• suburban_hillbilly@lemmy.ml
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    6 days ago

    You’re telling me the same guy who was proclaimed some kind of modern ninja-spy-assassin-genius on the back of his work in NYC was just stupidly waltzing around Altoona carrying an illegal ghost gun?

    Doubt.

    • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      It’s possible that the myth grew out of proportion to the reality because we all got a bit caught up in the romance of the thing…

      Though, like, I’d still absolutely hit that. Cut myself on those cheekbones, goddamn.

    • somebodysomewhere@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Personally think he underestimated the target this would paint on his back. Either that or he knew and was expecting to be caught.

      That’s the trouble with heroes becoming actual people and likely why media is covering who he is. Instead of being an unknowable symbol of defiance, we now have to grapple with the fact that he is human.

      • quixotic120@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Assuming the latter given he apparently didn’t ditch the gun, clothing, and had a manifesto. Especially so if it’s true the gun was 3d printed, that would’ve been much easier to dispose of than an actual gun. Dudes had days and is in an area where they have easy cover to burn all of those things

      • catloaf@lemm.ee
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        6 days ago

        In the modern surveillance state, it’s hard to get away with this kind of thing. In a matter of hours, they had a partial photo, the hostel where he was staying, the ID he used, and the taxi he took.

        Granted, some of this was probably from people reporting him after seeing his picture on the news.

        • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
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          6 days ago

          There’s still no reason he should have had any of those bits of evidence still on his person though if he didn’t want to get caught.

          My “I’d like it to be true” theory is that the guy is terminally ill anyhow, and escape vs. get caught later and have a platform due to the trial vs. be killed at the scene were all equally acceptable outcomes to him.

          Hence the very meticulous planning and clear proficiency with the required steps to do the killing, yet (intentional?) sloppy drop of the phone and water bottle, plus exposure of his face, and continuing to carry every bit of the evidence they could hope to find on him days later.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          Yeah after something like this you go back to your place off the grid for a while. Certainly not some medium sized town guaranteed to have desperate boot lickers. That kid just made 60k if the arrest turns out to be legitimate.

    • MonkeyBusiness@sh.itjust.works
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      5 days ago

      Why would he be carrying all of the evidence including handwritten motives, the same fake ID and firearm with him to McDonald’s after days of being on the run? If he really wanted a ghost firearm, he could have had a second one that fired another caliber. Why would he still be wearing a face mask to make him look exactly like the pictures that were released and triggering people to think of him?

      Either this guy wanted to get caught, or we’re not getting the full story.

    • skittle07crusher@sh.itjust.works
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      6 days ago

      Hate to wonder whether the widespread public exoneration could lead folks heroes to get lazy or even take for granted that “the people” universally love them and would never turn them in.