There appears to have been a mass shooting at the garlic festival in Gilroy, California. According to reports, multiple shots were fired at about 5:30 p.m. local time at the 40th annual festival. Initial reports indicate three fatalities and at least eleven people wounded. Aside from one city councilman stating 3 fatalities, officials have released no information other than to alert citizens to stay out of the area due to it being an active crime scene.

It is now 9:12 p.m. Nearly four hours have passed without any official updates and all the while FOX News, MSNBC and CNN have been creating a non-stop circus of this event. They’ve been unable to deliver any confirmed facts and instead have been interviewing anyone and everyone who is willing to cry on camera, posit their theories or expose how law enforcement will run their multi-agency investigations.  Now , at 9:29 p.m. public figures are beginning to forward their deepest sympathies and horror over this event. It’s all wonderful theater and another example of exactly what NOT to do under the circumstances.

In a world with an exploding population, it’s hard for the “average Joe” to get noticed. Some people are willing to be noticed in an unhealthy way.The way the media outlets advertise these types of events reinforces the idea that a few cheap bullets fired into a crowd can really get a mentally ill person some time in the spotlight. And the media will do everything in its power to force the public to stand up and take notice.

It doesn’t take a master’s degree in psychology to know this type of coverage spurs copycat tragedies, yet the media continue on their irresponsible paths of not only refusing to acknowledge their moral complicities in these horrendous crimes, but to pretend the complicities don’t exist. How do they sleep at night?

Yes, cover the story. No, don’t sensationalize it. Just deliver the facts as they become available; otherwise continue with your relentless attacks on Trump.