So, what causes a guy to go on a nutty killing spree?

[Coppernerves]

It seems most talk on the Connecticut Killspree has been about guns.

But really, shouldn't other factors be discussed? Like making sure that sort of thing isn't something a guy wants to do?

Surely there must have been something seriously wrong even before the guy chose a weapon, but what was it?

 

[Doclector]

Well, we may never know, exactly. What we do know is that something was obviously wrong way before this happened, and the warning signs were ignored, and whatever this kid's problem was, it was left to get worse.

That, I believe, is the main thing that must not be allowed to happen again.

'Course, it'd probably help is someone kept the goddamn guns away from the kids.

 

[Vegosiux]

There is no universal "trigger". One thing that does come close to it, however, is the tendency of our society that when and if a guy of that age tries to ask for help, he's told "Shut up and grow a pair", if you ask me.

If you're a "privileged white male" it seems as if it's a disgrace to ask for help when you need it, instead you should "Quit whining and grow a spine".

 

[Zhukov]

I'd be willing to bet that a large part of it is the blitz of media attention and instant celebrity that follows these events.

Obviously that doesn't cause people to go on a shooting spree, but I wouldn't be surprised if it contributes greatly to the difference between someone killing themselves and someone killing a couple dozen people and then killing themselves.

Oh, and of course having easy access to automatic weapons that are designed for the sole purpose of quickly killing large amounts of people with ease certainly doesn't help matters.

 

[Squilookle]

In my complete and total ignorance, I'm just going to default to 'bad parenting'. If the kid was of sane mind, then the parents did not keep them in check. If they were of unsound mind, the parents did not get the right support/supervision together for them.

Either way- better parenting would have prevented it.

/total ignorance

 

[Vegosiux]

I'd be willing to bet that a large part of it is the blitz of media attention and instant celebrity that follows these events.

Obviously that doesn't cause people to go on a shooting spree, but I wouldn't be surprised if it contributes greatly to the difference between someone killing themselves and someone killing a couple dozen people and then killing themselves.

Maybe, but I still think that "I'll be on TV!" isn't what's going through their heads when they commit...I might be completely wrong here, of course...

 

[Rastien]

Could be that they want the world or a large group of people to feel the same pain they struggle with on a day to day basis.

I dunno pretty selfish either way if you want to kill yourself go for it but don't bring others into it.

 

[Zhukov]

I'd be willing to bet that a large part of it is the blitz of media attention and instant celebrity that follows these events.

Obviously that doesn't cause people to go on a shooting spree, but I wouldn't be surprised if it contributes greatly to the difference between someone killing themselves and someone killing a couple dozen people and then killing themselves.

Maybe, but I still think that "I'll be on TV!" isn't what's going through their heads when they commit...I might be completely wrong here, of course...

I'm thinking less, "I'll be on TV" and more, "The entire world will know my name and feel my pain".

 

[Vegosiux]

There is no universal "trigger". One thing that does come close to it, however, is the tendency of our society that when and if a guy of that age tries to ask for help, he's told "Shut up and grow a pair", if you ask me.

If you're a "privileged white male" it seems as if it's a disgrace to ask for help when you need it, instead you should "Quit whining and grow a spine".

Is it really like that in America?

I was more talking about the mentality of "Boys aren't supposed to cry" and those who do are "pussies" we've all had shoved in our face at some point in my life, not only in America. Just a personal opinion there, mind.

In Germany it seems better. You're likely to recieve at least a bit of help if you ask for or need it. The end goal is just to get you back into a shape where you can go work and pay your taxes without whining but hey, it is something.

That's good. That it still doesn't stop shootings entirely is less good, but as you said, at least it's more than nothing.

Anyhow, how do you stop it? I have no idea really. No solution I can think of is realistic. You could try cutting down on pressure in schools and stress in general, but that's not happening because it might harm the precious fucking wage people will earn later. Cutting down on media coverage would be a good idea, but that's laughable.

Stopping it would be impossible, I'm afraid to say. SO many people, so many uniquie possible triggers, there's no way to humanly predict them all, much less act preemtively yet without prejudice.

Cutting down on stress does seem like at least something, but in this world? Yeah, not bloody likely, I mean we all have to be CEOs and presidents or be ridiculed for the rest of our lives for being a burger flipper; if I may exaggerate with caricature a bit.

 

[OniaPL]

Eating too many Snickers bars. They make you all nutty.

 

[xDarc]

Whatever happened to just crazy? You can't just be crazy anymore?

Also, why worrying about spree shooters is like worrying terrorists will get you, or that you'll die in a plane crash. Even aside from firearms suicides, they account for a tiny fraction of firearms homicide in the US, not even 1%.

This doesn't mean they shouldn't try to look at firearms violence as a whole or implement stricter rules on who can legally get one in the first place, but at the end of the day it's a cultural/societal issue and those factors need to be addressed. Focusing on spree killers alone will not yield an answer, just an over-emotional reaction and a call to ban this and that while people are still angry and violent as a society and nothing changes.

 

[Vegosiux]

Whatever happened to just crazy? You can't just be crazy anymore?

Well, the problem with that is that the general sentiment in the society seems to be "Crazy" = "Not enough like me for my comfort".

Is the guy who goes live a hermit life in the middle of nowhere crazy? I suppose most of us would say so. But he's not going to go on a killing spree, either.

 

[xDarc]

Whatever happened to just crazy? You can't just be crazy anymore?

Well, the problem with that is that the general sentiment in the society seems to be "Crazy" = "Not enough like me for my comfort".

Is the guy who goes live a hermit life in the middle of nowhere crazy? I suppose most of us would say so. But he's not going to go on a killing spree, either.

I've noticed there were a lot less of these incidents when we had mental institutions in every city that locked up people who were different like it was going out of style. Those institutions have mostly all closed, and there really isn't an affordable or humane alternative these days.

 

[Vegosiux]

Whatever happened to just crazy? You can't just be crazy anymore?

Well, the problem with that is that the general sentiment in the society seems to be "Crazy" = "Not enough like me for my comfort".

Is the guy who goes live a hermit life in the middle of nowhere crazy? I suppose most of us would say so. But he's not going to go on a killing spree, either.

I've noticed there were a lot less of these incidents when we had mental institutions in every city that locked up people who were different like it was going out of style. Those institutions have mostly all closed, and there really isn't an affordable or humane alternative these days.

On what grounds were those people locked up, I wonder. I mean, I dunno, but last time I check we don't exactly imprison people for what they "might" do.

 

[Rawne1980]

I'm not ruling out the possibility that some people are just fucking mental.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I dunno. I mean when I go on a massacre it's usually because it's a Tuesday and there's bugger all else to do.
That or because someone "accidentally" put Marmite on my sandwich