in his seat. I am not trying to be an alarmist about this but you really got to understand the type of people who can simply kill someone.