In each of these cases we don’t generally see it as the behavior of a “criminal mind” but rather the action of a person who is terribly angry and in a state of profound despair. In many instances, it’s an individual who had never previously engaged in any criminal activity, but reached a point of such exasperation and such despair that he acted out his seemingly uncontainable rage, with the result that innocent people were murdered because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The media presents stories of these shooters as if they fit a certain personality pattern, such as being loners. Are recognizable personality traits evident among these perpetrators?
It’s difficult to generalize about common traits, but most of the stories that receive a great deal of publicity involve shooters who have been hurt in some way, hurt by a relationship that’s gone bad or hurt by the feeling that they have not been understood, as was reportedly the case of the man in Binghamton, New York, who had spoken of his frustration learning English and interacting with the system. In many instances it’s an individual who feels profoundly hurt by other individuals and wants to retaliate, and retaliates quite sadly against people who have nothing to do with the hurt, such as the receptionist working at the front desk. My understanding is that part of their wish to engage in these horrific acts is to ensure that they will never be anonymous. Many of these people felt that they were anonymous, and by engaging in these horrendous acts they ensure that they will never be forgotten in that community.
What do you think can be done to prevent such events from happening again?
It’s really difficult to say, because each case involves a unique story. In recent years, as we have become increasingly aware of such tragedies, many of us have become more sensitive to attending to people who are angry beyond reason. Making attempts to connect with and to soothe profoundly distressed individuals can be instrumental in helping them calm down so that they can take steps to resolve the problem provoking such rage.
There’s so much violence in the media, in movies, in video games, etc. Do you think that such images have desensitized people to the horrors of violence?
Yes, I do feel that way. With the graphic and horrendous images that we’re exposed to on a daily basis, I believe that many people have come to view life as expendable. People get brutally killed all the time in movies and video games, and violence has become normative in society.
Although there have been so many shootings, nothing really happens afterwards to prevent recurrences.
I wouldn’t take it to that extreme. Many of us have become more sensitized to the people we’re involved with who might be coping with tremendously difficult circumstances. In my teaching, I’m aware that some individuals with whom I interact are very fragile, and it certainly crosses my mind that this could be a student who is on the verge of snapping. When I see a student who is deeply distressed and intensely frustrated, I try to reach out. I’m not usually thinking that this distressed individual is likely to engage in violence against others, but I do feel a responsibility to attend to an upset individual in ways that communicate concern.
What can all of us do to help?
Be attentive, especially to somebody who seems not only depressed, but angry and misunderstood, because that combination is the most dangerous. A person may be feeling so depressed that he or she is ok with the idea of suicide. Add uncontainable rage to that state of mind, and the person is at risk of acting out that rage and hurting innocent people. In this horrible event they enact retaliatory rage, and ensure that they will be forever remembered within that community. By expressing concern, by extending support, and by helping to resolve seemingly irresolvable problems, the deep distress felt by an overwhelmed may be alleviated considerably.