National All Mass Shooters Share 4 Traits - US Dept. of Justice

[RicInOR]

"A new Department of Justice-funded study of all mass shootings — killings of four or more people in a public place — since 1966 found that the shooters typically have an experience with

1. childhood trauma,
2. a personal crisis or specific grievance,
3. and a "script" or examples that validate their feelings or provide a roadmap.
4. And then there's the fourth thing: access to a firearm. "

FBI's definition of a "mass murder" — four or more people killed, excluding the perpetrator, shootings in one public place.

Nearly half the mass shooters in the database purchased their gun legally.
Thirteen percent obtained their gun via "theft," which includes borrowing from friends or family members.

See also: Mass Shooting Database Locations | The Violence Project

Read More

 

[ma96782]

Really? Money was spent to tell me that?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Ura-Ki]

Actually, they also share a chemical dependency, self medicated or other for mental "Issues"

Been saying it for years, but I firmly believe these people are speciffically targeted for actions, coached, and given the means to carry out the killings!

 

[Aero Denezol]

Really? Money was spent to tell me that?

Aloha, Mark

Ha!

Been saying it for years, but I firmly believe these people are speciffically targeted for actions, coached, and given the means to carry out the killings!

Like a Manchurian Candidate? It's possible.. Arguably much worse (and stranger) things have been done by people seeking power.

 

[ma96782]

Speaking of "mass murders". This one almost happened.

Georgia teenage girl planned knife attack at predominantly black church, police say

Probably time to ban knives. Just in case.

Aloha, Mark

 

[P7M13]

@RicInOR , thanks for posting these links. A shout of thanks to @ATCclears too for posting similar, informative links (even though a lot of them are infuriating).

 

[clearconscience]

There's a lot of talk about how journalism, media, social media all are playing a part in the anger and divide of America. and politics in playing right along. While FB, instagram, twitter and the like are raking in millions if not billions doing it.

were in the clickbait era. It'a who can anger you to most.
And were seeing it play out in a violent and deadily way.

 

[po18guy]

" study of all mass shootings

1. And then there's the fourth thing: access to a firearm."

Brilliant! Good thing we don't have mass drownings!

 

[Hueco]

and a "script" or examples that validate their feelings or provide a roadmap.

It's a good thing we don't really teach about cults and mass murderers in high school. Can you imagine if one of these kids decided to copy a page outta Jim Jones's playbook?

1. childhood trauma,
2. a personal crisis or specific grievance,

This cannot go understated. People older than millennials...and even millennials...really don't have a first person perspective on bullying in 2019.

Imagine your whole life being on the internet. Your mom has been posting pictures of you to facebook since the day you were born, including the embarrassing ones.

Imagine the worst bullying that you've experienced or seen, except now it's 24/7. A party is posted, you're not invited, but you can see all the people who are going...you're shunned. Comments about you come at you and past you and you see it all. Your reputation is torn down and self worth stomped on both in person and digitally. Disengaging from social would be the answer to have a brief respite of sanity but you simply can't do it - you're pulled in for brief moments of happiness from the friends you do have. But it's not enough to outweigh the bad.

And then you look around the world today and see tweets from years and years ago haunting adults. Old risqué photos get a teacher fired, a joke about a pug and a nazi solute winds a guy up in court, sexual assault allegation buzz around you...and you realize that you have no escape - you're life has been on the internet since the day you were born and you're already in too deep.

Now put yourself back in your 16 year old body and brain and think about how you'd deal. There is a reason that the C-Suite at every tech company chooses *not* to give their kids smart phones or access to the social media sites they run.

People think the internet has been civilized. It's still the Wild West; outlaws abound and idiots send their kids into it as soon as they're born, unarmed and naive.

There's a lot of B.S. out there about helping men to find outlets for their feelings so that they don't turn violent. Sure, fine, let's get some outlets (bringing back mandatory sports and shooting and workshop, for example)...but that's not focusing on the problem. The problem is bullying + social media. The solution is in culturally reinstating family values and to get kids the hell off social media. But, that starts with parents NOT signing their kids up for that crap from day 1.

 

[titsonritz]

Really? Money was spent to tell me that?

Aloha, Mark

At least it wasn't your money.

 

[TTSX]

THEY'RE ALL WHITE MALE CHRISTIANS ARMED WITH AR15s!!!!

oh. Wait, that's not what the article says at all. Darn it. They can't make headlines with that info

 

[P7M13]

Sounds like a fortune teller reading Tarot cards, vague enough that 95% of people can say that 1 - 3 apply to them.
Dont need to go very far to find a script kindly provided by MSM or social media.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Maybe a look at all of the reasons why the millions of other gun owners , do not go out on a mass shooting rampage would be helpful as well.
A reminder too of the fact the people can be on that list of four and also still not harm others or themselves , may not be amiss.

and a "script" or examples that validate their feelings or provide a roadmap.

Speaking for only for myself ...
Its number 3 on the list that is most troubling to me...
I work every day with students who have a 'script"...they often can not see or even begin to comprehend a life , let alone a day or even a hour "off script" for them.
A desperate man , who sees himself back into a corner , overwhelmed with the choices he made , that lead him there , not understanding that it was his choices...and unable to understand the he really does not have to lash out...is very dangerous.

When a life script gets replayed over and over , either in their own mind or by outside media...
When everyday life gets re-worked to fit into the script...It becomes both a comfort and a harm to a person...
At times when the script fails and no amount of re-working the problem that confronts them , can fit it into their script...
The person who has no way or method to cope or find a answer to what is going on in their life..can act out.

Combine this with :
Immaturity...
A developing brain...
Lack of positive life experiences...
Unreal life expectations...
Not being taught or shown that there is life after your problem is solved , that your problem is not your life , as in it does not define who or what you are...
Not being taught to value themselves for what they can do....
Overwhelming selfishness / self centeredness / lack of empathy...
No sense of respect for themselves and others...
Its no wonder that we folks that are out of control.
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Some good points are brought up by Hueco...Thank you.
Many I don't really think of... 'Cause I don't live my life around my social media status....
As I ironically type this on a social media site...
Andy

 

[Jonnyuma]

1) Bullets. They all had bullets.
2) None were in a wheelchair.
3) All had swallowed tiny amounts of saliva over a prolonged period of time.
4) None have ever been in my kitchen.

When can I pick up my check?

 

[thereddog]

about 90% of them are on psychotropic meds to boot, typically SSRI meds. Lots of folks on SSRI meds indicate that it is difficult to distinguish reality from non reality, almost like being in a lucid dream.

 

[OldTengu]

Most of them have wieners
Some don't

 

[Rickenbacher39]

There's a lot of talk about how journalism, media, social media all are playing a part in the anger and divide of America. and politics in playing right along. While FB, instagram, twitter and the like are raking in millions if not billions doing it.

were in the clickbait era. It'a who can anger you to most.
And were seeing it play out in a violent and deadily way.

If I could like that 10,000 times I would. (Jumps up and down on his 'like' button)
There is so much blaring truth in that statement it boggles the mind.

 

[bbbass]

shooters typically have an experience with

1. childhood trauma,
2. a personal crisis or specific grievance,
3. and a "script" or examples that validate their feelings or provide a roadmap.
4. And then there's the fourth thing: access to a firearm. "

Except #4, these are all common traits of the "criminal mind" and also of the "addictive mind".... something that has been known for many decades. The lesson for society should be
#1. Don't injure or traumatize your kids.
#2. Don't let kids be injured or traumatized.
#3. Teach coping skills
#4. Extend help to those in need.
#5. Talk to people
#6. Positive intervention when and where needed.
#7. Meds don't fix the underlying problems

Actually, they also share a chemical dependency, self medicated or other for mental "Issues"

Been saying it for years, but I firmly believe these people are speciffically targeted for actions, coached, and given the means to carry out the killings!

Probably time to ban knives. Just in case.

Aloha, Mark

Not working so well in UK... I read that they were now providing trauma kits with tourniquets to locations in towns.

There's a lot of talk about how journalism, media, social media all are playing a part in the anger and divide of America. and politics in playing right along. While FB, instagram, twitter and the like are raking in millions if not billions doing it.

were in the clickbait era. It'a who can anger you to most.
And were seeing it play out in a violent and deadily way.

A comparatively recent phenom. Doesn't explain mass shootings older than a decade or so...

Imagine your whole life being on the internet. Your mom has been posting pictures of you to facebook since the day you were born, including the embarrassing ones.

Imagine the worst bullying that you've experienced or seen, except now it's 24/7. A party is posted, you're not invited, but you can see all the people who are going...you're shunned. Comments about you come at you and past you and you see it all. Your reputation is torn down and self worth stomped on both in person and digitally. Disengaging from social would be the answer to have a brief respite of sanity but you simply can't do it - you're pulled in for brief moments of happiness from the friends you do have. But it's not enough to outweigh the bad.

Welcome to an episode of "This Is Your Life" eh?

Lots of folks on SSRI meds indicate that it is difficult to distinguish reality from non reality, almost like being in a lucid dream.

Oh BS... tired of hearing this drumbeat. Where are you getting your information? Are you conflating it with Ambien? The only related known side effect, despite lawyer based warnings, is "Serotonin Syndrome" as follows:

Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a group of symptoms that may occur with the use of certain serotonergic medications or drugs. The degree of symptoms can range from mild to severe. Symptoms include high body temperature, agitation, anxiety, increased reflexes, tremor, sweating, dilated pupils, and diarrhea.

I know lots of people that take SSRIs for depression and none have related problems that you say exist. Including my own experience over years of use, the major problem being with cold turkey withdrawals. Please cite medical references...

 

[RicInOR]

It seems to me that "it takes a village" has more truth to it than we (most of us on this site) might want to admit.
I know, that the idea at the time that statement was an issue it meant diversity exposure. I mean it in the sense you have to be a good neighbor.



If your kids get raised in a large family, or with a number of cousins, they learn a lot of people skills and get to practice them.

If you raise your kids in a social group - boy scouts (not scouts), 4h, Church, etc., they get to practice different social skills.

I don't include schools on the list. That is a different sort.

If you own a dog, you need to socialize it, right. Same with a child. Electronic communication is no substitute for human interactions.

And, as I have had to transition my mom to a senior living situation, I can tell you, it does not end.