I can just imagine the the overheated brains of the fathers rights people, as they ponder how they're going to "spin" this latest massacre involving a father and child custody.
When Daddy murders Mom, they demonize Mom and call her an "alienator" who "unjustly deprived" him of HIS child. Tsk, tsk. So really, what can you expect when Daddy was finally "provoked" enough?
And when Daddy murders the child? Well, poor daddy was just REALLY OVERCOME with grief and sadness, you know, over how UNFAIRLY he was treated. Blah, blah. It was really the fault of The System (judge, ex-wife, custody evaluator, family court, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, fill-in-the-blank) that this, uh, happened! Not Daddy. He was the True Victim!
And now...what? Don't worry. I'm sure that somewhere, on one of the Internet fathers rights forums, dad SCOTT DEKRAII is being sanctified as the latest Martyr to the Cause. And no doubt they're treating all those slaughtered people totally unrelated to this killer dad as unfortunate collateral damage. 'Cause it's still all about Daddy's Pain. Nothing else matters! Onward to Victory!
Here's the real story: As fathers rights becomes more "mainstream" and institutionalized, the Daddy Entitlement Complex just gets bigger and bigger. Now it's not only okay to murder the wife and kids. Heck! Kid stuff! Go shoot up a workplace! Make sure EVERYBODY knows that Daddy is Really, Really Not Happy in the Biggest Daddy Drama Spectacle Ever! He DESERVED TOTAL CONTROL over his child, and nobody should take that away from him. EVER! No matter how crazy, dangerous or, violent they "say" he is!
Even when he turns out to be a homicidal spree killer, and Mom's concerns about the dude turn out to be 100% on the money.
Reality Check: The courts were TOTALLY JUSTIFIED in taking custody away from this horrrible father. They just completely underestimated how dangerous he was, and refused to take his threats seriously. They apparently gave mom a restraining order, but for guys like this, pieces of paper are meaningless. For that the courts SHOULD be help responsible. It's not the first time in California, or elsewhere, that homicidal fathers made their intentions known in advance--only to be ignored by the power that be.
Here's a list of California dads who murdered their children in situations involving child custody/visitation. The list doesn't even include murdered moms and "others." But it should give you an idea of how common this problem is becoming. Think the carnage is improving with greater social "awareness" of father issues? Think again.
http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2011/08/child-murderdeath-cases-involving.html
But here's the power of fathers rights over the media. Had this been some poor childless schmuck who had shot up a factory, or some random terrorist who set off a bomb on the streets, nobody would be quoted in the mainstream media as to how "nice" he was. It would be considered an insult to the public, and disrespectful to the victims and their loved ones.
But the rule doesn't apply to daddies any more. The praise offered up for this scumbag is truly disgusting and should have been omitted out of human decency.
It's time we started treating these fathers rights terrorists as the terrorists they really are, and stop caving into their demands.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048470/Seal-Beach-shooting-8-killed-Scott-Dekraai-targets-ex-wife-Orange-county-hair-salon.html
Thursday, Oct 13 2011 3PM
Massacre at the salon: Eight die after crazed gunman opens fire on Orange County hairdressers in revenge for losing battle for his son
Ex-military Scott Dekraai in custody after allegedly going on shooting spree
Happened at hair salon in Orange County, California, where ex-wife worked
Thought to have lost custody court case over son the day before shooting
Eight dead, including wife Michelle, in worst mass murder in O.C. history
Dead owner Randy Fannin 'confronted him before being told to "shut up"'
73-year-old woman among those seriously injured in quiet area of California
Only one other murder in last five years where actress Sandra Bullock lives
Witnesses describe smell of gunpowder and 'eerie silence' after shooting
By Paul Bentley, David Gardner and Mark Duell
Last updated at 4:22 PM on 13th October 2011
A crazed gunman who shot dead eight people in an upmarket beauty salon in California allegedly went on the rampage after losing a custody battle over his son.
Scott Dekraai the ex-husband of one of the stylists, allegedly shot nine hairdressers and customers at Salon Meritage, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean in the upscale seaside resort of Seal Beach.
His ex-wife, Michelle, is also reportedly among those killed. Dekraai, 42, who used to serve in the military, is said to have threatened violence after losing a court case against her over their child.
The battle with Michelle - who was using the name Huff - was over the custody of their seven-year-old son, Dominic.
Three people, including a 73-year-old woman, were initially rushed to hospital in critical condition, but two of them have since passed away. One of the victims is thought to be the salon owner.
In all, one man and five women died at the salon, one man and one woman died after being transported to a nearby hospital, and one woman remained in critical condition.
Police confirmed that one of the victims is male.
Orange County authorities rushed to the scene and seized Dekraai in a traffic stop a half-mile from the shooting.
The alleged shooter, who lives locally, was thought to have been wearing body armour during the attack.
When officers raided his car they found multiple weapons, police said.
He didn't offer any resistance when arrested and police would not confirm any relationship between the man and any of his victims.
Seal Beach Police Sergeant Steve Bowles said: 'We believe he is the only shooter. He was taken into custody without injury.'
As the town struggled to come to terms with the shocking killing spree, witnesses said the gunman was embroiled in a domestic dispute over custody with his ex-wife who worked as a stylist at the salon.
Jake Rennison, 17, told the Orange County Register that Scott had once asked him to teach his son to skateboard. He added: 'He was totally devoted to his son. Totally.
'I can't believe this happened. The only thing I can imagine is with the custody battle. His son was his life.'
Dekraai is said to have moved to the area two years ago after being honourably discharged from the military because of a work-related leg injury.
'There are victims throughout the entire salon,' Sergeant Bowles added.
'There are survivors from inside the salon. A crime of this magnitude is not something Seal Beach is familiar with.'
The shooting is reportedly the deadliest mass killing in Orange County history. Among the victims is thought to be the owner of the salon.
Randy Fannin died in the shooting, according to his niece, Tami Scarcella, 39. 'Randy is dead,' she said while hugging a friend. 'Randy is dead for sure.'
Kimberly Criswell, who owns a salon just two doors away, said she and her customers and employees heard gunshots, and her receptionist saw a man through a window as he was shot in a parking lot.
'There was like a pop, pop and my receptionist screamed, "he just shot that man" and we all ran into the bathroom and locked the door,' Criswell said.
A middle-aged woman called Cindy was having her hair done by Mr Fannin when the gunman opened fire.
'We thought it was maybe firecrackers,' she told the Los Angeles Times.
'But he just didn’t stop. Anybody he saw he was shooting. It went boom, boom, boom. I was afraid he was going to shoot everybody.'
Mr Fannin allegedly confronted the gunman before being told to 'shut up' as he continued firing.
'I could still smell gunpowder in the air,' witness Riley Riggs, 27, told the Los Angeles Times, adding that the gunshots were followed by an 'eerie silence' for several minutes.
Zach Benson said patrons at the restaurant where he works ran outside when the shooting began. It just caught everyone off guard,' he told NBC Los Angeles. 'It was a very bizarre scene.'
Shortly after he was arrested, police arrived at a house on Melody Lane in nearby Huntington Beach and escorted two women to a white car and then roped off the house with crime scene tape.
Neighbours identified photos of the alleged shooter as their neighbour Scott. The house is registered to Scott Dekraai, and one of the licensed cosmetologists at the salon was Michelle Dekraai.
Kari Salveson of Los Alamitos, who attended a service for the victims at SeaCoast Grace Church in Seal Beach, said she had known Michelle Dekraai for several years.
She said she was aware that she and her ex-husband were involved in a bitter custody dispute over their son. Ms Salveson added Michelle Dekraai made her every visit to the salon special.
'She could gab away. She was one of those girlfriends you could never get enough of. She made you smile and she made you laugh,' Salveson said.
Several people who knew Michelle Dekaai also said she sometimes went by her maiden name of Huff and it was unclear which one she was currently using.
The one remaining injured victim is being treated at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.
Some of those inside managed to escape without harm, police said. Sergeant Bowles said the bodies of the killed and the wounded were scattered throughout the salon.
One wounded man was found outside the building. It wasn't clear if he was trying to flee when he was shot.
'We're unsure at this point if he shot from the entrance and people, as they were shot, ran in seeking cover or seeking shelter, but we have fatalities throughout the salon,' he said.
'From my observation, it did look like people were seeking shelter at the time.'
He said the salon was busy, with every hair-dressing station in operation.
Salon employee Lorainne Bruielle, who wasn't working on Wednesday, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram the gunman was the husband of another employee.
Ms Bruielle said she talked to the husband of one of the employees involved, who said one employee locked herself in the salon's facial room and was unharmed while another man locked himself in a bathroom but was wounded.
The shooter was spotted fleeing from the scene when police arrived and gave himself up after a short car chase.
Lydia Sosa, who used to work at the salon, said the suspect had gone through a bitter divorce with one of the women who worked there.
'They were never happy for a long, long time,' she told the New York Times. 'She said he was bitter. He was very bitter.'
A local man named Bill Horton added: '(It was a) custody battle for seven-year-old son. Ex-Husband lost court case yesterday. Apparently he had been making threats of violence.'
One of her neighbour's told KTLA she took out a restraining order against her former husband on Tuesday.
Another neighbour, Jo Cornhall, added: 'I know there was a custody battle involved with his son, Dominic, who I believe is 7 or 8 years old.'
Dekraai, who worked on tugboats after being discharged by the military, is said to have walked with a limp after a boat accident.
He allegedly remarried Mindy Miguel, his rehab nurse.
She is currently assisting detectives with their investigations, according to neighbours.
Workers in neighbouring businesses said they hid in the bathrooms after hearing shots.
One woman said she was working at a nail salon and hid with about six other people for 15 minutes until they heard the gunman was caught.
The three people who were not killed instantly were rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Patients at the hospital said the victims were rushed inside in a horrific state.
'They were bringing them in, and they were all bloodied up,' Biagio Zaby, 67, told the Times.
The shooting happened at about 1.30pm today. Those hit included hair salon employees and customers.
Police had the murder scene roped off last night.
The quiet beachfront city of approximately 25,000 residents identifies itself as the Gateway to Southern California's Orange County and is located about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Among its famous residents are 'Miss Congeniality' film star Sandra Bullock.
It is home to Leisure World, a gated senior citizen community of 9,000 people, as well as the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station military complex.
The city had just one homicide last year and none during the previous three years, according to statistics compiled by the Police Department.
Regulars at the salon reacted in horror when they heard about the shooting.
Kalie Ann wrote on Twitter: 'I go to Salon Meritage all the time and I was just there last Thursday. I can't believe something so horrible happened there.'