text:
By Lisa Desjardins, CNN
Follow on Twitter: @LisaDCNN
Editor's Note: Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.
(CNN) – The hardest question about Newtown, and the one we have the fewest answers to right now, is the shortest one: "why?"
Not much is known right now about the shooter, Adam Lanza, and what motivated him to kill.
Alan Diaz, 20, is one of the few who knew him. He hadn't seen Lanza since high school. Back then he would have called him a friend.
Today, he struggles with his past connection to Lanza.
[2:06] "I never imagined him committing an act of violence against anyone, so when I heard that he went into that school and took 26 lives I really just couldn't comprehend it."
[1:32] "We all kinda knew that like you know, he had problems socially and we had a feeling that there might have been something wrong with him but obviously we never asked, we never thought it was our place to do so."
[4:18] "At one point he was a good kid, the events of that day may have been evil, but before that he was a good kid."
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In response to some v good comments here (as well as tweets), we just removed the photo of the shooter that was at the top of this page.
We replaced it with the foggy image of his home instead, which is a decent metaphor for the sparse information we have about him and our story that speaks to one of the few people who knew the shooter.
As people pointed out in comments, we do not want to glorify this person at all. So, good comments everyone. And CNN Radio is definitely listening. We need discussion like this and thanks.
Lisa Desjardins
*china on the rise,no more of America dreams but lots of America screams.....my bad.
I grieve for all those children, as we all do. I cannot look at their pictures as it is too heart breaking. I rage about the stupidity of a household filled with weapons. I play "What if?" and "If only..." scenarios over and over in my head.
But I also feel sorry for Adam Lanza, not to excuse at all what he did. I don't think he had a life any one else would want- awkward, painfully shy, uncommunicative, uncomfortable in his own skin, physically unattractive, no friends or confidants... he probably never kissed a girl or felt love in his life. I'm sure his times of happiness were few if any. Mental illness is a terrible burden to bear.
I'm sure this post will not be a popular one.
*vry sad 4 those kids....but americans face the facts-guns=chaos,murders,massacres,and that is exersbated when you arm civilians.another thing is that there is a good% of nutcase in U.S who would snap at one time in their life.Adam was one such case,who would hv thought he would b.come kamikaze at 20.sorry 4 saying this,wat are the odds that one of those kids in sandy school would hv snaped and follow the so familiar antics 20yrs from now due to ease in acquiring assault weapons?your tears are not for those young souls but bcoz somebody want to tamper with your so called '2nd ammendment' right?you guys are sad that someone might try 2 take away your beloved and cherished M-16 rifle right?get the fuckin' guns of the streets and that suicidal animal in some of you won't find a weapon for mass murder other wise you militia perceptions will bang ya'll to hil-billy heaven.
Your struggling to know "why"? This friend hasn't seen the boy in three years. Really? As this event unfolds it is becoming all to familiar: irresponsible parenting. Boy has a mental problem which poses a challenge for a single mother (father no were in the picture); mother can no longer handle the boy so she is trying to get him put in a place that can; boy finds out and gets upset. Due to his condition, it is possible that it really confuses him and elevates his anger. Meanwhile, mother "teaches" challenging son how to shoot weapons (for whatever unknown reason); mother does not properly secure weapons to prevent him from having access without her supervision. Boys anger results in getting weapons kills mom and others. School was targetted becuase mother spent the last year volunteering there alot (creating jealousy with the boy) and was friends with principal and school psychiatrist. She might have been the greatest person in the world but that doesn't remove her from being responsible. How do you take actions to have your son commited and at the same time teach him had to handle and shoot these kind of weapons. Unfortunately we will never know the answer but I don't think it is hard to know why this took place. The other point I would like to make is the school superintendent came out and said Mrs. Lanza had no affiliation with the school. That is not what is being reported. I know alot of folks are on on the gun control law high horse and yes I agree that some weapons just shouldn't be sold to the averge citizen, however, this incident, in my humble opinion, falls directly on Ms. Lanza. I just don't see how anyone could figure it any other way. And where is the father? We haven't heard from him at all. That is disheartening as well. Thoughts still go out to all the victims. I can't imgaine the pain and suffering they are going through.
Learn how to write and spell, please. "You're" not "your". "Too" not "to". "Where" not "were". And your lack of paragraphs makes reading the rest of your post impossible. If you want to communicate, do it in such a way that doesn't lose your audience.
It is not always about the spelling as he got his point across.
thanks for the photo shop pic CNN real classy
I think this is a really good point, Mom T, and we are changing the photo now. Stand by. Thanks to you and other people for bringing this up.
Troubled, emotionally challenged, Disability, etc. or seemingly "normal"- all are human with the most potentially
volatile trait being repressed anger. It may take years, but from my experience, I've witnessed breakdowns from
some you'd never guess would happen as well as the ones you could see it coming.
It may sound trite, but taking up healthy distractions do help reset a balance. The times are harder, fraught with
more stress for adults and teens ( especially). I've had my years of being on the edge and only in the last 5 years
after taking up a sport and immersing myself into it, look back and actually feel it saved my life.
Find your balancing element.
From Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings
by Katherine S. Newman, Cybelle Fox, David Harding, Jal Mehta, Wendy Roth
FROM ALISA, the reviewer
It's truly heart-renching to read what some of these kids wrote in their journals, and in their "last letters to society".
Here's an except from Luke Woodham's "manifesto and will":
"I killed because kids like me are mistreated every day...I suffered all my life. No one ever truly loved me. No one ever truly cared about me... All throughout my life, I was ridiculed, always beaten, always hated...It was not a cry for attention, it was not a cry for help. It was a scream in sheer agony saying that if I can't pry your eyes open, if I can't do it through pacifism, if I can't show you through displaying intelligence, then I will do it with a bullet."
"I am not insane," he said, "I am angry."
After reading this book and others, and studying the actual journals and writing of these kids online, I'm angry too. Everyone talks about the victims of the school shooters, but everyone forgets – or refuses to acknowledge – that the shooters were themselves victims. These were not simply "evil kids". These were simply kids who were in such pain that they came to believe they had no other options.
The above was written by a reviewer Alisa, not me.
This whole story is a complete tragedy. Not only were the lives of the victims lost, but the shooters life as well. You can tell by the look in this poor kids eyes that he was distant, not only from his peers, but his family as well. You can tell that this person did not receive enough love–from anyone.
The whole thing is a tragedy. I feel very sorry for Adam as well as the victims. Start taking care of your kids you bozo idiot parents out there. Quit raising your kids like they were your pet dog.
Ahaha, oh the sweet chaos that is destroying this world is certainly delectable to watch.
Humans are deplorable creatures, most of them anyway, but there are a few that are worthy enough to be spared from the heinous influence of discord.
There is no good or evil, those are limitations set by the mortal mind.
This world is about chaos and order, and while mankind strives for order, they merely inch towards chaos and mayhem.
Everything ends in chaos and ruin, it was what birthed the universe and what will end it.
As for the loss of these children, a tragedy.
And the killer? He was a chaotic person, a pawn for this world's ruin in the grand scheme of things.
Whatever. I think we should enjoy life.
So those people who are busy socializing and partying are bullying the social outcasts or saying negative things about them for not being sociable. But the thing is, if these social outcasts are not socializing they must be doing something else, right? They are thinking about science, math and engineering, planning to invent the next big technology device. When you talk to them, they stutter and have social anxiety because they have no social skills. But they are very intelligent. So, if you see an intelligent social outcast, are you going to invest in this person's intelligence or bully him for being different and for looking different? Well, a person in his right mind would INVEST in this intelligent person who is a social outcast because you badly need his intelligence to invent new things. So why do stupid people bully the social outcasts? INVEST in their intelligence, be nice to them. They are humans and if you torment them and treat them like SUBHUMANS then you know what, you will get your butt kicked and they will kick as much butts they can kick. So be nice to these intelligent SOCIAL OUTCASTS and invest in their intelligence. Do not treat them like subhumans because they could be inventing your next HOT techno device someday.
oh come on don't be so melodramatic. the world will decay if we let it. but we are humans and have the ability to adjust to our environment. which means in this example we must learn how to control the factors that caused this mess:
1) ban all guns period. sure 95% of gun owners are responsible. but because of the rest (criminals, gangs, and psychos) they must be banned for the greater good
2) nut jobs like adam lanza need to institutionalized. yea it feels good to let them act like real people in the real world, but the reality has shown us these people don't know the difference between wrong and right, and cannot function in the real world. for the sake of peace, these crazies must be locked away.
3) adam lanza's mother was the supreme idiot responsible for all this. she knew full well her son was deranged, yet turned him into an excellent marksman (child killer) and stocked the house full of guns for his pleasure. society needs to monitor people similar to nancy – if it is your role to watch over a mentally ill person, then do it right. don't teach them how to shoot guns or provide them weapons. and if these caretakers fail in their duties, lock them up also.
my words may sound harsh, but we have to take action now. otherwise the next child massacre is right around the corner.
I'm really glad you aren't actually in a position to put your idiotic ideas into law.
Aspie, abused by mother's LBGT Pedo-Bears, was emotionally tied in knots with rage.
Lack of social Development - Prescribed Psychotic drugs untied his inhibitions.
Not a happy renditioning for the Psychiatrist.
wow. you clearly don't know anything about clinical psychology. At least google something before you try to sound smart. As Billy Madison would say, we are all dumber for reading your comment. Seriously... go read a book or something.
I wonder if any of us stopped to think for a moment about what could we have done differently as a society? It is so easy to point fingers in all directions, there may be many at fault in what happened, but tonight I encourage you to re-read this blog and ask yourselves, what could we do differently?
What can we do to teach our children compassion, perhaps show it in what we say, what we write, what we do? What can we do to show our children that all life has value? Perhaps speak, write and show that we value the fragility of broken humans. What can we do to make our American children less hateful, judgmental and cruel? Perhaps be less hateful, judgmental and cruel in how we address one another with our voices, our keyboards and our blogs?
Do we need tighter gun control, sure. Do we need better mental health care, absolutely. Do we need our families to stay together and make wise choices in raising their children, without a doubt, but the real problem is that we need to teach our children kindness, empathy and compassion. How do we do that? By being kinder, more empathetic, more compassionate, less willing to attack another person. Words are the beginning of thoughts, ideas and ideologies."
I encourage you to re-read every time you put fingers to a keyboard to blog and ask yourself, am I creating a culture of faith, acceptance, mercy and understanding or am adding to a culture that creates young people full of rage, depression, anxiety, who feel unloved, who feel they have nothing to lose. The only thing that will really make a difference and change these situations is if we look at ourselves and what we are teaching this generation about what every human life is really worth.
Thank you, you conveyed the thought I was trying to say only so much better. I truly hope people will read your comment and see the wisdom in it, and for it this world will become just a little better. Thank you again so much.
I just want to say sorry, I must as a part of our american society, take my share of the blame for allowing this atrocity to happen. Though I do not live near the area or even know the alleged gunman (which I will call alleged only in respect of our due process belief of innocent until proven guilty), I do not know where we as a society have gone wrong exactly but I intend to make positive steps in my own life to try and fix it. I vow from here on out to make myself available to anyone who feels like they just need someone to talk to, I will not judge or have hate for anyone, just listen, (Disclaimer if you tell me you are thinking of interfering with anyone elses life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness I will try and get you help). I believe with all my heart that if these people felt like they had a person that they respected to talk to about what they were intending to do they would talk to that person before it was to late. So i will do my part and be their for my fellow Man or Woman. Without knowing him or his mother I cannot say what they were like or judge either of their actions, but my duty as a kind person requires me to assume the best of them, until I find out otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. If you can find enough compassion to consider the possibility that this person might have believed that he was doing something to benefit others, however twisted his mind must have been to believe such things, then maybe rather than hate you will pity him. I failed him, not directly, but I did and to all the parents that lost the greatest gift anyone could ever receive I am truely sorry and will never forget the respect I must have to all people and the value of their personal beliefs. Taking his guns away would not have stopped the torture that this youg man must have been going through, and with his intellegence I fear he would have only found a more explosive way to express himself. Love and understanding are our greatest weapons against hate and malice.
These are just my beliefs please do not judge me. I cannot say it enough but I am sorry that I wasn't able to stop this.
One in five adults in the USA suffers from mental illness. So, anyone can snap.
Autistics have gaping holes in their DNA, and are therefore mutants. One cannot expect "normal" human behavior from a being that is indeed subhuman. Enough of the politically correct nonsense with mainstreaming Autistic kids in our schools. The inevitable bullying of these Autistic youths is a recipe for breeding more Adam Lanzas. Institute aggressive mental health screenings, bring back psychiatric facilities that would have kept an Adam Lanza locked up years ago, and fund the Autism research necessary to detect the genetic defects during pregnancy. Some form of Eugenics must be introduced to combat the Autism epidemic, as Darwinism and natural selection no longer apply to human reproduction, and the declining quality of the gene pool.
You realize that someday you will be locked up by your family against your will as per your suggestion for mental illness, too.
Hey, you know those drugs you are taking for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. It may have side effects and cause you to have anxiety right? Then you treat your anxiety with another drug then you get insomnia. Then you treat your insomnia with another drug and you get agitated, then you treat your agitation with a mood-altering drug. Then next thing you know, you have a cocktail of drugs to treat all your symptoms then you developed a drug-induced schizophrenia. Then your family says, we can't handle you talking to yourself anymore so we will confine you in a psychiatric ward. But your brain is still 100% functional. Why is your family putting you away? Next thing you know, you have no future. You snap and you start to massacre people to take away their future to see how they feel like to have their futures taken away from them.
there is something seriously wrong with you and your thinking. it is someone like you that people should be worried about. good luck being a hateful person.
Jack, you know those social outcasts, those intelligent people with autistic tendencies and are socially awkward are busily inventing your next technological device. Those people that you bullied in high school that were social outcasts are making more money as engineers building the next technology that you are going to buy and use. So if you round up these people and confine them, the USA will only be filled with hateful, stupid, dumb, low IQ people like you. That's why you need to be VERY NICE to these social outcasts so they don't snap and kill you.
First off I'd like to suggest that your comment displays an alarming ignorance and lack of empathy or compassion. Which is a polite way of saying your an (add your expletive here).
However, the question of the increase in autism and diagnosed mental illness is an interesting one. It's possible that our knowledge, awareness and social acceptance of mental illness may have simply led to more diagnosis from a clinical perspective. And it's not necessarily due to better and more accurate diagnosis, as misdiagnosis has become rampant.
I propose the subject can also be looked at from a Darwinian perspective. As strides have been made in diagnosis and treatment over the years, it has also increased the reproductive fitness of these individuals who were afforded little success back in the dark ages of asylums and electro shock. The proliferation of psychotropic drugs to help these individuals, as well as there use by misdiagnosed individuals may have increased there dependence amongst successive generations. I'm not against the use of any of these drugs and actually benefit from there use myself. I can't, however, help wondering what the misuse and over medication of individuals as perpetuated by the psychiatric community as a whole will afford future generations. Much like antibiotics and pain medication, these drugs needed to be better understood and better controlled.
it is a lot more than that. I read it could be as high as 85%. It is not even that, but people have a tendency to drive each other crazy. This guy's mother drove him crazy, for whatever reason. After he killed her, he wanted to kill whoever else made him that way. I would guess some teachers. and it is sad that these innocent children were in the way.
The guy's mother & these teachers were obviously oblivious.
AWESOME!!! I am glad to se that others have compassion for ALL of the victims! Thank you for stating my feelings as well as many others since the majority of comments are filled with hatred.....
I want people to take a good long look at Nancy Lanza and her messed up parenting! This is the mind set of the NRA gun culture. My child needs a diversion. . hmmmm lets try guns. Now add in an apparently vacuous and irresponsible parent who has been taught that guns and shooting are clean healthy uhmerikan family fun. "What the hell was she thinking?? I have a mentally unstable, socially awkward, introvert son. I think the best thing for me to share with him is learning to shoot high caliber weapons" Then this total low life of a parent fails to secure her guns so that her whack job son can get them murder her and 27 other innocent people. Thanks a lot NRA and all the idiots out there who cannot responsibly handle their fire arms. Theses tools are designed for one purpose and one purpose alone to kill people. They are not toys for fun!! They are not a "pastime", a hobby or something to be "collected" There are a device for killing. As such they should be treated with appropriate respect and kept out of the hands of children and other irresponsible or insane individuals.
Simple solution: Why do you need a semi-automatic and high capacity magazine to defend yourself? Ban the semi-automatics, assault rfiles and the high capacity magazines. Guns for self-defense should only have a max of 6 bullets per round.
In fact, ban guns altogether and give everyone stun guns or taser guns. Self-defense problem solved.
Sorry, but you are not an authority on parenting and like the rest of us- you certainly didn't know Nancy Lanza. It isn't a far bridge from your current state of sanity to insanity. Remember, we are all biological in origin – subject to hormones, medications, chemicals, drugs, stress, abuse, and disease, any of which could easily transform us into something we would never fathom nor recognize. It's rather callous and shallow to post from an excluded vantage about the ills of someone else. Shall we say the same of you should a descendant of yours fall victim to insanity and cause tragic damage?
ISeriously, I think your alittle off base here. The NRA has no mindset in this decision at all. This was all Nancy Lanza, and becuase she is no longer here to explain her logic in this decision, we will never know why.
he was not a good kid, one of the worst days in history was the day he was born. roach of humanity
Something is not right with the family, IMO. 2 years is a long time to have not seen your own brother. I have a brother with Aspergers/Autism and hell if I would go 2 years without seeing him. That's cold. A sibling is really the only real friend that an Asperger's person is going to have. That and the fact that Adam Lanza had his brother's ID on him suggest to me that there's some sort of sibling angle here – was Adam rejected by his brother and trying to destroy his brother's name/career? That would be my guess as to motive.
If that was his motive, he's really stupid because this is the era of DNA evidence and identification. The media corrected itself quickly
In that case Adam Lanza deserves desecration and a posthumous execution
shooters are typically people who were raised in isolation
without family or friends, usually they spend most of their development years playing games alone
they grow up to realize one day where others were in their absence
these people are described as "quiet" and that they "keep to themselves", when what it really is
is that these people are used to being alone, and so they continue to be alone–not necessarily by choice but by habit
typically the parent(s) of a shooter do not interact with their kids, they do not care about their childrens appearances in public (i.e. overly long hair, acne, body odor) it is these consistent observations that lead me to suggest that these people are not "born" but raised, and that it is not necessarily a mental illness, but rather an unhealthy lifestyle where literally, no one cares about these people. I don't know any personal information about anyone who has ever shot up any place, but I am willing to bet these symptoms are consistent. It is time to make sure kids are being raised properly, or don't be surprised about these kind of events.
Actually Eric Harris and Dyland Klebold had a fairly "social" lifestyle. They had friends. Eric Harris however was a sociopath who had a hatred of others and kept it all hidden.
Jacob Roberts, the Oregon Mall Shooter had girlfriends and was the opposite of Lanza. It could be anyone.
All of Adam Lanza's friends and family need to come to a realization that he has NO VALUE and is a PIECE OF TRASH.
Then we can donate whatever we can of him to science. Whatever can't be used for science, should be brutalized, sodomized, and desecrated, and thrown into a garbage can or put in museum exhibits in pieces. The British "executed" Oliver Cromwell after his burial. We must perform a posthumous execution of him. We must express our power over spree shooters, we must humiliate spree shooters after death, and we must have the last laugh over them.
And how does that make you better then him?
You're a sick animal as him, no, even worse.
these articles never reveal what psychiatric drugs mass killers are on or coming off of. the side effects are often violent, homicidal and suicidal. google mass shootings and Prozac, it's frightening...
Just look at his eyes. Any one with eyes like this in a high school photo should be watched very carefully. very spooky eyes.
When the white is showing between the iris and the lower lid in both eyes, that shows that the person is taking a mood- or mind-altering psychotrophic drug.
The very least a teacher should have is a stun gun, mace, and maybe some other good defensive weapon. I don't think having guns at school will solve the problem. Anyone with half a brain will figure out how to beat the system and then even go somewhere else, for instance day cares, school buses, Chuck E. Cheese, movie theater, parks, Disneyland,etc etc.
There is also the element of surprise – it is good to have a weapon,. but if the other guy strikes first
we all know "people" with issues.....try to help them them as you may never know how much they need one person to show them they are not alone....we dont need the guns to be so accesible, but thats another issue
I willing to bet the thing that pushed Lanza over the threshold was having his PS3 and computer privileges taken away. There is no greater injustice in the world than not being able to play your video games whenever you want.
Why is assault weapons sold now just because a 1997 bill to ban then expired? If a law expires it should be automatically addressed and reinstated. We should never give a nut a weapon to mass murder children, its stupid and sick. if they are legal its easy to get them simple reality. even the nra sees this as true.
Ask the GOPers (another failed policy of the right wing [sic] christian nut bags) why the assault weapons ban and limits on magazine size were revoked.
So what kind of gun control do we need ? We need gun owners to keep their guns locked up and away from the hands that shouldn't be holding them. And we need to hold gun owners accountable for the crimes that others commit if they gain access to their guns. Lanza's Mom is just as guilty as he is . She should have never let her guns get into the hands of her loose cannon of a son.
You want a handgun or a rifle, then it's strict liability and you'd better carry enough insurance. You want an assault weapon? You'd better keep it at the local armory and only take it out if the aliens land.
Exactly, or the Russians invade like Red Dawn.
thats the thing. You cant lock your gun up. How in a safe? take the safe cut it open easy breezy. Banks get robed give me a break are you serious. if that person didnt have these guns her retarted son wouldnt have killed all thoughs kids. you like kids right???.
i dont believe this guy could ever have had a decent photo since he is buttttt ugly at best.
He's "butt ugly." That's very helpful to the discussion. Thanks for your contribution.
yeah really. bs should be watched , strange comment indeed. No sympathy at all. This is a real issue nothing to joke about.
2 questions: What dosage (mg) of Prozac this kid took and how long was he taking it?
What difference does that make?! I've been taking Prozac since 1991 and I don't shoot people. My daughter is taking it also – for Aserger's symptoms and she hasn't killed anyone either! What's your point?
I meant Asperger's.... keyboard issues. But then, I guess it is no longer Asperger's, but rather, Autism! Stupid! There may be similarities, but Asperger's is different from Autism.
According to the DSM-IV that will be released May, 2013, Asperger's will be placed on the Autism spectrum.
You and your child is on Prozac? Goodness help us.
GOODness HELP you!!!! Small minded people make stupid uneducated comments
According to his uncle, Adam was on Fanapt, an antipsychotic developed to treat schizophrenia. However it has developed an "off label" use for other conditions, including the anxiety from autism. It's a fairly new drug. Maybe it will be banned the same time the assault rifles bite the dust.
He may have been taking it for schizophrenia. That condition tends to get worse over time, and some people with it go over the edge right around age 20.
Sad to see that people still buy into that over-hyped Prozac/SSRI hyperbole.
The majority of the country will agree there is no relation between Adam's race and his tendency to be a child killing shooter. This has nothing to do with the fact that majority of US in white.
If we really want to solve the problem it can be done. But if you want play politics it never will ... just more hate is born.
Taking guns away from law-abdiing people will not take them away from criminals. The solution is to allow all people to defend themselves at all times. Criminals do not follow gun laws.
Both Adam and his mother were mentall disturbed, by birth, by thought who knows what caused the issues. Thing is if we had armed each one of those children with assault weapons things would be different. Never mind how the kid feels the horror of killing a living being. Just think if every single American had and assault rifle and was allowed to carry it openly how that would even up things. That is my solution give every one a rifle regardless of age make it and American right. Less people more jobs eh?
You are really sick! Sure, let's give little kids guns then maybe they can accidentally shoot each other or themselves. Wow! Great idea. OMG! No wonder this world is such a mess.
captain irony strikes again.
Captain Irony? Are you replying to ME?! Seriously? You think little kids should have guns?
did someone take overyour views....lets stop the arrogance and be smart together...lets bury the egos and focus on the better good..Jesus gave his life..he was crucified for all of us..
I dont understand how some people on this post can make jokes and wise cracks out of this...these were little bitty kids and teachers..RIP angels..you are safe now..the world will be judge accordingly...
Well...where do i start on this crazy talk..hmmmm..THINK about it there would be more killings everyday . DUH
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Yes. everyone knows that. So new gun policies are in order of coarse .
Proof the Sandy Hook shooting was orchestrated:
Sandy Hook circled on map in Batman Movie
youtube. com/watch?v=exU5eWyz23Y
(remove space before com)
You are so painfully stupid.
get back under your rock.
As Adam was a fragmented person who may or may not have had a mental disorder, we are the same as a society or at least thats where we are headed. Its not getting any better is it?
So now people want to politicize this whole issue. That's what we do. Gun control and Religion pick a side.
This is why democracy no longer works. A decision never gets made.
If it were up to me, I'd legalize drugs in a minute and take all of that law enforcement and spread it around to all the schools and malls. Officers in plain and clothes and uniforms. All of the great values that are shared amongst all religions will be reinforced in school. Suck it up aetheists. you guys really provide the least amount of value in society....no im not a right winger...
I'd enforce gun purchases much the same way as a car purchase. You need a license to get a car okay then you took some test or went to a driving school? sure. If not, okay go to gun class. You also need to buy gun insurance and a certified gun safe. Why not? Tax guns? Personality perceiver for the licensed purchaser? sure! and make it federal! I'm good with that.
As society we need to learn to love again instead of hate and that's whats wrong with us and our government and should we be surprised by the recent wave of shooting like this?
Comprehensive solutions is what needs to be talked about with an emphasis on compromise.
I agree with everything you just said – and I'm a Christian Republican
You really need to educate yourself about atheists. I am really sick of people implying that some how atheists lack morality. Atheists act kindly to others because it is the right thing to do rather than out of fear of being in an eternal hell. The only group under-represented in prisons in comparison to their representation in the general population is . . . atheists. Either we are more moral or smarter (don't get caught as often). How many of these mass shooters were Christians?
I totally agree. I am a christian, but I am married to an atheist. He is as moral as I am. The base belief differs, but the practice does not.
I agree. Moreover, in some cases, aetheists are even more kind and non judgmental than carnal Christians. They're not bound by those moral judgments that Christians frequently make and they're just a likely to possess the characteristics of kindness, morality, values, and tolerance as Christians are. In my part of the country (the south) they seem to possess much more of the qualities than the Christians. For example, the south is full of Republicans and while most pretend to be Christians, they elect those who would take away from the poor and elderly while giving more to the rich and entitled. If that's what Chrstians are all about, I'd rather be an aetheist. BTW, many of them are also glaring racists.
I wholeheartedly agree with you!!!
You can have all the values you want (good ones) and you don't have to ever associate them with religion. Religions can have the same values but you don't need to have religion to have them. I will argue you don't NEED religion for anything. You can have it if you choose but don't presume to force it on anyone.
Adam is no different from other people who kill. Hatred has filled their soul and violence is their solution to gratify the hatred. Adam is synonymous with all people who filled with hatred, depression, and see violence as the solution to their problem. Unfortunately, while Adam Lanza is getting attention for his horrific act, there are many more Adams that will go untouched or undetected until they initiate an act of violence resulting in the death of someone else who will in many cases be an innocent victim.
Not true. He was different from many other people. A lot of people who kill do so in "crimes of passion" due to resentment. He had something else going on.
No gun bans. Ever.
Sensible gun bans are good policy. Limit the damage an untrained civilian can do. There are no reasonable excuses to sell automatic weapons meant for war to the average person. I am not saying ban all guns....that is too extreme, but weapons of mass destruction (what these guns are) don't belong in anyone's neighborhood. Save them for the cops and the military.
Gun laws do not affect criminals – only the good people will be disarmed.
Since I'm a trained civilian, do I get a machine gun and a rocket launcher?
"In my solitude I have seen things very clearly that were not true." -Antonio Machado
My sense of this man is that he sat in solitude, where his intelligence took a dark turn, blending with what could only be some intense rage or despair. How does someone who by all accounts was very intelligent move so far from their humanity?
While of course he is responsible for his actions, a healthy community embraces those with differences, and can find tremendous value in them. That he was simply ignored is a symptom of a society that is fragmented, in spite of appearances. Like Diaz says, "we had a feeling that there might have been something wrong with him but obviously we never asked, we never thought it was our place to do so." We are our brothers keeper.
I third that!
Great quote – I assume from the Spanish poet. I looked him up, and found he was an associate of Garcia Lorca. Now I'll read him too.
Can we conclude that Adam was very isolated account of such poor and few published photos of him. The media is
rightly focusing more on the victims but there is usually more in circuation
I always wondered about that isolation, because a loving parent would have worked to get him out of it into some healthier paths, which do exist for autistic people. It's like the deaf community. Who would leave a deaf child without developmental help? I hope nobody would be that cruel.
Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to our problems in this country. When America decided that it no longer needed the Bible and prayer in school, then came the gangs, shootings, drugs, alcohol, and riots. These things happened as a result of people telling God that they don't need Him in school any longer.
It is a great and sad tragedy of all the horrid things that have happened here in our homeland as a result of what we have demanded and now it is time for less legislation and more time in church, in the Bible, and in prayer begging God to heal this land.
"Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death." (Exodus 21:15). "All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense." (Leviticus 20:9). "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10. "Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death." (Exodus 31:12-15). Your make believe deity is loving and peaceful (sarcasm). How many kids did your god protect from child molesters in church?
I am not a follower of organized religion. However, I believe there is a vast void between the belief in the existence of a personal, anthropomorphic God and the belief that no God exists in any ideation of the word. The order of the Universe as revealed through our study of chemistry, astronomy, physics, etc., certainly suggests intelligence, and intelligence is a concept we associate with something alive. And because we are composed of precisely the same fundamental constituents of matter as the rest of the Universe which behave according to precisely the same natural laws governing all physical events in the Universe, we can reasonably conclude that the nature of the Cosmos is the same as the nature of life, all life, including us. Given the astounding progression of intelligence in the evolution of life forms over the past 3.5 billion years on this planet, we can only wonder at how we may perceive the world in the distant future as our human form (brain) continues to evolve. Keeping this perspective, it is not unreasonable to suppose that our enlightenment on the ago old philosophical conundrums including the mystery of consciousness and pain and suffering is waiting to unfold upon our future evolved psyches like a flower bud that blooms upon full maturity. There is still room for God. Perhaps God may come to be realized objectively as our true identity expanding beyond our usual awareness of self to incorporate the entire Cosmos and, inwardly, as a distinctive quality heretofore hidden from our cognizance. We may come away with a new perspective of the Cosmos; that the Cosmos is in us, and not the other way round. Listen up religious zealots and atheists alike, we must keep an opened mind and stop fighting amongst our selves in our haste to close the book on life's enigma. We are all pioneers in our search for truth.
Now this is what I'm talking about. Everything is Thought! And it is unfolding now as more and more people wake up to see clearly with their hearts and souls. Thanks for explaining it clearly. I feel once we can eliminate or at least control our Fear(s) then we can take the next step in our fantastic journey of life. Well said ToWit!
Very well said. I think there are more and more of us who think along the lines you have drawn. As we shed our fear-based, dogmatic, and closed-minded organized religions, there may be a tendency for some to adopt equally closed-minded atheistic thinking, particularly if they are leaving religion as a result of any unnecessary pain it (or it's adherants) have inflicted, but on the whole, I think mankind is moving toward a more holistic mindset that is more receptive to the idea of a conscious universe, a consciousness much larger than described in our various religious texts. Be patient with us, universe; we're getting there.
I have never responded to a post before, but I was so moved by ToWit's commentary. I wish that I could express myself in such a moving, thoughtful and beautiful way. In the wake of such an unthinkable tragedy, as I share others' struggle to understand the elusive "why" of it all, I am heartened by the thought of being connected to the Cosmos, to life and to learning....to feel that I am not alone...in my grief and confusion or in my growth and hopefulness. Thank you for reminding me of this, ToWit.
Thanks ToWit. What a beautiful and experiential way of explaining things.
Ah yes....thinking about the nature of God...humans have been wondering about this since becoming sentient. It is at the very heart of religion and contains the seed of all belief systems (that have subsequently become perverted). Be careful. You can obviously put words together well and could attract followers who would then worship the Cosmos and your nebulous interpretations and you as the grand Pooh Bah of our great future of oneness with same. Sort of how Scientology was born...
What a bunch of BS! Please don't take this as an opportunity to push your beliefs. This is a tragedy, not a time to "SELL" God, shame on you! Life is full of chaos, fortunate and unfortunate, your religious beliefs will not change that. Bad things happen to good and bad people all the time, it's the unfortunate part of life, but it will always be there.
so then why comment
I disagree. Long before prayer in school was removed there were gangs, drugs and violence. It has nothing to do with God, if it did He would stop the violence against innocent children.
You seriously believe that? Outstanding how you people fall for that. If God allowed 20 childred to die because we don't say God in the pledge of allegiance, then he is no God at all. There has always been violence, riots, gangs, and drugs in the country. To think that removing church from state, (federal law by the way) caused this atrocity is simple ignorance.
I am not deeply religious but the problem with a person like yourself is that you think your smart by putting down people. a person who is religious is entitled to their own beliefs instead u sit there with a rotten smug attitude shooting people down with a cocky authoritive attitude. Its the same divisive behavior that spread around someone who may not be secure with themselves who one day loses all humanity and decides to kill. Good job atheist tell us smart guy how we are supposed to raise a better human.
You just described every Xtian I have ever known, talk about smug.
How come God didn't protect all the kids getting diddled by priests at Catholic schools?
great and intellectual faith based view...completely in sync...
a failing america needs to elect a president a lot more than it needs gun control...
A week into third grade, my sons teacher recommended to my wife that he needs to see a doctor and get medicated. I thought that was strange because he was well liked by his previous teachers and did very well. My son graduated from high school at 17 without medication and is now 20, he has never been in trouble (not even a speeding ticket and drives a High Performance Mustang to and from college) and he is my best friend. I cannot help but wonder if he would be different person if my wife and I caved to the schools pressure. On a different note: Why is Lance Armstrong such a terrible person and not the school valedictorian who achieved his/her honor while on medication?
No teacher ever told parents to take their child and have him medicated. She may have told you to have him evaluated; not the same thing. Despite what you apparently believe, doctors don't hand out drugs for ADHD like candy. Had your child been evaluated, the odds are no medication would have been recommended, because the first step is to fill out a questionnaire to assess symptoms, and it is clear your child didn't meet the criteria for ADHD. Comparing Lance Armstrong to a mythical student who becomes a valedictorian while being medicated for ADHD indicates you don't understand how these drugs work.. It's not like the medication turns a kid into a super student - it just helps him be able to pay attention and (hopefully) absorb lessons. It's like a kid with glasses or a hearing aid - they had a deficit in the first place, and the remedy moves them to the mainstream. ADHD is a real condition, and medication can be very helpful, but it's always accompanied by behavioral therapy. Parents work very hard to help kids with this problem - it's not just pop a pill and they become normal.
Do you actually read or do you look for reasons to argue. I wrote that i wonder if he would be different. I do not know the answer to this question and I know for a fact that the valedictorian of my sons class was on meds for ADD because I am friends with his parents and it was a known fact. And furthermore, you need a reality check on doctors. Not all of them are good and yes they do push meds. Regardless of all this, I do not claim this is the reason for this horrible situation but there seems to be a trend with past incidents. It is obvious you child is medicated by your response so that is your problem. Defend it to yourself!
Unfortunately, I do know of teachers suggesting kids be medicated, so that they behave better in school, so that they are calm and not disruptive – yes, there are those who do that and unless you know every single teacher out there, you cannot make such a statement.
However, I do agree with you about one thing ADHD medication only works on kids who have ADHD, though I do think it is all too often diagnosed. My daughter who ultimately was diagnosed with Aspergers, was repeatedly diagnosed with ADHD and every new medication they put her on made things much worse... why? Cause she did NOT have ADHD and the meds made her super hyper!
Then, after finally being properly diagnosed, a new doctor (not by choice) kept insisting that it was BiPolar instead – as that was the going diagnosis at the time. Even her lifelong pediatrician disagreed... I thought maybe I was in denial so I finally gave in and guess what? The BiPolar Meds either did nothing, or again, made things worse.
Finally, she is with a professional who totally understands Asperger's and can relate her symptoms appropriately and while there is no specific medication for Asperger's – we are making progress towards giving her a better life albeit with the help of medication. Some people do need it.
Total im be cile.
Why do uneducated people like yourself always have an opinion about things they possible will never understand?
We did!
It frustrates me to no end when I see folks assuming–based on such little info we know about the killer–that this could definitely have been predicted or prevented thru some sort of screening or vetting or reading the clues. Everything I've read so far indicates he was just behaving just like MANY other young people do–the overwhelming majority of whom will never commit any serious crimes or wrongs whatsoever.
I can't help but think what would happen if ANYONE stood accused of such a crime. Is there anyone among us who has never done anything in their past that might be brought up and put forward as a "warning sign"?? How many of us have absolutely NO ONE who might say that they seemed (at some time) angry, troubled, depressed, strange, or upset??? Hell, I went thru a time in college when I was pretty much a loner and didn't have many friends. Probably seemed like I acted a bit strange too. Is that a waring sign of being a mass murderer all of a sudden??
We're all really grasping at straws here. The shooter here was clearly not in his right mind when he committed this horrific crime, but it's not clear at all that prior to the incident he ever gave any meaningful indication of being any more disturbed or unstable than at any point in the past or moreso that many other Americans are at some point in their lives. It's scary, but maybe it's better to just admit that despite all our efforts, it's possible that we may never really know how this came about or what else we might've done to prevent it.
Great post. I have 15 YO son that is quite introverted he only sees a few friends at school and band practice–but other than that he is home playing video games or on his iPad. His father and I worry about him, but I honestly don't think he has it in him to do something like this. He is loving towards me and I can get him to talk to me about things when I feel he needs to. I pray that he comes out of this semi-isolation someday, but I still know that he would never ever hurt another human being.
I would highly recommend doing all you can to find a team sport he might be interested in. There is nothing like team sports for building a child socially. I couldn't recommend anything more highly.
I would not worry about him. There are many people who enjoy being home more than they do going out; that does not make them killers.
Fox has the scoop on why this happened. Nancy Lanza had begun filing paperwork to get conservatorship in a first step to get her son committed. It is difficult to get an adult committed to a psychiatric hospital against their will. Conservatorship would be the first step in doing so. The fact is that many psychiatric problems start showing up in people this age. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. While terms like Sociopath is being thrown around, it seems far more likely that Adam suffered from Schizotypal Personality Disorder. It's not well understood nor is it able to be well treated.
Thus, the shooter snapped, then went deranged. He thought his future was stolen from him. He thought the school did not do enough to help him build a future that he believed in as a child. He was greatly in the world and the people in it. He is being confined against his will.
If the kid was having trouble enough that the mom wanted to have him committed- who knows what was going on in the kid's head. It's like trying to figure out why the homeless schizophrenic guy has to wear tin foil hats? Their psychoisis isn't going to make sense to anyone else. A lot of times, those who are very smart are much better at knowing what not to say to psychiatrists and therapists about their mental illness that will get them sent to the looney bin. Magical thinking, extreme paranoid thoughts, hallicinations, voices, these are things that will get people locked away but many mentally ill have the good sense to not tell therapists about them. There are no shortage of websites about rare mental illnesses/personality disorders like Schizoid, Avoidant, etc that people learn far more about their disorders than the shrinks treating them know.
Thus, the shooter snapped, then went deranged. He thought his future was stolen from him. He thought the school did not do enough to help him build a future that he believed in as a child. He was greatly disappointed in the world and the people in it. He is being confined against his will.
First she started teaching him shooting, in hopes that the responsibility would help him. Then she realized the seriousness of his problems, and started the process to have him committed ... but didn't lock up her firearms. Brilliant.
Isn't it time that we outlaw war and killing? Would we, if the profits were not so huge? Would writers be less willing to do these "news" profiles if advertising did not pay so much? Would the young people be less willing to commit such atrocious acts if they were certain they would NOT be the headline feature and breaking news story for the rest of the week? He could have posted outrageous haikus on video to Taylor Swift and had no chance of going "viral." But murdering the innocent earns you a full size picture on the front page. Outlaw guns and they will use harpoons. Sure, they will kill less people but the more outrageous it is, the better your chances of being advertised, er, remembered. I don't want to know or remember this kid. That's what he wanted.
All I am reading about in these comments are negative, ignorant remarks calling the killer "psycho" and "a product of his environment." It just goes to show what an ignorant country we have when it comes to mental illness. With the economy the way it is and healthcare nearly impossible to afford these sick, yes, biologically very sick human beings are not getting the psychiatric treatment they deserve. Mental illness is biological just like cancer. It can't be wished away. These killers were not born to abusive parents or as seen time after time they come from loving families.Unless someone hurts themselves or others it is impossible to get them into treatment. It is a sad hardship for these families not neglect in many cases. Making fun of him and hating him does nothing. Educate yourselves and hope that the children you give birth to and love does not develop any type of dreadful mental illness. I am the daughter of a college educated, semi baseball playing, former 173rd Elite Airborne Ranger that also at a later age developed paranoid schitzophrenia. He is not evil or a psycho, he is a good man that inherited a horrific illness. Once the stigmas subside maybe people will not be so ashamed to receive help. Maybe parents will not be forced to shelter their kids from a society that calls them names and makes fun of them out of ignorance. This boy clearly needed help that was unavailable to his mother. This tragedy is horribly sad and I believe the root of it is mental illness. If he was not sick the gun would not have been used. With that being said yes, there is no credible argument an intelligent human being could ever make to make me believe semiautomatic weapons have any place in a peaceful society.
Thank you for your post. It's alarming just how few in our society seem to appreciate that mental illness is a disease, just as real as any other - and how powerless the afflicted generally are over it. I never heard someone tell a cancer patient to "man up" or "shake it off" or "get it together," yet people with mental illnesses are often given this useless advice, and otherwise ignored by society and left untreated.
I agree that the stigma of mental illness is a terrible problem and more people, especially in the education system need to understand more about it. I would say that Adam's parents were far more able to get their son help than the average American. They certainly had the money to afford in-patient programs that are unaffordable to most. It seems that Adam's mother was trying to get him hospitalized against his will and that could have started the chain reaction that ended in this terrible tragedy. In part, I believe the laws that need to be changed aren't the gun laws, the laws allowing mental health professionals to hospitalize the mentally ill against their will more easily.
Thank you!! Been there, done that as a parent. Frustrating and expensive to get qualified help. Someone to believe you as a parent of a child that needs help. I fought for ten years.
One thing I have noticed about the so-called shock wave that has befallen the nation about the shooting is that no one is sadden and shedding tears for the millions of innocnet human fetuses and embryos that are being murdered by deliberately induced abortions. More than twenty of them were murdered today, but no one is mourning. This is high hypocrisy.
Shut up Robert!! This tragic event has nothing to do with abortion. You freaks will take any opportunity to bring YOUR beliefs into any "conversation". Its disrespectful to the victims.
Anyone who has no feelings for humans who are deliberately aborted is worse than the shooter. Just as he had no feelings for his victims, the abortion advocate murders and gives hearty approval to those who murders far more children a different way. Look at the two as equations. One side just looks differently, but both sides equals the same thing - murder!
That is because an embryo or early fetus is not a fully developed human yet. A group of human cells is not a human. Or do you think when you have a wart or a tumor removed, it is murder? You are killing human cells. To compare an embryo with a 6 year old little child is an absurd comparison.
You speak from high ignorance. A human is a tripartite being, consisting of a body, soul and mind. It is the human soul that makes a human human. Not cells. It is the soul that distinguishes humans from animals.
Your comments made me chuckle.
Humans are animals as well, we may be sentient beings but we are still mammals, classified as animals.
Yes, we may have souls and independent thought but given how we mistreat our own kin and the planet that is our home, we are truly far worse than the other beasts who inhabit the earth as well.
And as for abortion? Please keep such opinions to yourself, it has nothing to do with this topic and while you are wholly entitled to your own beliefs, sometimes it is best to keep silent lest you provoke others in their attempt to defend their own opinion on the matter.
-Lady Sigyn, Goddess of Fidelity. ❤
Omigod, really??? You are a moron. Go back to your guns and religion.
For T W and others,
My apologies, I thought I had posted a comment on this earlier but it looks like it didn't take.
The issue of whether and when to name the shooter in this case is one that we at CNN are very conscious about and handle with a lot of thought. I know Anderson Cooper will not utter the shooter's name.
This piece was not just looking at the shooter, but also at the struggle of someone who knew him. Alan Diaz said he spoke to me because he wants some chance at people figuring out what happened here. And he is one of the few people who knew Adam. So he wants to offer and discover any clues he can to potential warning signs. And if there were no warning signs, he thinks people should consider that too.
So this was a piece about Alan and also about what he knew about the shooter. In that context, at times in the piece I did name the killer. But you should notice that I used his name rarely, more often saying "the shooter" or "the killer". I used his name most often when I needed to speak about him and Alan in close proximity and needed the names to make it clear which one I meant.
So we may not have handled it in the exact way you'd prefer – never mentioning the name or covering the life of the shooter. But I want to let you know that we carefully thought about this issue. It is not an easy one and we can use input and good discussion on it. So I'm glad you brought it up.
Oh, did you write something? All I saw was the enormous picture of "the shooter" at the top of your article. For all the talk about gun control and mental health, I think the media's unwavering drive to turn shooters into celebrities is the most concrete reason the NEXT shooting WILL happen. It should also be noted that this is the one factor that could be effectively reversed tomorrow if there was simply the will to do so on the part of producers, editors, etc.
You have a good point about the photo. Let me think and talk to my editor about that.
Dear FBI, CIA, Dept of Homeland Security, ATF,
Please put Smoke and Mirrors on some kind of watch list. I am just doing my part as a concerned citizen.
There you go Milo... Restrict me from my right to free speech. Are we living in police state where the police are also the citizens?? I speak from a position of Love and you are making a comment to prevent my free speech. How American are you Milo? What are you afraid of? Why is my opinion and views scary to you? Am I more un-American for wanting the best for my child and other children and asking for more Love in this country and the whole world? How is that a cause for alarm? I hope and pray you see that limiting people is also a cause as to why people do the things they do and snap. Because people today limit everything you say and do and THAT my friend Milo is EXACTLY what I;m talking about with MIND CONTROL... No logical, caring Human Being would want to limit someone's free speech or right to think for themselves.
Good Job Milo! Way to keep people in place by limiting exactly what you as an American is supposed to stand for.
Now we're talking about video games. They don't turn anyone into a killer anymore than watching pornography turns someone into a rapist. Look in Lanza's face. Nothing there. Face it: Lanza was a sociopath. His mother couldn't see it, or couldn't face it. What mother could? And he was a sociopath with access to weapons. The school children should be alive today. Stop the craziness. The U.S. is full of this kind of personality, as are many societies. She and her son should have been checked out. With proper vetting, I think she wouldn't have been allowed to buy firearms. You cannot continue allowing people to get guns without background checks.
And maie sure that if they do have them, they are stored very securely. And check up on the owners. Guns are not toys.
Sociopath seems the wrong term. Sociopaths are good at manipulating people. They appear friendly and likable. They aren't but they have no problem putting on that face to the world. Columbine shooter Eric Harris was a sociopath. This kid, definitely not. He had problems but not every person who commits murder is a sociopath. The fact he killed himself when police responded is a very clear indication that he knew what he did was wrong and did not want to face it.
One thing I have learned after tragic events like Sandy Hook, the least accurate information about the shooter comes from their friends and family. These people are either totally blind or brain dead.
Why are we publicizing this psycho's name? You want to talk about preventing these types of incicents? How bout, "Make it a federal offense for the media to publicize the killers name." There are plenty of other crazies in this country that would like to go out with a bang and become famous in the news. Taking away the fame "could help" prevent some of these incidents. Not a final solution, but, just a preventative thought.
Hi T W, See my comments on this below. I'm the reporter/writer on the story. We've put a lot of thought into this at CNN. It is a really good point to bring up.
I can appreciate Anderson Cooper's efforts to keep it about the kids and teachers who were murdered. I commend you for trying to show sensitivity in the CNN interviews I have seen. If I lived in Newtown, I would be one of those grumpy folks that would be glad when the media got out of there and let me have some peace to try to put my life back to normal or as normal as it will ever get again after such an horrific tragedy. I think the thing with me is that I am absolutely fascinated by a mind that could disregard the basic nature of human beings for self preservation and succumb to the urge to committ absolute insane carnage. Who does this kind of thing and for what reason? He had to know he could not survive it and did it anyway even killing his own poor mother. She must have suffered a great deal of worry and heartache over her son. To die at his hand...the ultimate ungrateful child. There must be clues to his thinking and I would like to know what they are.
I see your point, but I also think that the media have a responsibility, if they're going to report on stories like this (which they need to do), to give us a complete picture (as much as they can) of what happened. Many of us were reeling when we learned of these murders. This wasn't a normal news story– we were trying to make sense of how something so awful could happen. Addressing that question makes it necessary to tell us who the murderer was and what his motivations may have been.
Thanks Liz. That's our motivation, exactly. Thanks for that. The challenge is balancing getting out the news with making sure you aren't unintentionally giving PR to the people who do things like this. Tricky but appreciate that you get it.
My bad. See comments on the *above*.
155,00 guns sold on Black Friday prove we have a problem. The solution is to restrict access to those guns that we don't need to hunt or protect. Nothing is in the constitution to stop the government from limiting the size of ammunition clips – it's a separate issue. I believe the constitution was referring to hunt and protect – not that EVERY gun invented should be legal. Heck – I'd want the bazooka! Hand guns would still be readily available as would high powered rifles. Sanity is really lacking in the debate.
That many guns sold and this kind of shooting is rare. If guns were so dangerous, why aren't elementary schools being shot up all the time? An AR-15 style weapon is purchased all the time, probably a dozen an hour right now, why aren't there school shootings daily.
need I say more... if you want to test for the cause of most issues its based on being ANTI-Social. Now don't confuse that with being "non"-social however that is the benchmark for things turning worse.
what a wonderful forum to share different views.
I definitely think so.
Looks just like Casey Anthony! You can always, ALWAYS, tell a nut when you can see the whites of their eye above and below the iris. A tell-tale sign for sure.
The entire Iris, especially the top, is usually only visible when someone is in a state of surprise or shock. If you can see it while they should be relaxed, yes, something is not right.
This image of the eyes you reference certainly does make one wonder about one's dark side.I think thought we need to be carefull in grouping everyone with this look as the same.If only it were that easy.
Good lord, who is this Jit dumarse that is commenting all over this thread? Jit, you are a fool and have NO CLUE. Stop trying to defend this idiot who killed these children. It is NOT someone else's fault. It is HIS fault and HIS stupid MOTHER's fault. She is just as much to blame for giving this Moron access to guns and for encouraging him to learn how to use them.
There is a saying-- People are the products of their environment. Do you know of countries that do not suffer from a large number of MASS MURDERS? Reflect on that. Learn from that.
fact or not..he has just the same right to post and be heard on this thread just like you
Exactly! And this is what I'm talking about. We are NEVER going to get anywhere by arguing with each other about opinions. How about finding a solution with that energy instead of name calling. We are adults and supposed to be the ones who make the future of our children better by leading by example... some fail and some succeed but it is your intention that matters. Unless you were living with that family and know why she even had semi automatic rifles, or what their relationship was, or if he was depressed, or why she would have access to the guns open then it is all opinion and imaginary and means nothing. Solutions please....
Wow what HATE...
6 year old children are about love and acceptance. You tarnish their memory as said by Grace's mother by hating. They forgive so should we... But not forget because this needs to stop and HATING this one person does not stop this from happening again his mother loved him just as all the other shooters had someone that loved them. They did not think that their child could have done this kind of thing. Believe me IF you think that your child could there is VERY little help out there for those people and those parents. A lot of things NEED to change. This is not going to take ONE thing to fix... but HATING is not going to fix anything turn your anger at fixing the problem not being a part of it
Do u know, for a fact that his mother "gave him access" to guns? How do you know she didn't have them locked up and he didnt threaten her to give him the key? And although I am all for banning guns, I'm sure there are millions of kids who have parents teach them how to handle a firearm responsibly. You do not know the story yet. Stop acting as if you do..
This whole thing, including all of the other shootings are all a part of 'Their' plan to take away the guns from Americans so they can control us and take us over. (Mind Control) Which they're doing a great job at already. People would choose money over a human life or judge someone without even knowing who they are or think that Christmas is all about giving or receiving gift and not the the true meaning of LOVE for each other... Christ – Mas + More Love.
How do these people get a hold of military vests, military grade rifles, and KNOW how to shoot them properly and accurately. If you think I'm a conspiracy theorist then that's your right but to really think that ANYBODY can just walk into a store and buy military outfits and guns and then out of no where KNOW how to shoot them accurately with precision, then you have been watching too much TV. Why is it so hard to believe that our government or any people (corporations) with power won't try to have ultimate power over people. And do you REALLY think they care about us? If so where is the universal health care that almost every country in the world has? Why does our government sell major weapons to other countries that are supposed to be our enemy? You Tube – Confessions of an Economic Hitman and see what our government and the owners of our government has done and is still doing to this day. In any case, it's all has to do with controlling your mind, body, and spirit. Before you are even Human you are a Soul that uses this vessel called a body to experience the material world which is just a big school.
I now am feeling that a lot of you won't even know what I'm talking about. Just please focus you energy on treating each other better so no one SNAPS! What kind of world do you want for you and your children? The same train wreck we're on or peace and understanding?
Paranoid are we ??
Nope not paranoid.. just aware and not blind. I actually like to question things that don't seem right rather than take it for the truth just because a face on the news said it was so. I like to think for myself.. so no .. not paranoid. Maybe just concerned for our future and our children... I don't feel there is anything wrong with that. But ultimately what you want to see, feel, and believe in is your choice. People actually thought the Earth was flat and anyone who said it was round was an outcast... Oh I would only want to believe that we are smarter than the people in those days but it seems like most people are too scared to think for themselves and not judge others. Followers or just fearful??
What exactly "doesn't seem right" about people wanting more gun control after 20 children and 6 adults were just slaughtered by guns. The only thing "not right" is you.
Hi Jim, Please read my original post. And attacking me isn't making this situation better is it. Or is it something that makes you feel better about yourself. solution Jim Solutions buddy!!
There is NOTHING right about what he did to those children... what isn't right is we are fighting with each other rather than working together like TRUE Americans and Humans to take our lives back and make sure that everyone is loved and included and heard. that's all people want is to be loved and heard and to feel like they matter. Just because someone is different doesn't mean they are bad or should be casted away.
So I pray for your awakening Jim and sending healing love your way!
I agree, Obama is arming the Middle East, arming our enemies, and now is going to try to disarm us. That doesn't make sense, and it is a little scary. The Weimar Republic disarmed it's German citizens in 1928, paving the way for Hitler to rise to dictatorship. If Americans had never been armed we would still be under British control. It's ok to not agree with the government. It's ok to ask questions.
Guns were not used on 9-11, nor were they used in OKC. Most of Jim Jones followers were not threatened with guns because he had drunk the kool aid with them many times before, and they didn't think that time was any different. I don't own a gun but I believe in the 2nd Amendment.
You don't have to be a good shot to hurt. Just have enough ammo. As for the vests and whatnot, shop online. You've never seen the movie Rampage. Don't.
Yes Smoke & Mirrors, you are correct: we have no idea what you are talking about because you make zero, rambling sense. So, "they" planned and executed each of these pscyho mass murders?
Oh Both Ways... We would need several days for me to break down what I have learned and by the way you are talking it wouldn't matter what I said. Maybe try to revise the way you speak to people to get an educated response and not attack everyone for having their own beliefs and understandings that you don't understand. Before I can even explain what I know I feel the person that would be receiving the information must be ready to receive it with an open mind wether they accept it or not. So Both Ways... what is the solution to this problem? Or are you more interested in talking down to people about subjects you have no idea about or even care about learning about? Why are you scared to see beyond your TV? I pray for your awakening as well because we can't make this world better without you and every individual taken responsibility for themselves which will in turn affect others to do the same.
And to answer your question from my perspective... Yes. Not physically but mentally. Ohhh you have so much to learn about what you really are and how powerful we are as Humans. No worries, you'll get it one day! I'm sure.
Thanks for sharing the kind of paranoia that underscores PRECISELY why we need gun control in this country.,..
Is it the guns or people who kill? You can create all the gun control you want and it still will NOT fix the problems we have. What will happen is that some crazy guy or girl.. will find a way to get a gun and shoot who ever they want. Rather than arguing amongst ourselves let's look at the ROOT cause of the problem which will lead you to the individual. Is that paranoia or just being logical?
And why does it seem like the same guy is attacking me on my views? I's funny really because I'm being called paranoid when people are freaking out about gun control to stop people from killing other people. I'm not paranoid and I feel we are all saying the same thing. WE WANT PEACE IN OUR LIVES! Isn't this where we are heading. Paranoid or not, there has to be a change in the way our society lives. So if you want to call me paranoid or whatever, just know that you can settle for the insanity we're living in or step outside of your comfort zone and actually do something about the way we are living and treating each other. When you attack someone you are only perpetuating the same insanity. Did we lose our love for life and to make our lives better? Gun control is a band aid, not the solution. So again all of my beautiful attackers. SOLUTIONS PEOPLE! The only solution I've heard so far was from TW. Great job TW... #gottastartsomehwere
The shooter looks like the character Mary Brown from the Blair Witch Project. Something was wrong with her too.
What is the difference between Adam Lanza and Adolph Hitler? Was Hitler mentally ill? If so, what does that say about the society that adored him and raised him to power? Hitler was popular. Lanza was not. If you cannot use your society to forward your evil intentions then maybe you just forward your evil intentions the only way you can, with your own hands. The Jews were helpless and they had no protection. These children were helpless and had no protection. How do you keep Evil people from evil intentions? Was German society pre-WW II "bad"? Is Newtown society "good"? Is sweeping a problem under the rug, denying it, avoiding it, hoping it will just "go away" evidence of a "good" society? Ask the Germans. Ask yourselves.
all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword
We will probably never have the information we need to conclude that Adam Lanza was mentally ill or, if so, what that illness might have been. However, his picture suggests to me that he was anorexic and purged by vomiting: note his cadaverous cheeks and enlarged parotid glands.
It is reactions such as those demonstrated here that explain why it was so easy for Bush et al to get us into the Iraq war following 9/11.
American's are blood thirsty. Hurt me-hurt a goddamn stranger-we want blood!!!
Calm down folks, it's pretty much impossible to get inside the mind of a mentally ill person. I'm sure we'll try, and it sounds like Adam Lanza is going to be one tough cookie to crack.
The guy obviously snapped. Surely it wasn't the best judgement on the part of mom to leave a bunch of guns around.
But people "snapping" is essentially at the heart and soul of mental illness. You and me react to a situation one way, and they absolutely freak out. It's sad...it really is....and a real problem we need to address in this country.
And the toxic garbage people are eating, breathing and ingesting in the form of bigpharm are not helping. People's minds and bodies are getting all sorts of polluted.
I've yet to read a single thing to suggest he was a "good kid." Just because he hadn't killed before doesn't automatically make him a "good kid." He sounds like a way far gone freak who should have been institutionalized a looooong time ago. I have sympathy for mentally ill people who make hard attempts to deal with their issues and improve themselves. I come from a family with a long history of mental illness so I'm not ignorant to the issue. But some people are simply too far gone. Every story about this kid suggests he was a total mess, no matter how mild mannered he may have seemed. I just think we need to stop trying to be so kind and understanding to every single person out there....look, when someone shows a complete inability to interact with other people, they need to be confined. Period. It's actually best for them too. This guy couldn't even talk to people and jumped out of people's ways when they tried to talk to him. No stories of abuse or bullying, just of kids saying they tried to reach out to him and he was so far removed. When someone is that damaged, why have them in society? It's a populated world out there, if you can't deal with other humans you belong in an institution. I believe in helping the mentally ill who try to help themselves, but the ones who resist and are untreatable need to be controlled. Pre-1980, this guy certainly would have been in an institution.
Asperger syndrome is not a form of mental illness. It's a developmental disorder.
and who exactly diagnosed him with Asperger's? Too many arm-chair psychologists out there just throwing things out like this when there is no evidence that he had been diagnosed with ANYthing!!
Could all the stress and anxiety of recognizing oneself has a "developmental disability" and spending years trying to deal with that not make someone "mentally ill" , especially a "genius"? Mom was friendly and generous on all
accounts but it doesn't sound like Adam had many others in his life.
I beg to differ. Just because you have not killed does not make you a good kid, but we would be mistaken to consider you a bad kid.
Adam Lanza certainly did not get the evaluation and treatment he needed, presumably because his parents were not paying proper attention. But just like you, he was entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" unless and until a court order changed that.
Okay. I will not be kind and understanding to you. I think you should be confined. How do you feel about that?
Your comment "look, when someone shows a complete inability to interact with other people, they need to be confined. Period. It's actually best for them too. " shows you have MENTAL ILLNESS.
Actually, i second his sentiments. I guess that makes me mentally ill too. All of the pampering of society, giving every kid a trophy and "no child left behind" bullshit is destroying our WORLD. Kids need to learn, and the younger the better imo, that they are not the center of the universe. The world we live in now deals a very harsh reality check to kids of the current generation when they hit, say 18 – 20 years old and they realize that the world is much bigger than their small town and they are not special like they've been taught since preschool. If an individual is unable to properly act in society and display "normalcy", for lack of a better term, then they should absolutely be confined and EDUCATED.
On a side note, when we catch these killers red-handed, ie. Colorado theatre shooter, why do we still give them "rights". At the exact moment that they decided to pull the trigger of a firearm and mow down innocent civilians, they have lost all of their rights to anything except death. I know it's barbaric, but maybe if we started making a public display of these people instead of babying them and calling them "the accused" when they are caught in the act and without a doubt guilty. No extended trial, No extended press coverage, Cordone off an area in the parking lot behind the theatre and end that lunatic. And do the rest of them all the same. Will that stop all murders? No. But I bet it puts a dent in the numbers of rage incited mass shootings in public.
Steve, you do not know it yet...but when you get really old, you will have mental illness and your children will also make a decision to confine you against your will.
So true Jit- People ignore, stare, express discomfort, do not reach out... to others who may have poor social skills-
You all dont realize how much of a difference a couple positive interactions mean to someone with autism- It can make the difference between not just a good day- but the pleasure of a couple people showing them genuine interest can last for months and the effect is lasting...
That attitude is why those people feel they don't belong, and that makes it worse. This isn't pre 1980 – it is 2012 and if you confine people that have social ineptitudes, you will confine more than 40% of the worlds population. As someone with a family history of mental illness you should realize putting everyone who is "damaged" in a mental institution is not only impossible, but irresponsible.
jake1969 will also confine all the people with autistic symptoms that invented all the technological gadgets that he is using today. You won't have any computer, cell phones, tablets, smart phones, bluetooth, DVDs, iPods, etc. These gadgets are mostly invented by socially inept (but genius) people who have autistic tendencies. In fact, the computer you are using with Windows OS was invented by a person who rocks back and forth (like a preson with autism/aspergers) when he sits. Think before you ELIMINATE a section of the population who are socially inept because they are the ones inventing your gadgets.
That is true about Aspergers. However clearly that was not the only issue that this person was dealing with. Mental illness also was a problem. You do realize it is possible to have more than one illness at a time.
Sadly, I have to agree. People who don't fit in to society or who are a danger to others have to be removed someway, somehow.
Hi guys, This is Lisa Desjardins, the reporter on this story. For what it's worth, on this really interesting "good kid" thread, Alan Diaz isn't saying that Lanza was a good kid end of sentence. He was saying that when he knew him in HS, he seemed like a harmless, shy and pretty good kid. Alan insists that something must have changed, and that's part of his struggle. Was there any way to forecast that change or does he just think that the Adam he knew changed into something else?
RIP little babies and teachers!
Who cares about the shooter. We don't need to know about him – let the authorities deal with the reasons he did what he did.
Great idea. That way, we can continue to learn nothing and proceed as we are.
Because glorifying him and reading biased news helps us "understand"? Thanks for the lesson.
The lessons learned is that if you see a socially inept person, welcome that person into your world and the world in general. Be nice. You could be saving many lives in the long run. How many lives have you saved today by engaging nicely with a socially inept person?
Yes, it is much better to glorify the guilty so that others may follow in their footsteps. The media needs to stop reporting on the guilty and their fascination with them, and focus on the victims. I feel media plays a large role to encourage acts of violence. Shooters know the world will know about them if they commit these terrible acts; when they should instead be condemned and forgotten, unmentioned. Ten years from now people will know about the shooter, not the victims. Our society fosters this kind of evil by giving it a pedistal on which to stand.
So your advice is to figure out how to stop these events, but do so without trying to understand the people who are doing them? Brilliant!
You can discuss and debate this forver but no one will ever understand why he did this! These poor innocent children and teachers.....heart wrenching!
Lanza and these 20-something mass murderers like James Holmes, etc. were devastated by the world they lived in and the people in it. The world and the people in it were a big disappointment for them. Like they think they do not have a future. Lanza was going down to the pits and wanted to bring as much as people down to the pits with him. He felt like a victim and wanted as much people that he can drag to experience how it feels like to be a victim, to feel the devastation that he felt. He wanted to take away from people the same thing that was taken away from him: the FUTURE that he believed in as a child. He lived with a tortured soul, a person who had lost trust in the world and the people in it. He knows that the world and people cannot help him and he cannot help himself either.
Proof of why we should stop dramatizing the murderers role and focus on the victims only. Our society sickens me. Such fascination on who the person behind it was, rather than the healing and recovery of the innocent involved. Everyone seems to remember the killers' names, never the victims. Such a shame.
First, the young man was mentally ill; second, his mother knew he was mentally ill and not only possessed weaponry and taught him how to use it, but then failed to secure it where he would not have access to it.
Second, what frightens me is not people who cannot control their demons, but demons like you who cannot control your meanness. Are you all brain dead? Do you have nothing to say about anyone or anything that is not mindlessly, thoughtlessly, intelligentllessly mean? Not one comment has a scintalla of thoughtful analysis, clear thinking, sensitivity to people in pain. Nor is there any indicator in what you say that you know what you're talking about. In the words of the great philosopher, Taylor Swift, "Why do you have to be so mean?"
Can someone PLEASE tell me where they read definitive evidence that this shooter had a mental illness?! Everything I've read has been speculation and I'd love it if you could cite a source!
Because, like it or not, just because someone does or says something horrible doesn't mean that they are mentally ill. Some people are just jerks, plain and simple. Jumping to the conclusion that this person has a mental health problem is furthering the stigma that people with mental health issues are dangerous, which isn't remotely true.
I don't think he has a mental issue at all. I think he was just EVIL. Plain and simple. Just EVIL.
If he was born evil, he would have a number of criminal records and also school detention records. But he has no criminal records. Looks like this is a case a person who went deranged and SNAPPED.
There's no such thing.
So, let me get this straight, Jaime, you need to have proof or some sort of documentation that a person who forced his way into a school and randomly shot just about everyone he came in contact with, is mentally ill ??? REALLY ??? Because that is such a normal thing to do, because there is no indication that something is terribly wrong, seriously mentally ill. I realize that not all dangerous people are mentally ill, but I also realize that mental illness can be very dangerous.
If indeed the mother knew that his son was mentally ill, then the son may be on prescription drugs that may have caused him to be violent as a side effect also. His picture (the eyes) in particular shows symptoms that he was in some kind of drugs.
I agree with you on all points, except one. I think you should have quoted Eminem.
Before that, he was a good kid. Wow, how profound. Don't you guess Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth, maybe even the 9/11/01 box-cutter killers, all had friends who said the same thing?
BoFo, you can be a nice person today, but you can SNAP in the future and turn into a deranged man. People's mental health change depending on the environment they are in. Probably about 90% of Congress are possibly taking prescription drugs to treat their mental health problems ranging from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, OCD, bipolar, etc.
I have actually never seen anyone say anything nice about the individuals you mentioned. Most of them had bad childhoods and well documented criminal records.
Its says his friend doesnt understand why he did this. Let you put it in black and white for you. Your friend killed 26 people and 20 of them were little babies. What part of you friend is a killer and a loser dont you understand. If this killer was my friend I sure would not admit on to anyone.
Hard to come off as the bigger tool in this situation, but you shockingly managed to do so.
You are spot on! This guy (or woman) is a real tool.
Yes, that might be one of the more pathetic things I have read (the comment).
Yeah. ps is pretty angry. "Tool" is being kind.
Nice circular logic. He's a killer because he is a killer. That should make identifying future assailants easy! All you do if find out if they are a killer and then you know whether or not they are a killer.
I am not sure if you are idiot or cannot read. He didnt say he doesnt understand what happened. He said he cannot comprehend what lead Adam to commit such terrible acts....simply, it is not the person he knew. Please sharpen your reading skills and mature a bit before posting out on a public forum.
Do you think you're impressing anybody with this outrageous display?
American society/culture created Adam Lanza. Americans should all be ashamed.
that's Bull$hit !!!
Hello ps,
without the secret decoder ring. message cannot be read.
please send help.
-end transmission
He knew Lanza in High School and hadn't seen him since (probably 2 or 3 years), you low-brow jerkstick. Can't you comprehend this brief article ?
Long Face Syndrome LFS? Wish professional ENT or Orthodontist or doc familiar with LFS and breathing disorders would input a physical assessment. If Adam had obstructive breathing and apneas due to facial embarassment.
Very insightful interview. What was really in the shooters mind. Why would he do this?
What's with the pre-WWII grainy foto ... are not digital cameras the norm yet?
He looks weird....
Hence the anti-social behavior. If people would help people like Adam by being nice to him and suggesting a new way to comb his hair instead of saying "You look wierd", then maybe things like this would not happen.
... so it's other people's fault ... thanks for 'correcting' us CS.
If society found a way to be nicer to people – ALL people – maybe people would have more courage to be social and lead a more positive, productive way of life. So being kind works!
It's the disaffected youth, like this kid, who could may have had a different outlook if he'd been shown kindness over the years. People outside the norm will always want to fit in or if they can't, feel the need to lash out or get revenge for life being unfair. Societies with millions of people create conditions where it's easy for people to not take the time to say or do something nice for someone, and for tragedies like this to unfortunately occur.
Hey, Patricia:
Do you like being called "weird"? Everyday, I can call you weird. I can easily turn you into a psychopath/sociopath like any other vulnerable person if I torment you with labels and hurtful comments that causes you to isolate yourself from the world and mean people like yourself.
In other words, be nice to anyone no matter what they look like. Help people rather than insult them. I can see this kid being tormented and made fun of by people like you all his life. Enough is enough. Just be..... nice. Peace.
I am over weight and I can't walk down the street without being called a name...all through high school (Middlesboro KY) I was taunted...without peace... people are cruel...but I wouldn't hurt anyone. I think those whom hurt others are wicked and are capable of harm no matter what the reason.
You can change being fat. But no amount of effort can change your base personality. Apples and oranges.
I believe the point she was making is that people, mostly children, are treated cruelly and unfairly all the time, BUT, not all people who have been (verbally) tortured or ridiculed throughout their young lives hurt or kill others.
To me he looks like a purging anorexic: sunken cheeks and enlarged parotid glands.
Pizza Time! Cowabunga!
Turtle Power!!
*sigh* You turtles don't know how to react to a national tragedy, do you?
Where is the follow up by media on the altercation thr snooter had with the four staff members at the school the day prior to the event ? o
That information was false. There was no altercation betweem Adam and anyone at the school.
The follow-up is that it was a mistaken report. It never happened, but in the rush to report someone got things wrong and said it did. Just like they incorrectly said it was Ryan Lanza who was the shooter.
That was misinformation. There is always a lot of it on a big story in order to be first...there are BIG advertising dollars at stake when a big event happens. There is also yellow journalism from the NY Daily News and British tabloids like The Sun and The Daily Mirror (they publish internet stories and make money from ads) that you can't trust everything you read.
Even CNN has incorrect information, but they usually fix it later. When I was in college in the 70s and 80s the press was more respected...but even back then it was estimated that 30% of the information you read was incorrect.
Whenever a major event happens there will be bad initial info