I would like to use your forum to express my deepest sympathy to all Americans, but especially the families of the victims.

Let’s hope this guy was a deranged loner and doesn’t encorage ANY copy-cat acts.

I have read the search engines are overloaded for “Ismail Ax”.

Just dropped in on Sheik’s site.
http://sheikyermami.com/2007/04/18/ismail-ax/
Someone came up with a possible explanation.

“ismail ax = ismailax = is mai lax = is my luck — written in red for a korean? that’s bad luck? ”

I can’t say for sure about the above post. But I had always thought red was a colour of luck in Asian countries, epspecially China…which really doesn’t help much.

I know there are literary and biblical references.

Still thinking this guy was a lu-lu! A one-off case that comes up all over the world from time to time. Hope so anyway.

Trouble is I hold an English degree. If the Press finally has the story and spelling straight, and it’s ‘Ismail Ax‘, then there is absolutely no chance that this maniac was referring to some obscure relevance in Moby Dick. Ishmael and Ismail are not minor alterations on a theme, and an English major would know how to spell, I should hope, even if he didn’t have respect for human life.

Since the guman was an English major, he could easily have been familiar with both works. I would hesitate to draw any conclusions until more evidence comes to light.

Then I guess the photos of off-campus townhouses I saw are not correct?

Obviously mixed reports are still swirling.

As for the nature of what Ismael relates to, I think you’re stretching.

The second and yet unclear part of that name is what gave me more pause than the first. ‘X’ or ‘Axe’, the implications of either of those in combination with a name of a Son of Abraham is fairly stark.

Detroit, Michigan means the boy had more than the usual access to Islamic influences. I’d like to know how long he lived in the region of the U.S., where Islam is so strong and if a Koran is found in his possessions.

Everything is conjecture at this point, but as I’ve stated on JW, I have no reason to buy the excuse that this was a purely domestic incident. This man had a plan and an agenda and an ideology of some sort and the wording of what I know of his note so far confirms that much.

And finally, if it turns out this killer did indeed live ON CAMPUS, then the firing of several officials in charge will be mandatory at that point. This would be even more outrageous that the campus was not cleared or locked down with a killer possibly still running around the university.