Doug Ross @ Journal

Thanks, NBC! Another gunman and random killing

Moments ago, WAVY reported that another hostage situation has drawn to a tragic close:

A NASA contract worker took a handgun inside an office building Friday at the Johnson Space Center and fatally shot a hostage before killing himself, police said. A second hostage escaped with minor injuries. The gunman shot himself once in the head more than three hours after barricading himself on the second floor of Building 44, which houses a laboratory... The slain hostage was probably killed "in the early minutes of the whole ordeal," Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready said.

Want to bet whether this event was -- along with scores of other threat reports around the country -- at least partially inspired by NBC's glorification of the Virginia Tech killer?

Thanks, NBC! I hope the lift in the Nielsen ratings was worth it. Does anyone know of an emoticon for disgust I can use?