TEN
The Joker:
You have squandered your last opportunity.
I will wait no more.
Watch for my sign.
Soon you will understand how serious I am.
I will prove myself to you.
I will make a gesture you will not be able to ignore or refuse.
You cannot deny fate.
Genesis.
OooOOoOOooo
Las Vegas Sun
Headlining Story, p1
Crazed Woman Murders 15, Injures 25 in Attack on Casino
Casey Rowntree
15 are dead and another 25 are injured in what is an apparently random attack on The Joker's Wild Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
The murders occurred last night at approximately 11.30pm when a woman entered the casino armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle. She indiscriminately opened fire on the guests, killing three of the security staff and wounding a further two as they moved to prevent the woman from entering.
Amongst those killed included a family of four with two small children, an elderly couple celebrating a birthday and three young women on a hen's night, including the bride-to-be. A young man was also trampled in the stampede which followed the attack. A full list of victims will be released later this afternoon.
The woman, who has been identified as Genevieve Fawkes, an employee in the Casino's Punchinello Bar & Bistro, fired upon the panicking crowd in random bursts until the police arrived. In the ensuing stand-off, Ms Fawkes, aged 24, was fatally shot and died on her way to the hospital.
Ms Fawkes had been working at the Casino for the last two and a half months, but had not formed any close friendships with her co-workers, although all reported that she was a bubbly, likeable personality who did not seem troubled in any way. Her direct manager, Jeffrey Brown, says that Ms Fawkes was "a punctual and reliable worker who was friendly to all the guests and generally received large tips". He claims Ms Fawkes had no reason to bear a grudge against the Casino, and indeed, had been promoted to Head Waiter the previous week.
No apparent motivation for this crime has as yet been identified and the Casino has been temporarily shut down while police conduct a full investigation.
The Casino, which derives its theme from the infamous sociopathic career criminal known only as "The Joker", has alternatively been criticised as a glorification of one of history's most ruthless murderers and a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of killer pop culture.
This is not the first time notoriety has visited the controversial Casino. In its opening week of June 2001, The Joker himself paid a visit, demanding complimentary accommodation in the Royal Jester's suite where he ordered everything off the menu of the Casino's 5-star restaurant before going down to the gambling hall to "mingle with [his public" where he proceeded to win vast quantities of cash in various card games. He then commandeered private use of the Casino's Luxury Bathhouse, soliciting six of the floor show girls to join him.
Remarkably enough, whilst some ten people were injured, The Clown Prince of Crime himself incurred no fatalities, an extremely rare occurrence for one of his sprees and one that has not been repeated since. On the other hand, Harley Quinn, his former psychiatrist and long time paramour and partner in crime, immediately murdered the six showgirls in a jealous rage. Popular Cable TV Psychologist Dr. Terry Shaeffer suggested at the time this was The Joker's ultimate objective when procuring the showgirls and the real reason behind his apparent harmlessness during his brief stay. She claimed that Joker has often been observed as having a fondness for manipulating people into committing antisocial acts and enjoying the ensuing chaos. He and Quinn were apprehended shortly after these murders when local authorities arrived to find them engaged in sexual intercourse in one of the spas surrounded by the bodies of the dead women.
The Joker's visit saw the Casino popularity rise to astronomical heights, making it the most visited Casino along the strip for three years running, leading to speculation from some corners that a possible deal between the career criminal and the Casino owners had been struck, especially as The Clown Prince has been noted in the past for responding violently to any who he perceived as "stealing" his gimmicks or profiting from his image. It has even been posited that he receives a percentage of all profits form the Casino. However, these speculations remain unsubstantiated.
