Illinois Campus Shooting

[PuroEsq]

Just saw this headline and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. However this is not a thread started to start a prayer chain although that would not be a bad idea.

My thouht immediatley after reading this headline (I have not read the story yet) is that we have the media to blame - at least in part - for these shotings. Many of the assailants are craving attention/notoriety for their actions and seek fulfilment or an audience to hear their complaints or to see their rage at teh "system" that supposedly wronged them.

10, 15, 20 years ago we would have hardly heard about these incidents - outside of local coverage. Maybe they would have made section G in the paper under national news in a single column barely and inch long. Now in comes instant coverage for anything nd everything that even slightly is a breaking news story. Pitures, biography, suicide notes, video of the running vicitms, video to the assailants bedroom etc are all broadcast instantly giving the shit-head exactly what they want ... notoriety, national forum, an audience ATTENTION.

Does anyone think that if these things made little or no national impact on the news that less of them would occur?

Rant over.

- Jason

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Alright, I'm sorry, but I disagree completly.

Who is to blame? The son of a bitch that walked into the lecture hall with a gun, that's who. It's not the media's fault, it's not video games fault. The media isnt what made this kid effed up in the head, the media isnt what helped him rationalize shooting innocent people.

Sure, maybe it showed he'd get attention through the media, but there has gotta be a hell of alot more stuff wrong with a person to do something like this.

I'm an RA at UNLV, as is Averyfilm and this is a very real concern here on campus. Things like todays shooting are a little harder to predict, but part of our job is knowing your residents, and being aware of what is going on around you. the VT shootings hit a bit closer, as they started out in the dorms, but this is somewhat similar.

 

[PuroEsq]

Alright, I'm sorry, but I disagree completly.

Who is to blame? The son of a bitch that walked into the lecture hall with a gun, that's who. It's not the media's fault, it's not video games fault. The media isnt what made this kid effed up in the head, the media isnt what helped him rationalize shooting innocent people.

Sure, maybe it showed he'd get attention through the media, but there has gotta be a hell of alot more stuff wrong with a person to do something like this.

I'm an RA at UNLV, as is Averyfilm and this is a very real concern here on campus. Things like todays shooting are a little harder to predict, but part of our job is knowing your residents, and being aware of what is going on around you. the VT shootings hit a bit closer, as they started out in the dorms, but this is somewhat similar.

OK I may have not been completely clear. Of course the jackass who did the shooting is to blame and my post was not intended to take any blame away from the shooter. My point was merely that I think that the mass media exposure has perpetuated these cases and feel that this ONE of the driving forces behind these crazy mother f'ers. They know they will make the news on a national level.

Are we having more of these kinds of things that we used to? Or does it seem to be more because we hear about EVERY one now whereas 20 years ago we did not.

Hope that clears up my point.

- Jason

 

[StinkiMonki]

I'm not so sure if there is any blame on anyone other then the gunman in any of the incidents we have been reading/hearing about lately. Perhaps the instant media attention is hitting home with some individuals that feel that the feelings/desire to kill is not so abnormal. Perhaps the coverage is giving them some sense that acting on their twisted plans are validated by those who came before them. I do know that the planet is getting more crowded every day and that I fear for what will be the "norm" when my children are my age.

Stink

 

[npedersen]

There are many things that cause what happened. The story reads that the gunmen wasn't even a student at the school. This was a messed up idiot that wanted to kill himself. He had thoughts a killing before, and this way he can go out the way he wanted. This is usually someone that got seriously messed with and know he wanted to get the last laugh.

It also says that he was wearing a black trench coat. I believe that the media is to blame, partly. Not for publishing the story, rather the details and glorification that they make. Had the Colombine killings not still being remembered, I think these shootings would be much less.

Look at the trend of all the shootings that happen. More guns, more people shot, more dead, in more shocking surroundings. This guy just walked into a room with 150-200 people and opened fire with 2 handguns and a shotgun. Each one of these freaks wants to out do each other so that people will "Always remember (me)" them.

I fear for my kids future.

Nick

 

[Wurm]

This one of the reasons my German wife refuses to let us move back to the US. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families.

 

[gunsandcigars88]

IMO if they were doing this to be noticed then they wouldn't shoot themselves. They would want to soak in the attention they are now receiving. There is going to be something that happended to trigger this.
B

 

[Wurm]

IMO if they were doing this to be noticed then they wouldn't shoot themselves. They would want to soak in the attention they are now receiving. There is going to be something that happended to trigger this.
B

No its all about going out in a (sic) BLAZE OF GLORY! The dieing at the end doesn't bother them as long as the media masturbatoric feeding frenzy gives them fame they seek.

 

[rectifythis]

I know this will be another excuse to try to ban guns here but the fact is it will only keep guns out of the hands of the good people. If a bank robber is planning to rob the local bank and knows that it is illegal to carry a firearm inside, he has the advantage. If the robber knows every person inside is packing heat, would he even bother?

LINK related to my thought

edited to add link

 

[npedersen]

But I ask you this, how many of you can name the killers from Columbine? How many of you can name the killer from Virginia Tech?

I agree with that, however most can remember what happened. These types of killers do though. It's not the names they try to renact, it's the actions. Think about it, these are at places where these people are about the same age, Columbine was High School kids killed by High school kids, Virginia Tech by fellow College students. Today was the difference, this guy didn't attend the school of the people he killed. He went to a place he knew that people would be in mass numbers in his age group, note the part in the article he came in the class room behind the teacher and opened fire, on the student body, not on the teacher he came up on.

This sick f^ck got picked on in school and had enough of his sorry life, wanted to end it and take some people out in the same age group. I'll bet the only connection is that he lived like 20 miles away.

I feel sorry for the families. I'll stop going on about it, I can't think of a way to stop it.

Nick

 

[jlada]

1) It's the idiots fault, period. No amount of any outside influence is to blame.
2) They don't do it for attention because they kill themselves afterwards.
3) Sad that licensed, gun-owning students don't blow people like this away when try to do these idiotic "rampages".

Just sad and idiotic.

 

[MoeCizlak]

My heart and prayers go out to the victim's families, what a tragedy. I feel the media does play a small role in these things though. These pieces of human debris realize that they will not be known or remembered for their contributions but they know that their name will be known nationally, even if it's only for a couple of weeks, by taking lives including their own. I think the suicide plays into it because it is human nature to only remember the fond things in the deceased's life, look at all the nice things said about Yassar Arafat when he died.

I can't remember where I heard it, but someone gave the number of shootings that were averted or minimalized because of law abiding gun carriers and it was a pretty significant number. I'm not advocating everyone walk around strapped but I certainly do not hope this adds to the antigun rallying cry either.

 

[gunsandcigars88]

I know this will be another excuse to try to ban guns here but the fact is it will only keep guns out of the hands of the good people. If a bank robber is planning to rob the local bank and knows that it is illegal to carry a firearm inside, he has the advantage. If the robber knows every person inside is packing heat, would he even bother?

LINK related to my thought

edited to add link

Just check out the quote that I have on every post I make. Pretty much sums it up. IMO
B

 

[gunsandcigars88]

IMO if they were doing this to be noticed then they wouldn't shoot themselves. They would want to soak in the attention they are now receiving. There is going to be something that happended to trigger this.
B

No its all about going out in a (sic) BLAZE OF GLORY! The dieing at the end doesn't bother them as long as the media masturbatoric feeding frenzy gives them fame they seek.

Yes they are receiving the attention even though they are dead, but if you have seen the news you will have heard the connection. He was previously a student (or atleast enrolled) for one semester there last year. That makes me believe that there is something deeper to this than "attention". Maybe he was made fun of a lot on this campus? Maybe nobody would be friends with him there? Maybe there was a certain person that pissed him off, and he decided to take it out on all of them? The fact is that since he killed himself we are not going to know why he did this. Though the media doesn't help in cases like this with how much attention they give the assailant we can't blame it all on the media. If you were simply wanting to get some attention from the media then you would use a method that wouldn't end with you killing yourself before expressing your point, IMO.
B

 

[Wurm]

IMO if they were doing this to be noticed then they wouldn't shoot themselves. They would want to soak in the attention they are now receiving. There is going to be something that happended to trigger this.
B

No its all about going out in a (sic) BLAZE OF GLORY! The dieing at the end doesn't bother them as long as the media masturbatoric feeding frenzy gives them fame they seek.

Yes they are receiving the attention even though they are dead, but if you have seen the news you will have heard the connection. He was previously a student (or atleast enrolled) for one semester there last year. That makes me believe that there is something deeper to this than "attention". Maybe he was made fun of a lot on this campus? Maybe nobody would be friends with him there? Maybe there was a certain person that pissed him off, and he decided to take it out on all of them? The fact is that since he killed himself we are not going to know why he did this. Though the media doesn't help in cases like this with how much attention they give the assailant we can't blame it all on the media. If you were simply wanting to get some attention from the media then you would use a method that wouldn't end with you killing yourself before expressing your point, IMO.
B

Thats what they have their web-blogs and my space pages for. They don't need to be around if the media (including the internet) carries their message from the beyond.

 

[AngryFishH]

I agree with the person who said that media notoriety encourages these people. All through history there have been people that have thought that killing others before killing themselves was a good idea. In the end their deeds do ring out louder then the memory of their names. I am not a criminal psychiatrist, but my opinion is that they are not in touch with reality enough to care.

School shootings have become such a media craze that some TV networks will spend the next 2 weeks analyzing and re-analyzing the entire minutia of details. I am sad for the families who are affected by this tragedy but I am sadder that they will have to endure a play-by-play by the media outlets that use these events for ratings.

Fish

 

[Capt Redbeard]

1) It's the idiots fault, period. No amount of any outside influence is to blame.
2) They don't do it for attention because they kill themselves afterwards.
3) Sad that licensed, gun-owning students don't blow people like this away when try to do these idiotic "rampages".

Just sad and idiotic.

I was thinking about that, but after reading the link that rectifythis posted, it stated that students had been suspended for carrying weapons on campus even with the proper permits. I'm surprised that wasn't made a big deal due to the second amendment? ...just thinking out loud.

This is a terrible tragedy, and I feel sorry for all who were hurt and their families. I personally don't think there is anyone to blame but him. He made the choice, even if he was inspired by the coverage on news, he was the one who set out that day to do harm to others. This is the main reason i don't read the newspaper or watch the news anymore, because of the running into the ground of tragedies and just depressing topics.

 

[Rodrigo de Jerez]

The kid was off his medication. I feel deeply sorry for everybody involved in this tragedy but part of me still goes out to this deeply troubled individual. Imagine what his family must be going through. They must be crushed.

-Mark

 

[TheVitaleMob]

First, thoughts and prayers go out. Second, this creates more motivation for me to get my CCW license and start carrying myself. I am not in college anymore, but this still scares the crap out of me because my wife is a junior high school teacher. You can't legislate crazy.

 

[tsmckenney]

It's hard to say that other students carrying weapons would have changed anything. It could easily make things worse. Imagine that someone starts shooting, all chaos breaks loose, everyone is running everywhere, who do you shoot? They're students, they're not law enforcement agents. They haven't been trained for such situations, and reacting correctly in such a situation certainly requires training.

I also do not think students carrying weapons would discourage someone from doing this. It might change how they do it; rather than using a gun they may bring an explosive.

Is the media to blame, or partially to blame? Well, who watches this 'media'? They sell a product. Who buys the product?

I personally think the underlying problem is how our nation is raising its children.

Just my .02.