My policy on any shooting:
1) Don’t assume any hate group connections or political motivations until we find out more about the witness. You don’t want to wind up like Brian Ross.
2) Do keep track of how the shooting’s being politicized. I say “how,” because it’s inevitable, and in some cases it’s not all that bad. You won’t hear the NRA bemoan the mental health/gun buying law passed after the Virginia Tech shooting.
The reporter to follow for actual facts: Ryan Reilly. The factor to keep track of, if you want to see how conservative media will process this: The Family Research Center’s two-year-old designation as a “hate group,” issued by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC hasn’t responded to the developments in D.C. (I’ve asked), but I’m already seeing some sputter-and-point reaction blaming them – or just begging the question of blame – for what almost happened.
