Pennsylvania health club rampage

[Caliga]

Police questioned health club gunman, let him go
By JOE MANDAK (AP) – 45 minutes ago

PITTSBURGH — The man who shot up a women's aerobics class, killing three people and then himself, was questioned a week earlier by police because he matched the description of a man seen pulling what appeared to be a grenade from a computer bag, authorities said Monday.

George Sodini, 48, of Scott Township, was ultimately let go by Port Authority of Allegheny County police because they couldn't confirm he was the man on the bus July 28, authorities said.

But County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that investigators found writings in Sodini's home after the shooting that referenced the situation.

Moffatt did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Monday.

In addition to the deaths, Sodini shot wounded nine people who were attending the aerobics class at the L.A. Fitness club in Collier Township on Aug. 4.

Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said transit police didn't charge Sodini because the witness who reported seeing a man with a grenade couldn't confirm Sodini was the one, and Sodini denied it when police found and questioned him two days later.

"It wasn't until two days later that our sergeant found a guy matching the description," Ritchie told The Associated Press on Monday. "There wasn't much more we could do at that point."

The passenger saw a man matching Sodini's description take a grenade out of a computer bag around 7 a.m. July 28 and move it around in his hands. The passenger didn't report it to Port Authority police until that afternoon, Ritchie said, too late for police to search the bus.

The passenger "definitely saw it; he just wasn't sure it was a real (grenade)," Ritchie said. "It looked pretty real to him."

The passenger told police the man "was sort of toying with it in his hands, sitting there almost passing the time with the thing in his hands."

Police began staking out that bus route, and on July 30 a sergeant stopped, questioned and searched Sodini because he matched the description of the man with the grenade. The officer photographed Sodini, but the passenger was shown the picture and couldn't confirm Sodini was the man with the grenade, Ritchie said.

Port Authority officials immediately notified county police about the grenade investigation once Sodini was identified as the health club shooter, Ritchie said.

Moffatt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he can't say whether police found a grenade at Sodini's home, but they did find writings. He did not elaborate.

Two people injured in the shooting remained hospitalized Monday, one in fair condition and one in serious condition, hospital officials said.

Funeral home visitation was scheduled Tuesday in Franklin for the third woman killed by Sodini, Jody Billingsley, 37, of Mount Lebanon. Her funeral is Wednesday in Franklin. Funerals for the other two victims, Heidi Overmier, 46, of Carnegie, and Elizabeth Gannon, 49, of Green Tree, were on Saturday.

[Caliga]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6741638.ece
(I can't post a direct link to the YouTube video due to annoying work website filters)

Homo.

Seriously, watching that video tells me exactly why he couldn't get any chicks.  Total gay vibe.

[Valmy]

Women like the gay vibe.

[Caliga]

Women like the gay vibe.

Obviously not. 

[HVC]

Women like the gay vibe.

Yes, well there's the normal gay vibe, and the "i'm going to dress up in your skin and pretend i'm a woman" gay vibe... it seems like he was the later

[garbon]

the "i'm going to dress up in your skin and pretend i'm a woman" gay vibe

AKA The Siege Vibe

Also I'm afraid in terms of actual gays, that I don't know the "I'm going to dress up in a woman's skin" vibe. 

[PDH]

Also I'm afraid in terms of actual gays, that I don't know the "I'm going to dress up in a woman's skin" vibe. 

It's more of a Western Penn thing.

[Strix]

Yes, well there's the normal gay vibe, and the "i'm going to dress up in your skin and pretend i'm a woman" gay vibe... it seems like he was the later

It's a weird thing to encounter. I had a guy I just arrested for beating up his girlfriend. I always got a gay vibe off him so I was very surprised when he moved in with this girlfriend. Anyways, long story short, he went on the run after beating her up and one of the places I found he had been staying was a very gay heroin users home. It was pretty clear that he had a girl plus this guy on the DL. It seems that a lot of homosexual men try their best to deny their own natures which results in a lot of hostility towards the females that they try and have heterosexual relationships with. It would appear they focus their anger and aggression towards these females that results from their inner turmoil.

[garbon]

It seems that a lot of homosexual men try their best to deny their own natures

Gee, I wonder why.

[Strix]

Gee, I wonder why.

It's a different situation than you face. These guys get cornholed regardless of their sexual orientation. Apparently some end up liking it or liked it before they got raped. It than leaves them with inner turmoil once they leave prison.

[garbon]

It's a different situation than you face. These guys get cornholed regardless of their sexual orientation. Apparently some end up liking it or liked it before they got raped. It than leaves them with inner turmoil once they leave prison.

Well certainly the rape part is a mitigating factor...but I wonder if it might help them still if homosexuality wasn't so widely demonized.  After all, it has to be sort of one, two punch when you've been raped and most people you know frown on such sex.

[Strix]

Well certainly the rape part is a mitigating factor...but I wonder if it might help them still if homosexuality wasn't so widely demonized.  After all, it has to be sort of one, two punch when you've been raped and most people you know frown on such sex.

I couldn't say. I deal with a lot of homosexuals on a daily basis so it really isn't demonized where I work and with the people I work with. So, I am not a very good barometer on that.

[garbon]

I couldn't say. I deal with a lot of homosexuals on a daily basis so it really isn't demonized where I work and with the people I work with. So, I am not a very good barometer on that.

Did I suggest that you demonize homosexuals? I meant the family,friends, associates, whatever of those individuals.

[Strix]

Did I suggest that you demonize homosexuals? I meant the family,friends, associates, whatever of those individuals.

Calm down. I was just saying that I am, personally, not aware of how much homosexuals are demonized anymore in society because the part of society I interact with the most deals with them on a daily basis.

In the case of the guy I mentioned I am sure it was a major factor because he is Hispanic and they seem to be a very homophobic bunch.

[garbon]

Calm down.

I was just making sure you weren't taking offense at what I'd said.