School shooters: Secret service findings http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/find15.html October 15, 2000 Here are preliminary findings from the Secret Service's study of 41 school shooters in 37 incidents. The Secret Service shared the findings with the Sun-Times, without confidential information from the files. The Sun-Times selected quotations from public records to illustrate the findings. PLANNING: They don't "snap." These attacks were neither spontaneous nor impulsive. In almost all cases, the attacker developed the idea in advance. Half considered the attack for at least two weeks and had a plan for at least two days. Two years before the shootings at Columbine near Littleton, Colo., Dylan Klebold wrote in his journal, "I'll go on my killing spree against anyone I want." One student showed his friends four bullets: three for people he hated and one for himself. And that's just how he used them. CONCERN: Almost all attackers had come to the attention of someone (school officials, police, fellow students) for disturbing behavior. One student worried his friends by talking often of putting rat poison in the cheese shakers at a pizza restaurant. Others wrote poems about homicide and suicide. Adults usually didn't investigate, remaining unaware of the depth of the problem. Few of the boys had close relationships with adults. Few participated in organized sports or other group activities. Q. Where were the grown-ups? A. Luke Woodham in Pearl, Miss., recalls, "Most of them didn't care. I just felt like nobody cared. I just wanted to hurt them or kill them." Before Columbine, the local sheriff had been given copies of Eric Harris' Web site, describing his pipe bombs, with page after page of threats: "You all better f------ hide in your houses because im comin for EVERYONE soon, and I WILL be armed to the f------ teeth and I WILL shoot to kill and I WILL f------ KILL EVERYTHING." COMMUNICATION: They aren't "loners." In more than three-fourths of the cases, the attacker told someone about his interest in mounting an attack at school. In more than half the incidents, the attacker told more than one person. Some people knew detailed information, while others knew "something spectacular" was going to happen on a particular date. These communications were usually with friends or schoolmates; in only two cases was the confidant an adult. In fewer than one-fourth of the cases did the attacker make a direct threat to the target. "I'm going to kill her sometime today or tomorrow," a student warned. BYSTANDERS: Those who knew in advance sometimes encouraged the attack and sometimes urged an escalation of the plan, but only rarely told anyone or shared their concern with others before the attack. In about one-third of the cases, the attack was influenced or dared by others or a group. A friend of Harris' asked him what he was going to do with bomb-making equipment. "He said he was going to blow up the school." A friend of of one shooter was told what would happen. "I was his friend. Calling someone would have been a betrayal. It just didn't seem right to tell." MENTAL ILLNESS: Few shooters had been diagnosed with a mental illness, or had histories of drug or alcohol abuse. But more than half had a history of feeling extremely depressed or desperate. About three-fourths either threatened to kill themselves, made suicidal gestures or tried to kill themselves before the attack. Six killed themselves during the attack. Luke Woodham's journal: "I am not insane. I am angry. I am not spoiled or lazy, for murder is not weak and slow-witted, murder is gutsy and daring. . . . I killed because people like me are mistreated every day. . . . I am malicious because I am miserable." Woodham says now, "I didn't really see my life going on any further. I thought it was all over with. . . . I couldn't find a reason not to do it." MOTIVES: Many shooters had more than one motive. The most frequent motivation was revenge. More than three-fourths were known to hold a grievance, real or imagined, against the target and/or others. In most cases, this was the first violent act against the target. In his journal, Kip Kinkel of Springfield, Ore., wrote, "Hate drives me. . . . I am so full of rage. . . . Everyone is against me. . . . As soon as my hope is gone, people die." Eric Houston: "My HATEtrid tord humanity forced me to do what I did. . . . I know parenting had nothing to do with what happens today. It seems my sanity has slipped away and evil taken it's place. . . . And if I die today please bury me somewhere beautiful." PROBLEM SOLVING: Many saw the attack as a way to solve a problem. Bullying was common. Two-thirds of the attackers described feeling persecuted, bullied or threatened--not teasing but torment. Other problems they were trying to solve: a lost love, an expulsion or suspension, even a parent planning to move the family. Loukaitis: "Some day people are going to regret teasing me." "I just remember life not being much fun," a shooter recalls. " `Reject, retard, loser.' I remember `stick boy' a lot, 'cause I was so thin." Houston: "Maybe to open up somebody's eyes to see some of the stuff that goes on, . . . of how the school works, and make them understand a little bit some of the stuff I went through. STRESS: In more than three-fourths of the incidents, the attackers had difficulty coping with a major change in a significant relationship or loss of status, such as a lost love or a humiliating failure. Woodham: "I actually had somebody I loved and somebody that loved me for the first time in my life, the only time in my life. And then she just, all of a sudden one day she broke up with me and I was devastated, I was going to kill myself." TARGETS: These weren't rampage killers. Many of the killers made lists of targets, even testing different permutations of the order of the killing. Students, principals and teachers--all could be targets. In about half the cases, someone in addition to the target was attacked. In half the incidents, the actions appeared designed to maximize the number of victims. Scott Pennington says he did not dislike his English teacher, Deanna McDavid, whom he killed in 1993 in Grayson, Ky. His writings had concerned her; she shared her concern with the school board, which told her it was his family's responsibility to get him help. He says his only goal was to kill two people, any two people, making him eligible for the death penalty. VIOLENCE: Most were not bullies, were not frequently in fights, were not victims of violence, had not harmed animals. Six in 10 showed interest in violent themes in media, games, or, more frequently, their own writings. Scott Pennington says he read Stephen King's Rage, about a school murder, after his killing, not before as has been reported. WEAPONS: Getting weapons was easy. Most of the attackers were able to take guns from their homes or friends, buy them (legally or illegally), or steal them. Some received them as gifts from parents. More than half had a history of gun use, although most did not have a "fascination" with weapons. "F--- you Brady," Eric Harris wrote in his journal about the Brady gun law. "All I want is a couple of guns and thanks to your f------ bill I will probably not get any! Come on, I'll have a clean record and I only want them for personal protection. It's not like I'm some psycho who would go on a shooting spree." POLICE: Most incidents were brief. Almost two-thirds of the attacks were resolved before police arrived. The attacker was stopped by a student or staff member, decided to stop on his own, or killed himself. SWAT teams would not have helped. In only three cases did police discharge their weapons. Q. Would metal detectors have stopped you? A. Luke Woodham: "I wouldn't have cared. What's it going to do? I ran in there holding the gun out. I mean, people saw it. It wasn't like I was hiding it. I guess it could stop some things. But by the time somebody's already gotten into the school with a gun, it's usually gonna be just about too late." Bill Dedman -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> <FONT COLOR="#000099">eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. 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