Suicide-murder at day care center

Know some folks at the paper there, and they've been busting ass on this all day, I'm sure.

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) -- A man shot and killed his estranged girlfriend outside a day care center in front of their two sons, who were strapped in the back of her car, then killed himself about a block away, police said.
Carlos A. Ortiz, 37, of Altoona, sped into the Time to Succeed day care center parking lot about 7:30 a.m. Friday, said Logan Township police Chief Ron Heller. Ortiz got out of his car and shot Beth Sprankle, 24, of Duncansville, through the windshield, striking her in the neck, and then shot her through the passenger window, striking her in the head, Heller said.

 

God, that is terrible.

 

Those stories always sicken me.

If you've decided life isn't living and you want to off yourself, then have at it. But don't take others down with you.

 

Sad. Extremely sad.

 

Wow...my heart goes out to those kids.

 

Here's the story from the Web site of the Mirror.
Note that the Web site has a pic of the alleged murderer after he killed himself. Wonder where it'll be played in the morning.
Would you guys run a photo like this?
http://www.altoonamirror.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=9093

 

No. 1 rule for me when it comes to pictures like this? No dead bodies. If they're in a box or casket and you can't see them, fine. But if you can see the body, whether it's front page or inside, absolutely not.

 

Note that the guy killed himself in plain view right off a major thoroughfare in town.

I think that may mitigate things somewhat.

 

That picture gives literal meaning to the phrase, "if if bleeds, it leads." Would I have run it? I'm just glad I don't have to make those kinds of decisions.

RIP to the mother, and God bless the kids. As much as I'd love for them to be able to remember their mother, I really hope their memories of this particular incident are not lasting.

I won't pass judgment on the father, because who knows what was really going on in their relationship? PLEASE NOTE, I don't mean to excuse what he has done, because there is no excuse, but I've been through a bitter custody battle myself and I can certainly understand the feelings of helplessness, frustration and anger that might have paved this guy's personal road to hell.

 

By the way, the local TV station ran mugs of the KIDS and also GAVE OUT THEIR NAMES. Talked about effed up.

 

Now this murder picture I understand ...

http://www.datejesus.com/sermons/cobain/suicide-newspaper.jpg

... because it's Kurt Cobain. Not sure I would give John Doe the same treatment, though, because then you could make the argument for any dead body shot your photogs happen to get.

 

Isn't that illegal?