RUCHI Page 1 3/19/2011

American School Shooting’s

Mass Shooting’s or multiple murders are people who have killed more then one victim. A mass murderer kills four or more people at one location during one continuous period of time, whether it is a few minutes or a period of days. An example of a mass murder would be Richard Speck, who killed eight student nurses in July of 1966 in a single night in their south Chicago Townhouse. Killers who murder several members of their family also fall under the mass murder category. Sociologists discover school shooters generally act on a perceived wrong done to them by others and view a climatic closure to the situation as the only way out. Frustrations accumulate into rage that motivates a spree. On August 1st 1966, Charles Whitman, a student at the University of Texas in Austin and a Marine, climbed twenty-seven stories up the university’s tower carrying a small arsenal. Upon reaching the top, he barricaded himself on the observation deck, after killing several people inside, and proceeded to randomly shoot people from there. According to Wikipedia, the sniper fire started shortly before noon and continued for several hours, until several police officers managed to gain entry to the observation deck, killing Mr. Whitman. It was later learned that Charles Whitman had complained about severe headaches and that he had a brain tumor, leading to much conjecture that this was the reason for his instability. Mr. Whitman, all in all, killed fifteen people, including his mother and wife the day before, and injured thirty-one. The University of Texas at Austin massacre, prompted police authorities to consider formation and use of SWAT teams, in dealing with situations that go beyond the call of regular police activities. Michael Carneal, who shot into a prayer group in Paducah, Kentucky, was constantly baited by the other students. They said, “He had Michael germs” and they stole his lunch. One day he even had a gun and the other boys still taunted him. Finally he decided to act out and ended up killing three students. Sociologists believe that these shooting are for the most part do not just happen, and that there is reason behind it. Whether the shooter was mentally disturbed or just enjoyed the killing, no one can be of certain. Before murdering thirteen people, injuring twenty-three, and killing themselves ten years ago in one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two students at the high school, transported a small arsenal of guns, knives and homemade explosives to the school shortly before noon and started a killing spree that resulted in the deaths of 12 students, a teacher and the wounding of 24 others, before committing suicide. The killings spawned a myriad of debates over issues such as gun control, the lack of morals and religion in today’s society, cliques, bullying and violent video games. The shooting also prompted schools to review and implement new security features, including lockdown procedures. Many schools implemented new anti-bullying procedures and zero tolerance for weapons and threatening behavior as well. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of the Columbine Shooting broadcast ideas with which their parents, peers, or even teacher’s were not tuned in on. Eric kept a website which listed who and what he hated, while Dylan turned in English paper that described killing students. The boys were suspended and arrested and then sent home. No one took the warnings or even the signs seriously. There are lots of myths about school shootings, how the shooter didn’t fit the profile that everyone was expecting. Well there is no profile; shooters do not follow guidelines as to how they are going to dress for the event or how they will act. Another myth is that one day the shooter and or perpetrator just snaps. It is an idea that has been forming or brewing for a while. The perpetrator needs to plan out the attack and also have time to gather weapons. Also most of the attackers had access to weapons and acquired them from home. In their video diaries, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the two Columbine killers, openly declared that they hoped to "kick-start a revolution". Which would explain why the hours of video diaries are still being kept from the public, sealed by Jefferson county officials to this day because they have been deemed "contrary to the public interest". Which is probably true? The rage that motivated Columbine's killers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, remains grossly, willfully misunderstood by the official mainstream, yet it has found persistent sympathy in unofficial Middle America. The pain and rage are real: since 1950, America's teen suicide rate has soared by 400%. On January 8, 2011 a mass shooting had occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen were shot while six were fatally injured. Police and detectives found that the perpetrator had a my space and you tube accounts where he had a picture of a pistol laying on American history book. Hours before the incident, the attacker updated his accounts. His status on myspace now read “goodbye” while his you tube status had been set to “Please don’t be mad at me” Later police and investigators found an envelope in the perpetrators home with an envelope that had notes inside. The envelope was labeled: “I planned ahead,” “My assassination.” The Shootings at Fort Hood seemed planned as well. A soldier that lived shot forty-three total victims. Twelve of the victims were fatally wounded while thirty one were badly wounded. As investigators looked into the problem, the only reason they could come up with for this happening was because Major Nidal Malik Hasan was that Hasan was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq and was upset about that. Mass murders are not spur of the moment. The shooter plans out the attack and they know exactly who they want to kill and why. Whether it was due to being taunted or bullied or whether the attacker just wanted to feel the control they could have over another human life.

http://www.suite101.com/content/famous-american-school-shootings-a19472 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111438/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/apr/21/dreadingcolumbine1