Elementary school shooting reported in Newtown, Conn.

[Valmy]

Some killings (in like domestic disputes or something) you can almost understand what the guy was thinking. Something like this... it's just incomprehensible.

Mentally ill I suspect.

[The Brain]

Some killings (in like domestic disputes or something) you can almost understand what the guy was thinking. Something like this... it's just incomprehensible.

Mentally ill I suspect.

Mental illness can be understood.

[merithyn]

Apparently, the authorities are trying to verify which of the Lanza sons carried this out. There are two, and there is no guarantee that it was Ryan. There's also no definitive ID of who was found in the house in Newtown. It could have been the other brother rather than the dad.

[Liep]

The other brother found dead in his apartment.

[merithyn]

His mother was a kindergarten teacher, so one can guess that most of the children were under the age of six years old.

My heart just breaks. This is horrorific. Any age is too young, but fuck. Those are babies.

[DGuller]

I gotta admit, I'm morbidly curious as to what motivates someone like this. I know there is never going to be a good answer, of course. Sadism? Desire for notoriety? Profound mental illness and delusions? Some of all of the above?

My own kid's in grade 2 right now, so I can somewhat-sort of imagine the horrors the parents are going through.

The answer always seemed obvious to me.  Tens of thousands of people are successfully suicidal each year in US.  Suicidal people aren't exactly the ones that are most discouraged by the consequences of their actions.  If only a very small percentage of those combine suicidal thoughts with homicidal and sociopathic thoughts at the same time, you'd have a steady stream of mass murders like this.

[Admiral Yi]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

[garbon]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

Yeah there's definitely some tackiness around this from the media. I didn't really like the picture of upset kids being shuffled through the parking lot.

[Malthus]

I gotta admit, I'm morbidly curious as to what motivates someone like this. I know there is never going to be a good answer, of course. Sadism? Desire for notoriety? Profound mental illness and delusions? Some of all of the above?

My own kid's in grade 2 right now, so I can somewhat-sort of imagine the horrors the parents are going through.

The answer always seemed obvious to me.  Tens of thousands of people are successfully suicidal each year in US.  Suicidal people aren't exactly the ones that are most discouraged by the consequences of their actions.  If only a very small percentage of those combine suicidal thoughts with homicidal and sociopathic thoughts at the same time, you'd have a steady stream of mass murders like this.

Yeah, that's the answer you'd expect from an actuary. 

I'm more interested in the sort of answer one could get from a psychologist - not why this shit happens a certain number of times given a large enough group, but exactly what motivated this particular person.

[garbon]

I gotta admit, I'm morbidly curious as to what motivates someone like this. I know there is never going to be a good answer, of course. Sadism? Desire for notoriety? Profound mental illness and delusions? Some of all of the above?

My own kid's in grade 2 right now, so I can somewhat-sort of imagine the horrors the parents are going through.

The answer always seemed obvious to me.  Tens of thousands of people are successfully suicidal each year in US.  Suicidal people aren't exactly the ones that are most discouraged by the consequences of their actions.  If only a very small percentage of those combine suicidal thoughts with homicidal and sociopathic thoughts at the same time, you'd have a steady stream of mass murders like this.

Yeah, that's the answer you'd expect from an actuary. 

I'm more interested in the sort of answer one could get from a psychologist - not why this shit happens a certain number of times given a large enough group, but exactly what motivated this particular person.

[DGuller]

Yeah, that's the answer you'd expect from an actuary. 

I'm more interested in the sort of answer one could get from a psychologist - not why this shit happens a certain number of times given a large enough group, but exactly what motivated this particular person.

I think you misunderstood my reply.  There are people out there who just have some wires crossed, and don't have inhibitions about causing misery to other people.  Normally these people are still not acting on these impulses, because of survival instinct.  However, if these psychos are suicidal, then there is nothing to stop them from going out in a blaze of glory.

[mongers]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

Yeah there's definitely some tackiness around this from the media. I didn't really like the picture of upset kids being shuffled through the parking lot.

So you want school shootings sanitised, like they've done with warfare ?

[garbon]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

Yeah there's definitely some tackiness around this from the media. I didn't really like the picture of upset kids being shuffled through the parking lot.

So you want school shootings sanitised, like they've done with warfare ?

I think it would be better if we didn't sensationalize and exploit the emotions of terrified children.  What 'value' does that add?

[mongers]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

Yeah there's definitely some tackiness around this from the media. I didn't really like the picture of upset kids being shuffled through the parking lot.

So you want school shootings sanitised, like they've done with warfare ?

I think it would be better if we didn't sensationalize and exploit the emotions of terrified children.  What 'value' does that add?

It's what happens when a gunman runs amok in a school, how is that "sensationalize and exploit the emotions of terrified children" ?

[crazy canuck]

CNN showed a clip of a kid from the school being interviewed in the parking lot by a local affiliate.  I found that kind of creepy and tacky.

Yeah there's definitely some tackiness around this from the media. I didn't really like the picture of upset kids being shuffled through the parking lot.

So you want school shootings sanitised, like they've done with warfare ?

I think it would be better if we didn't sensationalize and exploit the emotions of terrified children.  What 'value' does that add?

Yeah, leave the kids alone.  The last thing they need now is to be made into media spectacles.