Lucas Helder- pipebomber

[+ Lucky]

Other than not having a clue to how much trouble he is in, there was something else that struck me watching this young man on tv tonight...my gaydar started beeping. Could all this be more than misdirected madness?

[CT Dick]

He IS an art student.

 

He also looks like a really messed up young man.

 

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may02/helder-arrest050702.jpg

 

That cop, though, looks real hot. }>

 

Dick

[+ glutes]

I think he's sort cute. Makes me wonder what is underneath that pair of OrangeJumpsuit...

[OneFinger]

My "gaydar" started going off the first time I saw his picture, too. But, I agree that the poor kid probably doesn't fully realize how much trouble he's in.

 

I did read an excellent article on http://www.thedrudgereport.com concerning how his father helped the FBI to find him. Also mentioned that during the final chase he called his father on the cell phone and was contemplating suicide. His father credits an FBI agent with talking his son into giving up. The FBI also agreed NOT to tackle him or throw him to the ground when taking him into custody.

 

I really think this bad situation was handled well by the FBI, the family, and the kids roommate (who first contacted the FBI).

 

My heart goes out to the victims, including the Helder family.

[Guest Spunk]

The Curt Cobain T-Shirt is a nice touch }>

[Guest Thunderbuns]

>Other than not having a clue to how much trouble he is in,

>there was something else that struck me watching this young

>man on tv tonight...my gaydar started beeping. Could all

>this be more than misdirected madness?

 

I don't know Lucas's status BUT I sure liked his "roomie" as interviewed on CNN while lounging his butt against a car. If they "roomed" together for a year and didn't "do the thing" all I can say is Quelle Waste!

 

Thunderbuns

[DaninWA]

6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

This week in rural areas outside Spokane, we've had 6 mailboxes blown up. The person(s) who did this put various chemicals inside plastic pop bottles. When the chemicals heat up, they explode. According to the news reports, the chemicals used are very dangerous and could severely burn or blind someone, if they are splashed when the "pop bombs" go off.

 

So far, noone has been injured. The police and ATF think it's some kid or kids pulling pranks. I'd like to be on the jury when they are caught and brought to trial.

 

There is another thread on this message board asking about guns. I don't know about other areas, but in Spokane and anywhere in Montana, guns can be purchased in WalMart and many, many other stores. There are 4 gun shops within a 1/2 mile of my home. Gun ownership is very high in this area and we know how to use them. Perhaps the pranksters should think about this before they place any more of their "toys".

 

Dan

[guyinsf]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

Here in the Bay Area, I've read about teenagers who pull up next to cars at red lights. If a window is open, they yell some word (can't recall what off the top of my head) and throw a gasoline soaked rag wrapped in foil with a lit fuse. The device quickly explodes and causes a fire. You can imagine what could happen to someone if he/she didn't get out of the car quickly enough. (I don't know if this story has made the local news, but a memo went around where I work to warn people because we drive around for our work so much.)

[Guest Hole_4_Hire]

>I did read an excellent article on http://www.thedrudgereport.com concerning how his father helped the FBI to find him. Also mentioned that during the final chase he called his father on the cell phone and was contemplating suicide. His father credits an FBI agent with

talking his son into giving up. The FBI also agreed NOT to tackle him or throw him to the ground when taking him into custody.

 

I read the same set of articles. Have to agree with you that this whole situation could have been a lot worse. I too feel sorry for his family and certainly don't blame them for the son.

 

BTW finger, thanks for the use of your digit. I've always enjoyed your one finger. :+

[+ deej]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

Sounds a lot like the urban legend that used to circulate about gang members that would cruise looking for someone driving without headlights. That driver would, so the story went, be killed as part of gang initiation.

 

I got a memo about it at work too. It was later found to be a hoax (and quite wide-spread).

 

Do you have confrimation that it's a real threat?

[Guest Musclebearshare]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

>There is another thread on this message board asking about

>guns. I don't know about other areas, but in Spokane and

>anywhere in Montana, guns can be purchased in WalMart and

>many, many other stores. There are 4 gun shops within a 1/2

>mile of my home. Gun ownership is very high in this area

>and we know how to use them. Perhaps the pranksters should

>think about this before they place any more of their "toys".

 

Yeehaw, that's the spirit! I personally agree that a mailbox is far more valuable than the life of some stupid 14-year-old kid.

 

Michael

[DaninWA]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

>Yeehaw, that's the spirit! I personally agree that a

>mailbox is far more valuable than the life of some stupid

>14-year-old kid.

>

>Michael

 

Would you be so flippant if their little prank went off when someone was standing in front of the mailbox? The mailboxes act as mini cannons, shooting the chemicals halfway across the street. Even 14-year-old kids can kill.

 

Dan

[guyinsf]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

No. My initial thought was that it was a hoax, too, since I had not heard about it anywhere else. One would think that if it was a frequent occurrence, it would make the headlines in the newspaper or on TV.

[Guest Musclebearshare]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

>Would you be so flippant if their little prank went off when

>someone was standing in front of the mailbox? The mailboxes

>act as mini cannons, shooting the chemicals halfway across

>the street. Even 14-year-old kids can kill.

 

I wasn't being flippant. It was a comment on the readiness with which so many people seem to embrace the 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality, including one of my cousins, who lives in Spokane (as I used to, when I was very young). If you see some kids tampering with your mailbox, shooting them dead is going to help? You still have to deal with the stuff in your mailbox. It's not a very sensible approach, unless you (as an adult) have less regard for human life than the immature brats who think exploding mailboxes are fun and don't think through the potential consequences. Your comment reminded me of an attitude I've often noted among gun owners - when people say they have a gun for "self-defense," many of them really mean for defense of their property. If it came down to someone taking my money or me killing him, I'd give him the money.

 

Michael

[DaninWA]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

Immature or not, if they choose to endanger peoples' lives with their recklessness, they should be held accountable. Not thinking through the consequences is no defense. A drunk probably doesn't think through the consequences before he starts drinking and then gets in a car. Is the person he kills somehow more dead than the person killed by a teenager's prank? Or should he get off without punishment?

 

By the way, I do not advocate shooting someone tampering with a mailbox. Also, I do not keep guns for self-defense. My handguns are for competitive target shooting; my rifles and shotguns for hunting.

 

There are people out there, however, who would think nothing of doing just that. These kids know that there are many people in this area with guns who would not hesitate to shoot them. They should keep this in mind before booby-trapping any more mailboxes.

 

Dan

[Guest sniper]

The kid's father was also quoted as saying something to the effect of "Not enough people are hearing what he's saying," so I wouldn't be letting the family off the hook yet. The anti-government ramblings ususlally don't fall far from the tree.

 

But after seeing the picture of the kid smiling as he's being taken away in handcuffs after he MAIMED people, reading accounts of how polite he was to the arresting officers, and seeing how utterly incoherent his notes were, I wonder if he may have some physical problem like a brain tumor(or maybe he's been huffing some of those art supplies).

[Guest Musclebearshare]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

>Immature or not, if they choose to endanger peoples' lives

>with their recklessness, they should be held accountable.

 

Of course they should, but by being shot?

 

>Not thinking through the consequences is no defense. A

>drunk probably doesn't think through the consequences before

>he starts drinking and then gets in a car. Is the person he

>kills somehow more dead than the person killed by a

>teenager's prank? Or should he get off without punishment?

 

No. Who said anything of the sort? Is the only punishment option being shot by vigilantes?

 

>There are people out there, however, who would think nothing

>of doing just that. These kids know that there are many

>people in this area with guns who would not hesitate to

>shoot them.

 

Precisely the attitude I was criticizing.

 

Michael

[DaninWA]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

I noticed that you skipped over the part where I said I don't advocate shooting someone tampering with a mailbox.

[Guest Musclebearshare]

RE: 6 mailboxes blown up in north Spokane County

 

>I noticed that you skipped over the part where I said I

>don't advocate shooting someone tampering with a mailbox.

 

Because you made it perfectly clear, and I certainly have no reason to question it. Ok, how about this: I'm glad you feel that way.

 

Happy now?:-)

 

Michael