Actions…Not Words

Forty-nine. That’s the latest number of people killed by a gunman who rampaged through an Orlando gay nightclub in the early morning hours Sunday.

This latest shooting holds the record of deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Authorities spent much of Sunday slowly releasing the names of the people, out for a night of fun, who would never go home again; but for many of us, the fascination in this story rests with the shooter armed with an automatic rifle who was killed after a three-hour standoff with police.

Omar Mateen was a 29-year old son of Afghani immigrants. He, himself, was born in New York. We know from reports he worked as a security guard and was divorced. His wife complained he regularly beat her. His co-workers complained to federal officials Mateen had made terroristic statements on a couple of occasions, but the FBI’s investigation into Mateen and those threats stalled when authorities determined they didn’t have enough to file charges.

His father says he and Mateen were in Miami a couple of months ago when Mateen became enraged when he saw two men kissing.

Authorities have yet to state what motivated the latest and greatest mass shooting in modern America, but the fact it happened in a gay nightclub, and the story of what Mateen witnessed in Miami may end up giving us answers.

There is a philosophy in journalism that mass killers should not be named; their identities should be downplayed. The idea is that naming them glorifies them and may encourage others looking for their moment of infamy. But how will we ever understand why this keeps happening if we don’t try to understand the people who do this? That is the point. Back to the victims now.

The sincere hope of many is that Luis Vielma, Amanda Alvear, Peter O.Gonzalez-Cruz and forty-six others won’t have died in vain. The statements and public expressions of grief give hope that maybe…this time…something will happen to change the calculus. End the slaughter. Then memories of Columbine…Aurora, Colorado… Virginia Tech and countless others come flooding back. Words are always swift. Actions…not so much.

Lowell Deo is an award-winning news journalist, voice talent, and writer. Lowell started his broadcast career in Lubbock, Texas and has worked in Seattle for the last decade. He is recognized for both his keen journalistic insight and the rich, baritone voice you hear on several national commercials.