Mesa Police have released the names of the two people murdered at a Dobson High School graduation party on Saturday night. The murder victims have been identified as 38 year old Sally Johnson-Huddleston and 32 year old Auston Blanks. Ms. Johnson-Huddleston was hosting the graduation party for her 17 year old daughter when the tragedy occurred.
Mr. Auston Blanks recently returned home from a one year tour of duty in Afghanistan as a US Army reservist. Local news channel ABC 15 has an interview with Mr. Blanks wife. Among those injured in the senseless violence was Blanks’ 10 year old son, Hunter.
To the family and friends of Ms. Johnson-Huddleston and Mr. Blanks, you have our deepest condolences. As you search the Arizona news sites for information to help you make sense of this tragedy, I recommend that you avoid the reader comments on the news sites as our news stations have not been moderating them. If you have inadvertently read some of the offensive comments and you would like to do something about it, please don’t hesitate to report the post, send the media outlet an email or call the local stations to complain.
UPDATE – May 28th
Assistance fund for Sally Johnson-Huddleston’s daughter: To contribute to the Vanessa Fenstermacher Assistance Fund, make donations at any Bank of America branch throughout the Phoenix Metro area. For additional information, call (480) 730-3444.
Carwash: A benefit carwash for the family of Sally S. Johnson-Huddleston will start at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at the Shell gasoline station on the northwest corner of McClintock Drive and Elliot Road in Tempe, AZ.
Memorial service: A Memorial service will be held for Sally S. Johnson-Huddleston on Sunday at 2:00 p.m., Crossroads Nazarene Church, 2950 W. Ray Road, Chandler, Arizona
Mesa PD Community Meeting: The Mesa Police Department is hosting a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28th at the St. Matthew United Methodist Church, 2540 W. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ. Mesa police Comander Mark Wesselman will provide information on the incident, answer residents’ questions, and provide crime statistics to help dispel any speculation and rumors surrounding such a traumatic community event. For additional information, call (480) 644-2539 or (480) 644-2620
In addition to honoring our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day, we would also like to say thank you to every member of the US military for bravely and selflessly defending us and our great nation.
Capitalist pig and I did not serve in the military, so we feel that it is our duty to find alternative ways that we can serve our country and assist veterans in any way possible. When we were at the NRA Meeting/Convention in Phoenix last week, we discovered a wonderful organization that we will be doing as much as possible to support, and we encourage you to do the same.
Honored American Veterans Afield or HAVA, was put together by some of the top names in the firearms industry, and they are dedicated to raising awareness and assisting disabled veterans with the healing process through active participation in outdoor sports. Their goal is to increase injured veteran’s confidence and hope for the future by reconnecting with their love of the outdoors and the American traditions of hunting and firearms.
We agree with HAVA in that “every veteran is a national hero that has earned our respect and support through valorous service in defense of our way of life.”
HAVA has already touched the lives of several injured veterans when they hosted a shooting event earlier this year for the Ft. Gordon Warrior Transition Battalion in Augusta, Georgia. The shooting event featured two-man teams consisting of a wounded warrior and a shooting sponsor in a three-gun competition with awards provided to the top three teams.
We would like to say THANK YOU to Travis Noteboom from Crimson Trace and Tom Taylor from Remington for not only putting this great organization together but also for taking the time out of their busy schedule at the NRA show to discuss HAVA with us.
This is not another version of the 494 stories about the shooting last night in Mesa that were copied and pasted from the news wire. The shooting occurred a mere 957 feet (319 yards or .18 miles) from our home, and we happened to be outside when the whole thing went down.
Here is our first hand eye ear-witness account of the events that occurred WAY too close to our house last night:
Last night, about 11:30 pm MST, Capitalist Pig and I went outside for a cigarette. A few minutes later, we heard 8 or 9 gunshots coming from fairly close range. Five or six rounds followed by a second or two pause, then three shots – each spaced about a second apart. We surmised the following from what we heard:
The shots were being fired from the Northeast, and were VERY close.
A handgun was being used, probably a .40 or .45 caliber
We were on the muzzle end of the shots – a very uneasy feeling to say the least.
In retrospect, it would have been in our best interest to go inside at that point, but we did not. I’m not sure what CP was thinking at this point, but my brain was still trying to process what I had just heard.
The second round of shots came about four minutes later. We heard a faint scream (female voice), a siren from a distance that sounded like a fire truck, then a “chirp” from what sounded like a police car pulling up to the scene. Immediately following, rapid fire, sounded like at least 12 rounds. At least one magazine was being emptied as quickly as possible, and in the general direction of our house (again).
Four minutes would be the minimum amount of time it would take for the police to get there from the Mesa Police substation (1.1 miles from the scene) If someone had called 911 immediately after the first shots were fired. While I consider this an exemplary response time from the PD, the old saying, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away” came to mind right after the second round of shots were fired.
A barrage of police, ambulance and fire truck sirens could now be heard in the distance, and were moving closer to us by the second. About one minute later, massive rapid fire from several firearms. I couldn’t tell you how many rounds were fired in this exchange, but I can say that it sounded like several magazines were emptied in a couple of seconds.
At this point, CP and I realized that this was very likely an ongoing situation, and we needed to get inside right quick. My fight or flight response had kicked in after the first round of fire, but the rest of me apparently needed time to catch up.
I shuffled myself off to the safest place in the house (a small bathroom), and CP was cool headed enough to grab my cell phone and hand it to me before getting out the Ruger P90. CP then valiantly stood watch – finding a good place in the house to keep an eye on the doors and still have cover. As I worked on calming myself down, I sent a text to my next door neighbor to let her know that she needed to stay inside and find cover.
I think I had been in the bathroom about 15 minutes when I heard a loudspeaker that may have been coming from the helicopter that was still circling directly overhead. I think they said, “Do NOT go outside” twice (it was very Charlie Brown Teacher sounding).
If the last part of the story seems extreme, or overly dramatic to you, keep in mind that our normally quiet and somewhat serene neighborhood had just been turned into a gunnery range. CP saw police cars racing down our street and we could hear the sound of the helicopter changing positions (which it does when it is still hunting for someone), and it was apparent that the situation was not yet under control. Even after several dozen rounds of fire, the bad guy(s) were still loose, and it was very possible that someone was looking for a place to hide (or worse) in the neighborhood.
At about 1:30 am, the noises had died down, and CP sounded a tentative all clear. A search on the internet and Twitter for what had just happened was fruitless, so we proceeded outside with caution. CP did a sweep of the yard (all-clear), and at about 1:45, we heard the sound of fire trucks leaving the scene.
We found out this morning that after this guy killed his ex-wife and friend at a house party then traded shots with the police (where he shot an officer), he barricaded himself in the house for a couple of hours before surrendering.
While we weren’t victims last night, I was still pretty scared during the event. The only comfort I was able to find while this was all going on is that we had the ability to defend ourselves if the bad guy had tried to make us another victim. While we both consider firing our weapons at another living thing a VERY last resort, knowing that we could if we needed to – Priceless.
We’d like to pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country with a Memorial Day weekend photo essay. These images were taken at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona during the Phoenix Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th, 2009.Wesley Bolin Plaza is located in front of the Arizona State Capitol, and there are 23 memorials paying tribute to our lost soldiers. The memorials are dedicated to various conflicts, including World War I & II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and Desert Storm (The Gulf War).
POW-MIA, U.S. and Arizona flags
USS Arizona Memorial in Phoenix, AZ
USS Arizona Memorial Plaque
Mast from the USS Arizona
Battle of the Bulge Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Korean War Memorial Bell
POW-MIA, U.S., Arizona flags flying at the Arizona Capitol
Vietnam War Memorial in Phoenix
Vietnam Map embeded in the walkway of the Vietnam War Memorial
Bronze statue at the Vietnam War Memorial “The Fallen Warrior” by Jasper D’Ambrosi
Vietnam War Memorial granite pillars etched with the names of Arizonans KIA or MIA
A Vietnam Veteran takes time to remember those who fell
Another view of “The Fallen Warrior” at the Vietnam War Memorial in Phoenix
The number is in, and it’s big. While not an all-time record for an NRA Annual Meeting, the total attendance for the Phoenix NRA Meeting was 64,324.
Phoenix may have fallen just short of the annual NRA Meeting attendance record which was set last year, but there was no shortage of records set this past weekend. The following records have already been recorded for the 2009 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits:
The biggest convention in Phoenix EVER
The largest dinner ever held in the state of Arizona – Over 6,000 paid attendees for the Banquet held on Saturday featuring speakers Oliver North and John Stossel (both were incredible).
The largest attendance for the NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop – 375 attendees.
We’re sure this list will continue to grow as the numbers come in. Tune in later, as we’ll be posting some more records and interesting statistics that we are working on confirming now.
UPDATE: We’ve found the video of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North’s speech at NRA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ on Armed Forces Day, May 16, 2009. Please enjoy Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North’s tribute to our troops.
We have to offer a hat tip to Ballistic Deanimation for pointing out this great article by Patrik Jonsson in the Christian Science Monitor titled: A rifle in one hand, a laptop in the other. Behind the scene with pro-gun bloggers. Jonsson’s article covers the rise of “new media” bloggers covering the 2009 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits, and does it without the elitist condescension commonly found in the “old media” (does anyone remember Dan Rather?). Its an even handed portrayal of citizens who are active in the shooting sports, who also happen to write about their interests on the internet. The article features several of the participants from the 2nd Amendment Blog Bash. Have a look and let us know what you think.
Speaking of citizens utilizing their first amendment rights to express views that are not represented by many of the mainstream news journalists, it just so happens that the Days of Our Trailers blog debuted their new Unorganized Militia patches at the NRA Convention today. Thanks to the generosity of ThirdPower, we were fortunate enough to receive the full assortment of patches, stickers, and even a pin.
Cruise on over to Days of Our Trailers site to see the new designs. We’ll also post more photos of the new patches, once we have time to sew them on our shooting jackets.
The 2009 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits kicked off on Friday Phoenix. The theme of the NRA convention is a “Celebration of American Values“ and the concept really shines through. The crowds were huge, but polite, and included people from all walks of life. The lines to get into the hall were long, with turnout appearing to be much higher than expected. If you plan on going, be prepared to wait in line, I can assure you its worth it. Although grumbling about waiting in line could be heard from some in the crowd, my fellow gun owners were polite and courteous to each other. I’m sure that anyone who hasn’t been around gun culture would be shocked to find out that law abiding gun owners treat each other with a great deal of respect, far more than you get walking through a mall, stadium, or airport.
Once inside the exhibit hall, the massive scale of the convention becomes apparent. The vendor exhibits and various shooting association displays covered a full six acres of floor space. The guns on display ranged from antique muzzle loading flintlocks to the latest in tactical firearms. The NRA Store features an extensive range of NRA merchandise that is far too long to list here. DPMS brought a semi-trailer inside the convention center, the walls covered with various calibers and configurations of AR-15 based rifles. If fact, virtually all AR-15 manufacturers were represented at the show. Ruger officially joined the AR-15 market with their introduction a piston driven AR, the Ruger SR-556. Checkout NUGUNS site for photos, videos, and additional information about the Ruger SR-556.
My time walking around the exhibit hall was cut short by the need to get to the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum at U.S. Airways Arena. The Leadership Forum will be covered in greater detail in another post, until then, check out the Snowflakes in Hell live blogging of the NRA Leadership Forum to get a feel for what the speakers had to say.
The day was capped off by mixer at Majerley’s in downtown Phoenix with The Outdoor Channel’s star of the popular show the Shooting Gallery, Mr. Michael Bane (he is a hoot to hang out with). A big thank you to Tactical Solutions and Insight Tech Gear for providing attendees with some great swag.
