school shooting

[kaysixteen]

So we see today the local prosectuor in Oxford, MI, laying out the facts that have motivated her to charge the deeply disturbed young killer's parents, parents who lied to their lawyer about plans to turn themselves in and have now hit the road.   They actually bought their son, whom they clearly knew, by his social media presence, amongst other things, was in need of serious psychiatric intervention, a sig sauer for Christmas (probably is not even legal in MI for a 15yo to own such a handgun).   The kid's teacher caught the kid earlier in the day of the shooting, writing a 'doomsday' type letter where he drew a picture of a gun and commented something to the effect that 'the bad thoughts just won't go away'.  Kid was immediately summoned to office, and parents called in immediately.   Parents were ordered to get the kid counseling within 48 hours, but refused to take him home--- somehow idiot admins simply let him back into class, and did not search his backpack.  I am normally very reticent to consider charging parents for kids' crimes, but in this case, I am more or less ready to say send the kid to a mental hospital, and mom and dad to break rocks for hard time.

Of course, with each one of these American-exceptionalist school shooting sprees, we whine about 'thoughts and prayers', and just do nothing.  I have lost at least as much patience for this attitude, at least amongst politicians, as I have for vaccinidiocy...

[Hegemony]

Well, clearly it's a big problem that the country is deeply divided into very different views on guns.

In several high-profile school shootings, the parents may not have been tip-top parents (as who is?), but they were deeply distressed and horrified at their son's actions. These parents are a different, well, caliber.

I was reminded of the school shooter Kip Kinkel, who killed and wounded many in his school in Oregon in the late '90s, and who may have inspired the Columbine shooters. He was a troubled boy and his parents, apparently seeking to give him a hobby, bought him a gun. It transpires now that he may have been a paranoid schizophrenic, and his desire for a gun was part of his frantic desire to protect himself from imaginary conspiracies. Kinkel's parents seem to have been well-meaning, though obviously they made a terrible choice (and paid a terrible price, as he killed them too). I'm not sure this latest kid's parents were well-meaning. But whether or no, I think the idea of "Our kid is troubled, so we'll buy him a gun to give him something to occupy him" — well, you just wonder what world these people are living in. A world of denial, I guess. Lethal denial.

[marshwiggle]

Well, clearly it's a big problem that the country is deeply divided into very different views on guns.

In several high-profile school shootings, the parents may not have been tip-top parents (as who is?), but they were deeply distressed and horrified at their son's actions. These parents are a different, well, caliber.

I was reminded of the school shooter Kip Kinkel, who killed and wounded many in his school in Oregon in the late '90s, and who may have inspired the Columbine shooters. He was a troubled boy and his parents, apparently seeking to give him a hobby, bought him a gun. It transpires now that he may have been a paranoid schizophrenic, and his desire for a gun was part of his frantic desire to protect himself from imaginary conspiracies. Kinkel's parents seem to have been well-meaning, though obviously they made a terrible choice (and paid a terrible price, as he killed them too). I'm not sure this latest kid's parents were well-meaning. But whether or no, I think the idea of "Our kid is troubled, so we'll buy him a gun to give him something to occupy him" — well, you just wonder what world these people are living in. A world of denial, I guess. Lethal denial.

And Nancy Lanza, whose son was the Sandy Hook shooter,

Before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday and began a rampage that would leave 20 children and six adults dead, police say, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Conn.

After the Lanzas moved to Newtown, "time passed, the family fractured and broke apart. Around the time of the divorce, Ryan Lanza [Adam's brother] graduated from college and moved to work in New York. Adam stayed with Nancy Lanza, and her life took on strange habits. She didn't let visitors into their home. She collected powerful weapons. And she began to bring her increasingly troubled son to 'multiple shooting ranges,' officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Monday, to practice using those guns together."

[marshwiggle]

And in an incredible irony:

GA Mom Says Rittenhouse's "Bad" Parents Are To Blame; She Is Then Killed By Her Own Son On Thanksgiving

A Georgia family is still in shock as on Thanksgiving, Marcia Chance, 42, was fatally stabbed by her own son. Arriving on the scene, police found Chance inside a Lawrenceville home, on the floor – lifeless.

Having received reports of domestic assault, the Gwinnett County police arrested her 18-year-old son, Varian Alexander Hibbert, who was living at the residence and charged him with felony murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

While this is of course a tragic event for a family, days before her untimely death, Chance took to social media to blast the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and how his "bad" parents were to blame.

Which just goes to show how out-of-touch parents can be about their own parenting. Dunning-Kruger effect obviously.

[Hegemony]

I think many people are also in denial about how big the copycat effect is. Apparently the time of greatest danger for school shootings is just after another school shooting. A gun and a list of names were removed from a high school kid in my home town just today.

So put several ingredients together:

• a troubled teenage boy who feels (however wrongly) hopeless and as if he has nothing to lose
• societal messages that anger is powerful
• societal messages that guns equal power and masculinity
• easy access to a gun
• parents who are misguided, in denial, or who buy into the narrative about guns and power
and finally
• numerous examples of teenage boys who have shot up their schools, caused fear, caused everyone to talk about them, and come across (to the fearful and seemingly powerless) as 'badasses'

It's like saying "Here's the recipe!" Violence is contagious. There are boys across the country who are feeling the same way right now, and watching.

[mamselle]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

[marshwiggle]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

I think the "weapon of choice" for girls is social media; there have been many stories of girls attacking others on social media, including some where victims have committed suicide.

[AvidReader]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

I snarked to my spouse the other day that the way to cut down on gun violence in schools was to allow the young women to carry if they wished (at least it would be much better than that suggestion a few years back that teachers carry). Spouse suggested this topic would make an excellent 21st century Modest Proposal, but I don't have time to write it.

AR.

[jimbogumbo]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

I looked it up. Various stats, but here is what I can see.

With 4 or more casualties, only 3 have been carried out by females acting alone. I wouldn't characterize any of those perpetrators as girls.

I only found one school shooting by a girl, with 2 victims.

[ciao_yall]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

I think the "weapon of choice" for girls is social media; there have been many stories of girls attacking others on social media, including some where victims have committed suicide.

Well, groups of kids don't die in a hail of mean Tweets.

So, there's that.

[Wahoo Redux]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

120 male; 3 female; 1 male & female

[smallcleanrat]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

With 4 or more casualties, only 3 have been carried out by females acting alone. I wouldn't characterize any of those perpetrators as girls.

Because...they were adults and not teens or younger?

[marshwiggle]

From Wikipedia:

"I Don't Like Mondays" is a song by Irish new wave group the Boomtown Rats about the 1979 Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego.

According to Geldof, he wrote the song after reading a telex report at Georgia State University's campus radio station, WRAS, on the shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who fired at children in a school playground at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, on 29 January 1979, killing two adults and injuring eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime; her explanation for her actions was "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day".

[jimbogumbo]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

Yes, adults. Amy Bishop was one, another was an adult woman at her workplace, and the third was a disturbed woman who shot at kids in a school setting.

With 4 or more casualties, only 3 have been carried out by females acting alone. I wouldn't characterize any of those perpetrators as girls.

Because...they were adults and not teens or younger?

[mahagonny]

And your last sentence just resonated in particular--because it is boys, isn't it?

That's not rhetorical, but a question about the factual situation...are there actually any, let alone many, instances of female shooters?

M.

With 4 or more casualties, only 3 have been carried out by females acting alone. I wouldn't characterize any of those perpetrators as girls.

Because...they were adults and not teens or younger?

Because gender is only the imposition of a flawed societal concept on reality.