Agree with the first part of the article, school shootings are essentially terrorism. To draw attention to one's message through violence and fear.
I think we'd see much less of them if headlines didn't feature the killer's name. If his motives didn't get prime-time television.
On the second part I think he's contradicting himself. First part he says that the shooters don't always fit the stereotypical profile. They aren't always social outcasts, they can have friends and girlfriends. They aren't always entitled rich white kids or violent minorities, they can be anyone. They don't always have an obsession with guns, violent games, heavy metal etc.
But then he goes right back to that stereotype to urge us to empathize with people like that. Don't get me wrong, empathy is good. But thinking someone might otherwise turn into a serial killer is really a self-defeating motive when it comes to empathy.
I'd say we'd go a long way if we'd just stop glorifying the bastards as if they're national celebrities. Leave their name, lives and motives to judges and psychiatrists. Just report the event that happened and leave it at that.