I have little to say about mass shootings these days, as I prefer to let our opponents exploit these tragedies for political gain. I will say, based on the age of the shooter, I’d bet this is a case of schizophrenia. I’ll also bet if that’s the case, there were plenty of people that knew this guy was a ticking time bomb and did nothing.
UPDATE: See Instapundit: “Others may blame Hollywood. In both cases, it’s a mix of opportunism and a desire not to confront the existence of evil.”
Glenn Reynolds nails it, as he is wont to do, regarding those who blame Hollywood and/or guns for this sort of thing.
“In both cases, it’s a mix of opportunism and a desire not to confront the existence of evil.”
Our choice of entertainment in movies, video games and other media seems to be at odds with our stated values of peace, fuzzy kittens, and public tranquility. The Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid “out-in-a-blaze-of-glory” myth is deeply ingrained in the American psyche as a meme the mentally disturbed easily attach to. I think more gun use & safety education and a general demystification of firearms would be a helpful counter-balance to the pop culture image of guns as Viagra for the insane.
Or those who wanted to do something were restrained by the laws from doing anything until it was too late. His mother, who thinks he is “the right person” lives in California–an especially bad state for overly strict definitions of “gravely disabled” with respect to commitment.
Initial reporting made her comments look like she knew this was bound to happen. If that is the case, this is another colossal breakdown in the system that tries to help, but instead hurts.
I know you have personal experience with this. Your tome has been talked about recently in Maryland political circles and even in DC a bit. Hope it helps illuminate some to the issue and start a discussion on possible outcomes that help all.
If you had a “Cliff’s Notes” version of the book, I think it would help more folks. Please don’t take that as an insult (I probably would), just a realization that the people who need to read it are more likely to do so if they can nail it in an hour or two.
Right here: http://www.fed-soc.org/publications/detail/madness-deinstitutionalization-murder
Thanks for that. Sad reading.
I have been doing as many radio talk shows as I can, not because it sells books (it doesn’t — radio listeners don’t read), but to get the message out that we have a problem. This isn’t just a problem for gun owners; it’s a problem for our whole society, and in Canada, and Europe as well, where deinstitutionalization and strict gun control laws that are enforced with surprising laxity means that they actually have a HIGHER rate of these sort of murders than we do.
If you have contacts with radio or TV talk show hosts who would be sympathetic, please help me to make contacts. My efforts with local talk show hosts have been completely ineffective, except for the NPR affiliate. We have two different conservative talk show stations here in Boise, and both are completely uninterested.
“radio listeners don’t read”
Not to digress from the much more important subject at hand, but why do you say that?
Many of the books I’ve read recently, I learned about from listening to NPR. And, I have learned that if a book is mentioned on NPR, I have to drive straight to the library and get it, otherwise it’s going to be checked out for weeks before I’ll be able to get it.
Maybe your observation is true, based on what radio stations or programs are being listened to?
I’m going with schizophrenia with a side of delusions of grandeur to be some sort of villain. Setting up the trapped home and executing the plan on the DKR screening date seems too coincidental to be anything else.
best guess… schizophrenia
age is right
very bright
just dropped out of med school
was a nice normal person
family “knows” something is wrong with him
He checks all the boxes
I suggest reading Clayton Cramer’s “My Brother Ron”. This reads like a chapter.
Well, when you declare your theater a “gun-free zone” it means the law-abiding are disarmed, not the criminals or the insane.
I would not overplay this as an explanation. The shooter did everything right to engage in mass murder:
1. He picked an event where many theater goers were dressed in costume. (I thought that this was only a Rocky Horror Picture Show thing.)
2. He used smoke grenades (or something) adding to the confusion.
3. He opened fire during a battle scene in the film, making the gun shots at first appear to be part of the movie. Movie gunfire is always more impressive than the real thing.
4. Much of the moviegoing audience these days are teens and young adults–not exactly a gun carrying crowd.
I’ve also read one early account (WARNING!) that he wore body armor. No confirmation and I don’t think any repeats, but it would fit with how meticulous his actions are reported (WARNING!) to have been and the not-so normal end of his not killing himself.
I agree.
I hesitate to jump to “If only someone had a gun!” comments when it comes to individual crimes as there are too many variables involved.
Claiming things definitely would have ended “differently-better” is (and comes across as to the undecided as) hubris. The only sound take on expanding carry rights in my mind is to point out it that we do have evidence it allows for opportunities for better outcomes in these kind of situations while there is no real evidence it increases negative outcomes.
I don’t know if a CCW holder in the theater would have ended this.
I do know that had I been there and was carrying, it would have given me more options than just run or play dead.
And that’s good enough for me.
This. Not to mention the fact that being shot back at might have kept him from watching the doors and shooting people trying to get out as some accounts are saying he did.
A mass shooter that focuses on shooting one particular person/direction is less likely to hit anyone else. Even if a CCW’er succeeds only in drawing the shooter’s attention/fire, that’s still much better for everyone else involved.
Snoopy- that’s exactly what I’m thinking. At the least it causes a few more to go free and him to waste bullets.
With all the body armor he had on, I think he came prepared to be shot at.
I’ve yet to see anything that definitely says the shooter had actual defensive body armor and not airsoft gear or a tac vest. The AP story I saw today said he bought his stuff at Tactical gear.com, and they won’t sell armor to anyone who’s not military or an LEO.
And even if it was actual body armor, well, that’s where the failure to stop drill comes in handy…
And he may have been prepared to be shot at, but was he prepared to be gang-tackled a la Flight 97?
There is ALWAYS an option.
“I will say, based on the age of the shooter, I’d bet this is a case of schizophrenia. I’ll also bet if that’s the case, there were plenty of people that knew this guy was a ticking time bomb and did nothing.”
He already confessed to the police that he is “the Joker” and dyed his hair red before the shooting.
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