Why They Did It

Hello everyone!  A while back, I mentioned that I would use 3 examples of school shootings for future blogs, which were the Columbine shooting, the NVCC Woodbridge attempted shooting, and the Sandy Hook Shooting.  Well, today I will discuss the reasons why these shooters committed horrible acts upon innocent people. 

Before Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed many of their high-school peers and teachers, numerous people automatically assumed the reason why they did this was a simple one.  Maybe it was because they wanted to get even with those who ignored them in school and wanted a chance to feel more powerful than them?  After all these years, that is actually not the main reason.  It has been revealed that Harris and Klebold wanted to do something far grander than what Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh had done by placing bombs in the school, open fire on those who were not within the blast radius, and detonate bombs that were hidden in their cars when people would arrive to survey the damage (Cullen). 

Dylan Klebold was a depressed person while at the same time being volatile…the kind of person willing to act on impulse.  Eric Harris was the one that was much more complex, almost fitting the description of a psychopath.  Dave Cullen states that a definition of a psychopath is that they “are rational and aware of what they are doing and why. Their behavior is the result of choice, freely exercised” (“The Depressive and the Psychopath…”).  Many of Harris’ rantings in his journals were about how he despised an aspect of life people liked that he did not or a fault in other people’s lives.  Some of these factors Harris disliked included country music, people who believed wrestling was one hundred percent authentic, or those who were obsessed with the Star Wars franchise (Cullen).  With an intense hatred for something that Harris had no control over, attacking a mass crowd of people along with Dylan Klebold would seem like a reasonable solution to him.

Michael Hamilton, the attempted shooter of the Woodbridge campus of Northern Virginia Community College, had a simpler reason than Klebold and Harris.  Hamilton had failed many of his classes at the college.  When he received bad grades from his teacher, Tatyana Kravchuck, he could not handle it anymore.   Michael Hamilton believed that killing Professor Kravchuck would be a way of releasing “pent up anger” (Stewart).  Fortunately, Hamilton’s rifle would jam before a bullet could strike Professor Kravchuck (Stewart).

Adam Lanza had an illness that would create an uncomfortable feeling around bright lights, loud sounds and certain textures.  This would eventually lead him to have a difficult time connecting to others including his family (Lysiak).  When alone, Lanza would develop a fascination with mass murders, which affected his mindset on life.  There was this constant belief that “society was trying to manipulate him into following an immoral value system that led millions to both mental and physical sickness” (Lysiak).  These delusions had Lanza become a member of a website dedicated to mass-shooters called “Shocked Beyond Belief” and express his hatred for many aspects of life.  Lanza decided that “children were indoctrinated from a very young age to become part of a sick-machine that was self-perpetuating” and were “manipulated to live unhealthy lives” (Lysiak).  Lanza believed that killing students at Sandy Hook Elementary would be a favor (Lysiak).

Cullen, Dave.  “The Depressive and the Psychopath: At last we know why the Columbine killers did it.”  Slate.  The Slate Group, 20 Apr. 2004.  Web.  4 Mar. 2014.

Lysiak, Matthew.  “Why Adam Lanza Did It.”  Newsweek.  IBT MEDIA INC, 17 Jan. 2014.  Web.  4 Mar. 2014.

Stewart, Amanda.  “Detective: NVCC shooter had 'pent-up anger'.”  Stafford County Sun.  N.p., 21 Dec. 2012.  Web.  4 Mar. 2014.