Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Would Like to Hear Inputs From Deaf Community on Murdered Deaf Couple by Simich Jr. (Deaf Murderer)

Received an email from Gabrielle Banks, who reported the double homicide in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper yesterday, after seeing my blogsite referencing her article.

Hi Mike,

Saw my story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette referenced on your site about the double homicide of a partially deaf couple in Freedom. I'm doing a followup specifically about reactions in the deaf community.

Wondering if you could tell me how much word has spread in the deaf community about this incident? Can you quantify it--how much people are emailing about it? How many times a day?

Is it on chatrooms/boards, otherblogs? Does word spread faster/differently within the community? Is it primarily school mates of the victims, or has it touched a wider circle of people?

I see you're in NM, how far has word spread beyond the Pittsburgh
area?

Also, what are people saying? Are there important issues being overlooked that people in the deaf community would have to deal with in a situationlike this? I'd love to hear your thoughts and talk to anyone else you've been in touch with.

If you would forward this along to any others concerned about the incident (or post it for that matter), it would be great. Anyone who has thoughts, please feel free to email or call me at the number below.

Thanks very much,

Gabrielle


Gabrielle Banks
Staff Writer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(412) 263-1370
gbanks@post-gazette.com
http://www.post-gazette.com/

If you are Deaf and have something to say about the double homicide, please contact Gabrielle Banks. This is a shock to everybody in the Deaf community, reliving another double homicide that took place a few years ago involving a Deaf person murdering two Deaf people on the campus of Gallaudet University.

I would like to thank Deafreedom in helping spread the news of the murders. Tragic. Prayers to those affected.



UPDATE II: Gabrielle Banks asks more questions for the Deaf community in an email to me and granted permission to post it here:

This is fantastic.

Thank you.

A few more questions:

-Besides the issue of Simich Jr.'s sentencing, has the event raised other new issues of discussion?

-Can you quantify how much buzz there has been compared to other news around the two communities?

-Can you name where some of the farthest locations you've seen emails on the Simich shootings from--cities in US or beyond?

-Are there unique issues that deaf people might encounter dealing with an incident of this nature?

-Finally, have you heard about a recent incident involving a partially deaf man stabbed by his girlfriend, also deaf, near Detroit?

very best,

gabrielle

Please give Gabrielle a response. She informs me that she is planning to write up another article on how the Deaf community responded to the murders in a few days from now in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.