Information can Protect Better than a Shield

CBS News’s article “The Washington Navy Yard Shooting as it Happened” presents the events of the Washington shooting, and the story of Aaron Alexis. The article states that Alexis moved to Washington D.C about 3 weeks before the shooting. Alexis worked as a subcontractor at the Navy Yard. The article acknowledges that “..two days before the massacre, Alexis visited Sharpshooters Small Arms Range in Lorton, Virginia… he bought a shotgun and 24 shells.” The morning of the shooting Alexis used his security card to enter the building. He had been “granted a ‘secret’ clearance by the Defense Service five years ago.” After Alexis entered the building he headed to the fourth floor overlooking an atrium filled with employees. He then shot down into the atrium killing and injuring several employees. After police forces arrived Alexis was shot and killed by a D.C. police officer and a U.s. Park Police officer.

The article states that Alexis “...had no personal issues.” It also assures that the owner of Sharpshooters Small Arms Range ran a background check on Alexis. His background check came out clear. What the article failed to address is that Alexis not only suffered from post traumatic stress and insomnia, but had also suffered from mental illness for 10 years. Alexis had several run-ins with the law. He was arrested twice from shooting incidents. One in Seattle in 2004 and one in Texas in 2010 which caused him to be discharged from the navy in 2011. Why was this information not included in the article? How was Aaron’s background check cleared when he had all this criminal history? As readers and learners it’s important to know about these things but even more important to find out the whole story. Alexis was granted secret clearance to enter the building five years ago. Who exactly allowed his “secret” clearance and why was it allowed? Things like this should be avoided simply by research. Alexis should have never been able to buy that gun or enter the building. His mental illness and criminal record should have had several people concerned. Although, what most likely caused this not to happen was lack of information. Many people didn’t know of this information because it was not given to them. Just as it was not provided in the article. What can we do to stop these events? Use our role as learners to spread as much information as possible.