This story renders me speechless.
A man was killed this past month aboard a San Francisco commuter train in front of several bystanders. They weren’t “witnesses” because they didn’t actually see the crime being committed, in some cases just a couple of feet in front of them.
Why is that? They all were consumed by their texting devices to the point that they didn’t see the killer pull out a gun, wave it around and shoot the victim in the back.
http://us.cnn.com/2013/10/10/tech/san-francisco-shooter-phone/?iref=obinsite
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon told CNN.com, “We’re seeing people that are so disconnected to their surroundings. This is not unique. People are being robbed, people are being hurt, people are being run over by cars because they’re so disconnected because of these phones.”
Justin Valdez is dead. A suspect has been arrested and has pleaded not guilty.
Another key element of this story, though, is the distraction element. It kind of gets to a point I made in an earlier blog post about how telecommunications technology has changed society — and not for the better — by eliminating person-to-person contact in public places.
According to police, several passengers on the train were within a foot or two of the man with the gun. They didn’t see him or the weapon, which he reportedly brandished for several moments before pulling the trigger.
CNN reported further: “‘Just for our own safety, wouldn’t you want to know if somebody standing next to you is pulling a gun out? I think I would,’ Gascon said.
“The security footage of the incident is chilling. The man, donning a baseball hat and smile, lifts a .45-caliber handgun in plain view, three or four times. He waves the weapon as if choosing who he wants to kill. At one point, he even wipes his nose with the gun. But nobody seemed to notice until the blast goes off.”
I am trying to fathom this story as I write these words. This one is going to take some time to process fully. All that’s left to say right now is that this form of 21st-century technology became the death of one young man.
It sickens me.