I do not want to be an alarmist but I hear there was an incident this morning with a person posing as a police official. Does anybody have a reliable account of what happened? <BR>

Yes, CNN is reporting 14 dead and about as many wounded. Appears unrelated to the 9/11 attack. www.cnn.com

Well, if CNN can be considered reliable. Yes this morning in Switzerland a man with an assault rifle entered a government building and shot 14 people. The Suspect was a local man, who was apparently disgruntled with the handling of some personal case or had a personal grudge against the processing of his affairs. <BR>If we have any people in Swizerland reading I am deeply sorry for this horrible act.

Here's a link: <BR> <BR>http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe...ing/index.html

Does appear unrelated, but I wanted to offer my own prayers and condolences to those in Switzerland as well. There is senseless violence all over the world.

Ursula, <BR>I am so sorry to hear this news, which I heard upon awakening this morning. Please accept my sympathy. <BR> <BR>@---&gt;--&gt;-&gt;----- <BR> <BR>BC

The report by CNN is reliable and accurate. More details given by the Police of Zug at their latest press conference: <BR> <BR>A 57 year-old swiss national residing in the Zurich region entered the local parliament of Zug this morning. He opened fire on the assembled members of parliament, the local government, who were also attending and on people from the press. He was heard screaming demands that a motion he had deposited earlier should be considered by the parliament. <BR> <BR>He killed 14 people: 11 members of the 80 members assembly and 3 members of the 7-head local government before committing suicide. <BR> <BR>A note by the attacker stated that today would be a day of anger for the mafia of Zug. <BR> <BR>Most probably there is no connection with the attack on New York and washington a fortnight ago. <BR> <BR>It is very upsetting for all of us in Switzerland, as local assemblies are considered very much to be a part of public life and sessions have always been freely accessible. I'm afraid we will have to introduce metal detectors in our town halls after all. <BR> <BR>Phil.

Yes, it's absolutely a tragedy for the canton of Zug (adjacent to the canton of Zurich, about 45 min. away) and whole Switzerland. Now, 15 people are reported dead, besides the killer. Some of the injured are still in a very critical situation. It's likely, more will come to death. <BR>Switzerland is mourning. Again! <BR>Flags are at half-staff. Government in Berne stopped immediately its ongoing session. The killer wanted retaliation, because he felt treated badly for a couple of small incidents. There is no connection with the tragedy in the US. It's a 57 year old man having lived in the outskirts of Zurich. <BR>They just decided they will have metal detectors as from Monday in our Parliament in Berne. <BR>I am glad to go on holiday on Saturday. I need to fill my brain with positive things now. <BR>Thanks so much indeed for all your kind thoughts. And your rose, Book Chick. I really appreciate. <BR> <BR>Ursula

ttt....

My sympathies and prayers are with you all.

That's horrible! I'm so sorry.

Ursula and Phil, Again, I am so terribly sorry this happened. I am sending you warm thoughts!

Condolences to the people of Zug & Switzerland.

Mein tiefes Mitgefuehl und Beileid an alle Zuger und Schweizer Buerger! Wir denken an Euch! <BR> <BR>Ursula, could you explain the facts about Swiss men having their army weapons/ammunition at home in more detail? It seems there is a lot of misinformation about this here in the US. Thanks.

Ingrid, <BR> <BR>It's true, the men keep their weapons at home and target shooting is a very very popular past time. It's not uncommon to see a farmer around here cycling down the street with his army rifle openly just strapped across his back-and not wearing a uniform.

Bonjour Ingrid, <BR> <BR>Swiss army is a militia. All male citizens above 18 are supposed to go through a 4 month military training period, then 2-3 weeks every other year until they reach 42, and some compulsory shooting training. They are supposed to be ready to be called anytime and that is why they are allowed to have their weapon (usually an assault rifle) at home together with some ammunition. The use of that ammunition is absolutely forbidden and entails a very hefty fine and maybe a prison term. They can leave everything at the city armoury, but most men don't like that solution since it means paperwork and time to retrieve the rifle. <BR> <BR>After they have reached "retirement" age, they are allowed to keep some pieces of equipment, or in the case of the assault rifle, to buy it, since like Phil said, target shooting is a popular pastime. <BR> <BR>The assault rifle is very rarely used for crime, except when it is resold, which happened very often during the ex-Yugoslavia wars, but is the preferred weapon of desperate men for incidents like Zug (there have actually been a few others where disgruntled employees have shooted ex colleagues), family tragedies, and suicide. <BR> <BR>I really wish leaving it at the armoury and stopping selling it to anybody would stop, since I'd feel a lot more comfortable without my brother's in my cellar.

It may be interesting to note that the killer at Zug did not use an assault rifle issued to him during militia service. He used one acquired illegally, though he had held permits to purchase weapons during many years. <BR> <BR>During my time as a forensic doctor (short, intense and unlamented), we noted that army-issued rifles were generally used for suicides, but very rarely for crimes. <BR> <BR>Fortunately federal and local assemblies will soon be debating more stringent restrictions for buying, selling and owning guns. <BR> <BR>Personally I think, that we would be better off with all this hardware being issued for military service only and stored in armouries in the interval. <BR> <BR>Florence: There may be different reasons why most men do not check their weapons at their respective armouries: I would gladly do almost any amount of paperwork just to get rid of my military material, but where I live you have to prove to the army that there is not enough storage room at your place and you have to pay for the space your material takes up at the armoury. A friend of mine succeeded to store his military bric-a-brac, but he got a visit from armoury officials before and they went to incredible suggestions, such as putting his rifle under the bed or in his daughter's cot, as she had grown out of it (no kidding!). He convinced them by showing the space under his bed being taken up by paperwork for his political party and by pointing out that his wife was pregnant... <BR> <BR>Phil (anybody know of an armoury with enough space and low rates?).

Phil, in what canton do you live? I've never heard that explanation in Geneva. My dad and brother just did not want to waste one day returning the material to the armoury and another retrieving it, they say having to waste 3 weeks a year was more than enough! One of my brother's friend comitted suicide after stealing a rifle in a friend's appartment, and that's the reason he leaves his in mine, and keeps only the ammunition.

Florence: <BR> <BR>I live in BS, my friend used to live in BL when this happened (as GE, both cantons with a population generally rather critical to the army. <BR> <BR>Please vote "YES" twice in December, so we won't have to worry about this kind of trouble any longer. <BR> <BR>Phil.