Althouse: Jared Loughner shot 35 mm film of himself "posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string."

January 14, 2011

Jared Loughner shot 35 mm film of himself "posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string."

He dropped the film off at Walgreens the day before the massacre.

Perhaps the most surprising part of that is the use of film. Don't most people use digital cameras now, and doesn't anyone taking naked/embarrassing pictures of himself go digital? It must be that Loughner wanted to involve real people in the process of discovering these photographs of the killer clowning with the gun at the very time he was using the gun on a murder spree. It was another way to inflict pain, and he went to some trouble to do it.

Isn't this evidence useful to the prosecution? It shows elaborate planning, I think, including perhaps a plan to appear crazy. Why go to the trouble and expense of using film? Did he not try to time the development of the photographs with the massacre? Or do you think posing with the gun like that makes him seem more crazy and is useful to the defense?

52 comments:

madAsHell said...: I'm sure I could find pictures of Sarah Palin with a Glock, and a bright red g-string on the internet.

Ya' see it all fits the narrative!; 1/14/11, 5:46 PM
Unknown said...: Well, we knew he planned this out, so I guess it's just one more nail.

As for the use of film, maybe he wasn't as techie as his use of social networking sites would suggest.

Ann Althouse said...

posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string.

There's an image I really don't want to conjure.

PS I suppose this makes Walgreen's responsible.; 1/14/11, 5:48 PM
garage mahal said...: "Jared Loughner shot 35 mm film of himself "posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string.""

Sure this guy isn't a Republican?; 1/14/11, 5:51 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: I think you've got it right, he wanted people to see the pictures after the event had occurred. For whatever reason. And frankly, I'm a little surprised that Walgreen's still processes film. I wonder how much longer that service will be widely available.; 1/14/11, 5:52 PM
dbp said...: Jared Loughner was not only crazy, he appears to be really, really good at being crazy.; 1/14/11, 5:54 PM
coketown said...: I take my lewd pictures with a stereoscope to create a sense of "get that thing out of my face" with the viewer.

Didn't the sociopath in Silence of the Lambs develop his own film?; 1/14/11, 5:56 PM
dbp said...: off topic a bit...

I don't get the impression developing your own film was ever very popular. Somehow though, in creepy movies there are abundant scenes of film-lab activity.

Possibly film makers are into film processing and so it gives them the idea of putting it in their movies.; 1/14/11, 6:02 PM
Steve M. Galbraith said...: Well, the Virginia Tech shooter filmed a number of videos right before his acts. And then mailed them to NBC.

So...

The interviews with his friends seem to indicate to me that this wasn't an act. He was slowly falling apart.; 1/14/11, 6:05 PM
dbp said...: Garage,

Just because all your "conservative" friends wear bright red g-strings (nttiawwt) doesn't mean the rest of us do.

Maybe I am the only one who doesn't, I mean how would I know? Which brings up the question of how Garage knows that his buddies all wear bright red g-strings?; 1/14/11, 6:06 PM
James said...: His ex-girlfriend has already said that she thinks he's faking mental illness: Ex-girlfriend: Loughner 'not mentally ill'

""I think he's faking everything. I think the outburst that he had in class -- I think he's planned everything. I think that he has been planning this for some time," said Figueroa. "; 1/14/11, 6:06 PM
Beldar said...: I saw somewhere what purported to be a news photo of the outside of his parents' house. It was modest, and the vehicle parked in front of it was old and rusty. Even though they must have had enough high-tech gear for Loughner to create and maintain an online life, it still wouldn't surprise me too much if such a household still lacked a digital camera, but still had a film camera still hanging around. Not all of America has yet made the paradigm shift to cell phones as cameras.; 1/14/11, 6:07 PM
Trooper York said...: I guess you don't know about Meade's other hobby.

You know besides gardening.

You must not be on the email list.; 1/14/11, 6:09 PM
Methadras said...: How soon before Nicholas Cage is tapped to pay this guy in a movie? This is right out of Silence of the Lambs when the sexually confused he/she hides his pee-pee in a mock vagina pose. It all makes sense now.; 1/14/11, 6:17 PM
Clyde said...: Do. Not. Want.; 1/14/11, 6:18 PM
Methadras said...: garage mahal said...

Sure this guy isn't a Republican?

You are probably related to him or at least have the same penchant for the same undergarments. Don't go tapping your foot in a bathroom now.; 1/14/11, 6:18 PM
kent said...: when the sexually confused he/she hides his pee-pee in a mock vagina pose.

Rachel Maddow what, now...?; 1/14/11, 6:23 PM
PaulV said...: Garage, are all liberals homophobes like you seem to be?; 1/14/11, 6:25 PM
The Scythian said...: Garage wrote:

"Sure this guy isn't a Republican?"

OK. I have to admit that actually did make me laugh.; 1/14/11, 6:36 PM
ricpic said...: It's one thing to have a big dick; it's another thing to know how to use it.

--Attributed to Wilt Chamberlain or Mickey Rooney; 1/14/11, 6:41 PM
Crimso said...: "I'm sure I could find pictures of Sarah Palin with a Glock, and a bright red g-string on the internet."

Kindly pass along that link when you do. Thanks very much in advance.; 1/14/11, 7:04 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Loughner is not legally insane. Just being a sociopath with mental health issues does not mean you are legally insane. He was a loser trying to bolster his own self worth by committing murder. Evil, depraved, yes. But also sane. He planned this and did it. He was not so delusional so as not to know he was killing people, he just did not give a shit.; 1/14/11, 7:13 PM
Anonymous said...: The larger question is this: What is Walgreen's doing looking through people's pictures?; 1/14/11, 7:21 PM
Anonymous said...: "Loughner is not legally insane."

How precisely did you diagnose him from so far away Fred?; 1/14/11, 7:23 PM
Anonymous said...: And let's start with a definition, shall we?

Legal Insanity: A mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.

I would argue that by his very actions, Mr. Loughner must have been suffering from a mental illness (the community college certainly believed so.

There is ample evidence he was unable to conduct his affairs in a reasonable manner (he interrupted class with outbursts, unable to live on his own, wore G-strings to reveal buttocks, etc.)

And I'd say he was pretty uncontrollably impulsive - not a good thing when one is armed to the teeth.

Seems reasonably insane to me. Which means he was most likely unable to formulate the mental processes necessary to determine right from wrong, or to develop the necessary intent to commit a crime.

He seems to need ObamaCare - not jail.; 1/14/11, 7:31 PM
Penny said...: "Jason Ogan, a sheriff’s spokesman, said the number of people wounded in the attack has been decreased from 20 to 19, with the number of dead standing at six. “We were unable to give a solid number because of the complexity of the scene,” he said. “Victims were transported to four different hospitals, and others self admitted themselves.”"

So?

We don't know how many people have been injured?

Cut me a break.

Hey, it's Althouse.

Why NOT talk about....

""Jared Loughner shot 35 mm film of himself "posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string.""; 1/14/11, 7:40 PM
Anonymous said...: Police misconduct in the investigation is already occurring:

NY Times: "It emerged Friday that the F.B.I has video footage — taken from the surveillance cameras of businesses in the shopping center where the shooting took place — of the incident, according to a law enforcement source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the source is not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.

So what we have here is unauthorized, irresponsible, unprofessional corrupt law enforcement sources who are leaking vital investigative information to the NY Times(for a fee?) when they know that they are not authorized to do so and fear being discovered so much that they've demanded - and received - assurances from the NY Times that their identities will be kept secret even from the courts.

It's a goddamned shame that law enforcement officers cannot be trusted to carry out their duty in this case.; 1/14/11, 7:41 PM
lucid said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/14/11, 7:43 PM
Anonymous said...: "Kindly pass along that link when you do. Thanks very much in advance."

Merely ask, and ye shall receive.

Sarah Meets the Ruskies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EDWVW0LXM0; 1/14/11, 7:45 PM
lucid said...: I don't think that one should try to make sense or ascribe meaning to what Loughner did, e.g. with the naked pictures of himself.

His brain was misfunctioning in a very profound way.

It is not as though he simply had different beliefs or values than the rest of us.

He could not have thoughts or perceptions that would make any kind of sense in any context.

Think of most of his brain as a missing organ. You can't interpret make sense of the thoughts or behavior it produces.

This is not at all a political case, except for the reactions of people like Krugman or Dupanik after the fact. It is solely a mental health case, apart from our misunderstandings of it.; 1/14/11, 7:46 PM
Anonymous said...: "This is not at all a political case ..."

I disagree.

I think Loughner did what most of us do. When our President speaks, we listen ... just like people listened yesterday when Obama spoke.

Obama said he wants people to be mad.

Obama said bring a gun.

Obama said get in their faces.

Obama said punish your enemies.

That's what Jared did.

He brought a gun. He got in their faces ... and he punished his enemies.

Just like Obama told him to do.; 1/14/11, 7:49 PM
Penny said...: "...he just did not give a shit."

Like so many others...apparently.

One of us, Loughner, is in jail.

He must have stepped over the "line"?; 1/14/11, 7:49 PM
Rialby said...: "Would you fuck me? I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard."

"It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it's told!"; 1/14/11, 7:55 PM
Michael said...: Now Sarah Palin is forcing us to revert to celluloid. Worse, we have to go to Walgreens to develop; 1/14/11, 8:04 PM
Gene said...: I don't understand how these Glocky-buttocks photos could be very useful to the defense. Even Loughner's attorney claims insanity, he will still never get out of jail.

On the other hand, that might not bother him very much. If jail is merely another reality to him, every night he can just dream he's hiking through the mountains or lounging on a tropical beach.; 1/14/11, 8:05 PM
Anonymous said...: "Even Loughner's attorney claims insanity, he will still never get out of jail."

We are civilized sir. We don't put insane people into jail. That would be inhuman.

John Hinkley lives at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hinckley,_Jr.; 1/14/11, 8:13 PM
Crimso said...: A warning is considered proper etiquette, Florida.; 1/14/11, 8:16 PM
Pastafarian said...: OK, there's been quite a bit of overheated rhetoric in these comments sections lately, and I'd like to ask all of you commenters, left and right, to just be honest with yourself for a moment.

These accusations have gone too far. Take a breath. Honestly answer one simple question:

Who among us hasn't shot footage of themselves posing with firearms while wearing a g-string?

Now, the choice of 35mm is certainly unorthodox, but some might prefer the grainy retro authenticity of it, I suppose. To each his own. More disturbing to me is his choice of the already not-too-photogenic blocky Glock, further defaced with the stupid novelty extended magazine.; 1/14/11, 9:21 PM
Penny said...: Still... no facts about how many were injured.

Althouse is researching that, I assume?; 1/14/11, 9:24 PM
Pastafarian said...: I bet he didn't rock the black socks like me.

And no, that's not a g-string -- it's a loincloth. Freeman Hunt knitted it for me for my birthday.; 1/14/11, 9:25 PM
Pastafarian said...: Chop chop, Althouse! Penny needs a count, stat!

And her, a law professor.; 1/14/11, 9:30 PM
Penny said...: "Chop chop, Althouse! Penny needs a count, stat!"

No one here is interesting in how many people were injured?; 1/14/11, 9:33 PM
Penny said...: TYPO!

Sorry.

But did you know what it was I was asking?; 1/14/11, 9:36 PM
Pastafarian said...: Penny, other than to that 20th person, I'm not sure if there's a big difference between 19 and 20.

And I can understand why the investigators might lose count in the confusion, since that sort of total isn't really terribly important to them either. It's not as though the fact that there's 19 and not 20 changes their theory of the crime.

I suppose it matters to the shit head Loughner, so that he puts the right number of tiny skulls in his prison neck tattoo.

So, no, I don't really give a fuck what the actual number is, and I find his amateur cinematography to be a much more interesting topic. And to return to that topic, Penny, answer my question, honestly: Haven't we all photographed ourselves with weapons, wearing a bright red g-string? Isn't this something that we can all unite about?; 1/14/11, 10:03 PM
Anonymous said...: Dang. That guy who said that Tucson is Arizona's San Francisco wasn't kidding.; 1/14/11, 10:19 PM
Penny said...: "So, no, I don't really give a fuck what the actual number is,.."

I see...

On to bigger things...like my opinion.; 1/14/11, 10:24 PM
Penny said...: Ever so flattered, Pastafarian. :); 1/14/11, 10:25 PM
Pastafarian said...: I wonder if changing my avatar to a g-string shot would violate Blogger's terms of service...Hell, blogger won't even let me put two spaces after a period. There's no way they'll let me put a photo of my hairy ass crack swallowing a thin red piece of butt-floss on here.; 1/14/11, 10:45 PM
BJM said...: We've seen this movie.; 1/14/11, 11:08 PM
Andrea said...: Maguro: yes, Walgreen's, CVS, Rite-Aid all still process film... but. As it's becoming just a hobby instead of something everyone does, the one-hour places are being phased out. I used to be able to drop off my APS cartridges at Walgreen's and get them back in an hour, but they got rid of their special machine. Now they only do color 35mm and who knows how long they'll do that. On the other hand, their sendaway service goes to a Fuji lab which does just about all sizes of film. I've sent out 120, 127, and 110 film to them and gotten it back processed (though they won't scan any of the odd sizes).

Anyway, never fear, none of my photos featured my ass in a red g-string posed next to a Glock. Red is so gauche. I prefer black lace and a vintage AK-47.; 1/14/11, 11:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Much of the premise of this post is abject speculation and worse, is unsupported by the facts. Here are the facts:

"At 11:35 p.m., Loughner dropped off a roll of 35 mm film at a Walgreens next door to the Safeway supermarket where the shooting occurred. After buying something about an hour later at a nearby Circle K convenience store and checking into the Motel 6 one mile to the west on Ina Road, he returned at 2:19 a.m. to pick up the photos and make other purchases.

So, the entirety of the events surrounding the Walgreens photographs occurred well before the shooting.

Loughner took some photos, went to Walgreens, had them developed, and picked them up two hours later.

He did not, as Ann suggests in her post, want to " ... involve real people in the process of discovering these photographs of the killer clowning with the gun at the very time he was using the gun on a murder spree."

Walgreens (it must be) makes copies of all your photos so that they can turn them over to the FBI if they want later on to incriminate you. You've been warned.

And this post should stand as a warning not to read too much into the actions of someone who is mentally unstable.

Sometimes a photo is just a photo.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/14/arizona.shooting.investigation/index.html?hpt=T2; 1/15/11, 5:43 AM
knox said...: "It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it's told!"

This is old, but what the heck.

I recently watched the "Inside Story" about Silence of the Lambs... I think on the bio channel. It's worth watching if you're a fan of the movie.

Fun fact: Demme's first choice for Hannibal Lecter: Sean Connery.; 1/15/11, 3:23 PM
knox said...: Here it is.; 1/15/11, 3:24 PM