Only Asking?

On the evening of 1 October, at least 58 people died and 489 were injured when a gunman opened fire on concert-goers in Las Vegas.  The perpetrator was quickly identified as Stephen Paddock, a white male.  We were also told about his family circumstances, private life, and business dealings.  We learned of his fascination with guns and his gambling.  And we were informed that his father was a bank robber, diagnosed as a psychopathic with suicidal tendencies.

In contrast, on 7 October, in London, a car mounted the pavement near the Natural History Museum and ploughed into pedestrians – 11 were injured.  The driver of the car was detained but not identified (although some people have posted helpful pictures on Twitter).  Almost immediately, the police ruled out terror as a motive.  This, you may agree, says quite a lot about the speed and efficiency of the police investigation.  But, 10 days on, unless I have missed it, we still do not know, officially, who the driver was, what he was up to, or whether he will be charged with any offence.