Charlie Kirk Assassination, A Professional Hit?

Above, the assassin on a campus building's roof as shown in a video. Image from Stuff.

The assassin of Charlie Kirk may never be found. That is a distinct possibility. 

From what I have been able to determine from news reports was that the Utah Valley University campus was not sealed off to prevent anyone from leaving. It was only later was the campus put under lock-down. 

Along with Kirk's own security team, there were six police officers present. 

At first, security and the police at the venue thought that the shot came from someone in the crowd. It was later determined that the shooter fired a single round from a campus building's roof. Has a weapon been found during the search of the roof? I have not heard of any reports of a weapon being found. Was the bullet's shell found on that roof? Again, there has been no reports. 

It appears that if the assassin left the scene with the weapon, how was he able to leave without being seen carrying a rifle? Possibly, the rifle was a take-down model and was carried out in a suitcase, bag, backpack or even in an attache case. If this was the case, it smells of a professional hit. My Winchester Model 12 shotgun is a take-down with a 30-inch barrel and it could easily fit in a large attache case. A rifle would be shorter and easier to smuggle out. 

Hopefully, security videos will be analyzed to determine how the shooter was able to escape and, possibly his identity. 

UPDATE: A rifle has been found in a wooded area near the campus as well as a footprint and forearm imprint. 

🚨BREAKING: Former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan says Charlie Kirk’s Assassination was a “PROFESSIONAL HIT” 🚨

“This was a very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before. This individual had a plan of escape… this assassination is indicative of a… pic.twitter.com/cEDIbFZHne

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) September 11, 2025

Coins and Precious Metals Storage

One question many new collectors or investors of coins and precious metals wonder about is where to store them.

It really boils down to each individual's choice. Some prefer to keep their investments close at hand at home or off-site somewhere (such as a bank).

Coin News has posted and article with smart storage tips for coins and precious metals.

They begin with:

During the "Gold Rush of 2023," dealers report that demand for gold bullion coins has soared from both previous investors and many new buyers. Now the important question is: how should you safely protect and store your precious metal purchases?

The Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org), a nonprofit organization composed of many of the country’s top rare coin and precious metals dealers, advises that the three most popular methods of storage each have advantages and disadvantages.

To read more, go here. 

How 9/11 Changed Air Travel

Above, Godzilla at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One week from today, it will be 20 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.

As the attacks were carried out by using airline planes as weapons, drastic security changes at the nation's airports were implemented and they are still with us today.

My first trip to Japan was a month later in late October 2001. At that time, the airports had National Guard soldiers stationed in the terminals. My mom told me that travelers had to be at the airport four hours before boarding. Well, that was unnecessary, as it turned out. So I spent over three hours in the United Airlines terminal at LAX bored stiff. LAX was almost like a ghost town in the terminal.

At least the rest of the trip went well (even despite getting a 24-hour flu bug while there) and I attended the Tokyo International Film Festival's premiere screening of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Japan Today posted an article on how 9/11 changed air travel and how we have more security and less privacy.

They start it with:

DALLAS - Ask anyone old enough to remember travel before Sept 11, 2001, and you're likely to get a gauzy recollection of what flying was like.

There was security screening, but it wasn’t anywhere near as intrusive. There were no long checkpoint lines. Passengers and their families could walk right to the gate together, postponing goodbye hugs until the last possible moment. Overall, an airport experience meant far less stress.

That all ended when four hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

The worst terror attack on American soil led to increased and sometimes tension-filled security measures in airports across the world, aimed at preventing a repeat of that awful day. The cataclysm has also contributed to other changes large and small that have reshaped the airline industry — and, for consumers, made air travel more stressful than ever.

Two months after the attacks, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the Transportation Security Administration, a force of federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies that airlines were hiring to handle security. The law required that all checked bags be screened, cockpit doors be reinforced, and more federal air marshals be put on flights.

There has not been another 9/11. Nothing even close. But after that day, flying changed forever.

To read more, go here. 

2000 Silverlake Homicide

Above, the far back building above was where the homicide took place.

In-between insurance claims jobs, I often worked as an armed security patrol officer back in the 1990s and the following occurred during my last stint.

I was working a "dedicated area" consisting of the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, in the Rampart Division area of the L.A.P.D. for Protection One.

I received a radio call about a disturbance at the Hollywood Inn Express motor lodge. I was told to see the motel manager first upon arrival.

When I arrived, he told me that a man and a woman came and told him that someone was shot in a room in the far back building. Immediately, my gut feeling was that the police should be immediately notified. I told him to call the police and I would keep the room under surveillance until they arrived. I also notified my dispatcher.

When the police went into the room, I followed and saw the girl's body on the bathroom floor of the room.

The following is a Los Angeles Police Department press release:

Rampart Homicide Detectives are investigating the shooting death of a Hispanic female, 15 years of age. The victim was discovered shot to death inside room number 134 of the Hollywood Inn Express South Motel located at 141 North Alvarado Street, Los Angeles. The victim was discovered by Rampart Patrol Officers responding to an "Assault with a Deadly Weapon" call on Wednesday, January 26, 2000, at approximately 4:00 am.  

The victim was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.  

The investigation revealed the victim, two witnesses( a male and female Hispanic), along with the suspect checked into the motel at approximately 2:30 am on Wednesday, January 26, 2000. At approximately 3:30 am, the male witness went down to the night window and informed the clerk that someone had been shot inside the room. The witnesses then fled. The police and paramedics were notified. While the officers were at the scene, the witnesses returned and identified themselves.  

The suspect and the male witness met the victim and the female witness at a nightclub. When the club closed they decided to continue the party at the motel. While inside the room the victim and the suspect became involved in an argument. During the argument the suspect produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at the victim. The victim was struck numerous times about the body. The suspect then fled on foot.  

The suspect is described as a male, Hispanic, 5'6" to 5'7" tall. 110 to 120 pounds, 22 to 25 years of age. He has a thin build, dark complexion, and short hair. He was wearing a dark checkered shirt, black pants and white shoes.  

The suspect fled the scene taking the murder weapon with him. The cause of the argument has not been established. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin. 

This wasn't the first "187" (penal code for homicide) I was involved in. Previously, I was flagged down by a man who came across a male gang victim lying in the middle of Dronfield Ave. in the Shadow Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. 

To date, I don't know if either cases were solved and the killers were prosecuted.

Sunspot Solar Observatory Reopening Today

Above, the Sunspot Solar Observatory produces some of the sharpest
 images of the sun. This one was taken by me. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After being closed since September 6, the Sunspot Solar Observatory is set to reopen today.

Fox News reported:

A New Mexico observatory that was temporarily shut down over an undisclosed security issue is set to reopen Monday after its closure sparked wide-ranging theories, officials said. 

The Sunspot Solar Observatory, located near the Sacramento Mountains, no longer faces a security threat to staff, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) said in a statement Sunday. The facility had been closed since Sept. 6. 

“Given the significant amount of publicity the temporary closure has generated, and the consequent expectation of an unusual number of visitors to the site, we are temporarily engaging a security service while the facility returns to a normal working environment,” the statement said. 

It’s unclear what the security threat to the observatory was. The FBI referred all questions to the association.

To read more, go here. 

Changes May Be Coming To Las Vegas

Above, my drive down the Las Vegas Strip two months ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Las Vegas is still recovering from the shooting that took 58 lives at an outdoor country music festival.

According to Japan Today:

LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas' tourism sector is bracing for changes in the aftermath of the massacre that killed 58 people at an outdoor music festival. 

Analysts who closely track the finances of the city's casino companies say Las Vegas will see a short-term dip in visitors in response to the shooting. 

Casinos and police may have to impose new security measures after gunman Stephen Paddock brought more than 20 rifles into his hotel room and drove a car filled with explosives into the parking garage. 

The "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas" slogan has been put on hold, as has one unveiled in the weeks before the shooting by the owner of Mandalay Bay that said, "We are not in the hotel business ... we are in the holy s--- business." 

Electronic billboards that typically promote restaurants, concerts, a topless pool and other entertainment are now showing a dedicated phone line for victims and their families, along with words of appreciation for first responders and casino employees. 

"We've been there for you during the good times. Thank you for being there for us now," reads a black-and-white billboard message with the city skyline and "#VegasStrong." 

It's hard to quantify the effect the shooting will have on Las Vegas tourism. Airplanes still carry loads of tourists to the desert oasis, convention-goers fill large halls to discuss the latest industry trends, and slot machines ring in the casinos.

To read more, go here. 

Las Vegas Hotels To Screen Luggage?

Above, the Las Vegas Strip. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In the aftermath of the Mandalay Bay massacre last Sunday, the question arose on what can Las Vegas hotels can do to beef up security.

One of the things being looked at is to screen the luggage hotel guests bring in.

According to Condé Nast Traveler:

As a city that hosts large-scale events on a daily basis—concerts, big-budget theater, conventions—not to mention routinely gets nearly four million visitors each month, Las Vegas is always on high alert for a terrorist attack or catastrophic event.

Yet the violent mass shooting on Sunday—the deadliest in United States history, which left 59 festival-goers dead and nearly 600 injured—was triggered in an area of Las Vegas that’s largely unpatrolled: the hotel room. 

According to Las Vegas authorities, gunman Stephen Paddock brought 23 guns, including some rifles into his hotel suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. He also brought hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as a hammer to, presumably, smash the windows of the room. He wired cameras inside and outside his room to detect movement from police officers. And he did all of this first by hauling ten suitcases up to his suite.

Luggage screening and other security measures could have a chilling effect and dissuade visitors from coming to Las Vegas, according to the article.

To read more, go here. 

Yamanote Line To Get Security Cameras

Above, passengers boarding the Yamanote Line at Shinjuku Statiom. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The JR Yamanote train line that encircles central Tokyo will soon be installing surveillance cameras in its trains.

According to Japan Today:

Tokyo - East Japan Railway Co (JR East) said Tuesday it will introduce security cameras on trains running on Tokyo's Yamanote loop line to enhance security. 

The railway operator will introduce the cameras on 550 train cars starting in the spring of 2018, completing installation by 2020 in time for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, it said. 

The installment of the cameras is expected to cost around 2 billion yen ($18 million), according to the company. 

"Crimes and nuisance are becoming noticeable on trains. (Security cameras are) necessary to prevent terrorism as well," President Tetsuro Tomita said at a press conference, adding train cars on other JR East lines are planned to be equipped with surveillance cameras.

To read more, go here. 

Airport Security May Get Worse This Summer

Here we go again!

It looks like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may make going through airport security even more of a hassle than it already is this summer.

Travel + Leisure reported:

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing new security measures that would require passengers to remove even more items from carry-ons to go through airport checkpoints. 

Travelers are already required to take out liquids and laptops before passing through to their gates. They might soon be required to take out every electronic device larger than a cell phone, including cameras, game consoles, and iPads as well as any food items, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The TSA is currently conducting tests at smaller airports.

To read more, go here.

TSA Mess: Airlines Stand To Lose $4.3 Billion

Above, many will take to the road to avoid flying this summer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The mess at the nation's airports will be getting worse before it gets better.

The screening lines are getting jamb-packed with anxious travelers, thanks to the folks at the TSA. It is recommended that travelers get to the airport at least two hours before their scheduled departure times for domestic flights, three hours before international flights.

Some people are rethinking their summer vacation travel plans. Since this is the National Park Service's centennial, many will opt to visit a national park...by driving.

According to Travel + Leisure:

Air travel is shaping up to look like a nightmare this summer, especially at many big airports and hub cities. And as a result, some travelers are rethinking their plans. Many Americans now say they’ll avoid planes and airports altogether. The reduced spending will mean a loss of $4.3 billion for the June-August peak summer season, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

When we recently flew to Hawaii, we had no difficulties in getting through the security checks. We arrived at LAX two hours before our departure time. The extra time was spent having breakfast in the terminal. In Hawaii, there were hardly anyone at some of the airports we used.

To read more, go here. 

Can Airports Drop The TSA?

Above, my flight to Japan last year. My luggage arrived a day later. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We've read in recent weeks (I've blogged about it as well) of the mounting problems at some of the nation's airports caused by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Some airports are considering dropping the TSA in favor of private security screeners. Is it legal to do so? Yes, and it already has been done.

TravelPulse reported:

If they hadn’t seen enough already, officials at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor had a good look at chaos last week. 

In addition to long security lines at screening checkpoints, a “significant, unprecedented” technical issue with a computer server led to more than 3,000 checked bags left sitting on the tarmac – while passengers boarded flights and jetted off to their destinations, their luggage a day behind. 

That was enough, indeed, for Deborah Ostreicher, the city's assistant aviation director, to suggest dropping the Transportation Security Administration’s oversight of security at Sky Harbor in favor of a private firm.

This had happened to me. Last year, my luggage arrived a day late to Japan, thanks to the TSA. Singapore Airlines, with whom I flew with, paid me ¥12,500 in cash as some compensation and for me to buy some necessities while I waited for my luggage. They didn't have to do that as the incident wasn't their fault.

To read more, go here.

It's Easy To Be Kicked Off A Plane

Ever wondered what powers the airlines have when deciding whether or not to kick someone off a plane? 

According to an article in Travel + Leisure, they have considerable power. But, passengers do have rights.

They wrote:

A rash of recent passenger expulsions are setting air travelers on edge as the busy summer travel season approaches. 

In April, Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, a student at the University of California Berkeley, was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight after a passenger heard him speaking Arabic. And just last week, a University of Pennsylvania economics professor Guido Menzio was removed from an American Airlines flight and questioned by authorities after a fellow passenger became suspicious of his scribblings on a pad of paper, which turned out to be math equations. 

In both cases, neither passenger was found to be doing anything wrong. But the incidents raise several important questions. How common are these expulsions, what are passengers’ rights in these cases, and what should you do if it happens to you?

To find out, go here. 

Tokyo/Osaka Shinkansen Trains Getting New Security Cameras

Above, an Osaka-bound shinkansen pulls into Atami Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year, a man aboard a shinkansen train bound for Osaka from Tokyo set himself on fire, killing himself and a female passenger. This has led the Central Japan Railway to introduce new security cameras aboard their trains to monitor passengers.

According to News On Japan:

Security cameras are being introduced in passenger seating areas of Shinkansen bullet trains between Tokyo and Osaka. 

Trains operated by Central Japan Railway previously had 60 cameras only at the entrance doors and in hallways. The trains will now feature an additional 45 security cameras to monitor passengers. 

The first fully equipped train went into service on Tuesday.

To read more, go here.

New TSA Rules May Make Traveling Even More Miserable

Above, be prepared to power up your smartphone or laptop at the TSA checkpoint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Recently, it has been reported that intelligence intercepted messages that are suggesting an "al Qaeda master bomber" has found a way to conceal explosives in portable electronic devices (such as cell phones and laptop computers) that can evade detection through conventional security screening.

Condé Nast's The Daily Traveler has an article stating that the TSA, in response to this news, will make our international travels a bit more miserable.

They wrote:

If you’re contemplating an international trip this summer, you’ve probably heard that the TSA is cracking down on dead devices—everything from smartphones to laptops—to prevent terrorists from turning a hollowed-out gadget into a bomb. So be prepared to power up your device at security if you’re boarding a transatlantic flight bound for the U.S., or risk having to surrender it if you want to make the flight. But what happens if your smartphone or laptop battery simply died before you got a chance to charge up? Does it land in the trash bin along with those oversized Gatorades and toothpaste tubes?

Personally, my laptops are fairly new and the batteries are in great shape, so powering up at the TSA checkpoint would not present a problem for me. But this may slow down the process quite a bit if most everyone in line ahead of you has smartphones and/or laptops that have to be powered up for inspection.

It appears that international flights across the Pacific to Asia (and back) may not be affected, but I wouldn't count on that.

To read the full article, go here.

Obama Puts Tokyo's Vending Machines Out-Of-Service

Above, vending machines like this one in Tokyo were sealed for Obama's visit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been reported in the Japanese (and some western) press that lockers at some of Tokyo's train and subway stations had been temporarily closed for President Barack Obama's visit to Japan.

Rocket News 24 reported yesterday that along with lockers, vending machines were also closed for business during Obama's visit. Prior to Obama's arrival, the vending machines were sealed with tape.

They reported:

This evening, U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Japan. While here, he’ll be meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the two scheduled to discuss strengthening diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Japan, and also the possibility of Japan participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. 

Since we spend at least half of our time thinking with our stomachs, we can’t help but realize that Japan’s agreeing to the proposed trade agreement would likely mean lower import taxes on American beef. But while the possibility of a future with more meat has us excited, it comes with a gastronomic price, as the security measures surrounding the president’s visit mean that a number of beverage and ice cream vending machines in Tokyo have been temporarily shut down ahead of his arrival.

Notices had been posted that the machines would not be usable until after April 25. Even recycling boxes found near the vending machines were sealed, making it difficult for people to find place to discard their trash.

To read the article, and see many photographs of the sealed vending machines, go here.

Frisky Business At Japanese Airports?

Above, an Asakusa, Tokyo toy store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you thought that going through the TSA screening process is just confined to U.S. airports, guess again.

Japanese transport ministry officials are considering a new policy of frisking air passengers before they board their flights.

According to The Japan Times Online:

CHIBA — The transport ministry is thinking of launching random body searches at international airports in April to bolster counterterrorism measures, airport sources said Sunday.

Departing passengers who set off metal detectors during screening are usually asked to submit to a body search. Under the proposed procedure, about 10 percent of all passengers would be randomly selected for body and baggage checks, the sources said.

Exactly how people would be searched was not specified.

So, if you plan to smuggle a Japanese sword or a kaiju toy in your boxer shorts and it sets off a metal detector, you might get yourself frisked.

To read the full article, go here.

Halloween Display

One of my favorite times of the year is the Halloween season.

Working in my "parachute job" in security patrol, I have the good fortune to see Halloween decorations people set up in their yards during my patrols.

Yesterday, I saw a pretty elaborate display in a gated community in Tarzana. I took these photos with my cell phone (click on images to view larger):



Above and below, characters from "The Wizard of Oz" seem to have had run-ins with the trees.

Happy Birthday To Salma Hayek

Actress Salma Hayek is celebrating her 45th birthday today.

She was born on September 2, 1966 in the town of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico.

I had the pleasure of meeting her back around 1998. I was working armed patrol/alarm response in the Hollywood hills and she was one of our clients.

One rainy night, her house alarm tripped and we found an open and unlocked door and a bedroom that looked like it was ransacked. We were in the process of contacting the LAPD when she returned home. We told her what we found and escorted her inside.

It turned out to be a false alarm and the "ransacked" condition of her bedroom was due to being in a hurry to get to a party. We all had a good laugh over that!

She was very nice and appreciative.

A big Happy Birthday to Salma Hayek!

Summer in SFV

Another Independence Day has come and gone and I had to work during it. That's okay, the holiday pay will come in mighty handy!

Summer has finally hit the San Fernando Valley. On the way to work, I noticed a Walgreen's temperature sign read 96 degrees. At this was at 3:45 in the afternoon. For a while, it looked as though we could have had thundershowers as the sky clouded up and it was humid. Must be one of those monsoons up from Mexico.

Thankfully, the security office at the premises has a powerful air conditioner and I was able to cool off between patrols in the "super-charged golf cart."

At nightfall, fireworks can be seen and heard all around. At least I was able to get a free fireworks show.

Unfortunately, one dimwit was setting off skyrockets two buildings to the east of my apartment after midnight. Wonder what line he stood in when brains were handed out?

Now to get through the rest of the summer.

A Midnight Surprise

Last night, I patrolled the hills above Burbank in my "parachute job" as a private security patrol officer. This job is made necessary as my other job working as an insurance adjuster is so sporadic (even though I've received two new assignments this week).

A little after midnight, I received a call from the area supervisor asking me to meet up with him. This is nothing unusual as he generally shows up around this time, so I headed over to the meeting place.

When I arrived he said, "I have something for you!" In a split-second, I thought, "A write-up? What did I do?" It wasn't a write up. I looked down and sitting on the trunk lid of his car was an 8 x 10" folder.

I opened it up and this is what found:



Included with it was a Visa gift card for $100.

What a surprise!