Connecticut school district on lockdown after shooting report at a Newtown elemen #8

[HastingsChi]

Does anyone know why the car the shooter drove to the school (seen here on a flatbed being driven away from the scene) is not registered to the shooter or the shooter's mother???

As noted in the raw police audio here (the plate # is read by LE 30 minutes and 15 seconds into the video, matches the plate in the photo above and is identified to be someone completely different)
[video=youtube;ETkrxfYoQtc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETkrxfYoQtc&t=30m15s[/video]

The car is registered to a 42 year old career criminal (several previous drug and burglary charges) who is from Norwalk CT currently living in Miami, FL.

Just throwing this info out there because it seemed odd to me. I am absolutely confident that the lone shooter is AL so please don't insinuate that I'm questioning that.

I'd be thrilled to learn your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[Xavier]

Since we know so little about whether Adam was diagnosed with Aspergers, if so when was he diagnosed, and what kind of regular review took place, I think there is a huge question mark on what was happening with him over the years, especially the last 3-4 years. We don't know if he had some co-morbid mental illness either or if he was on medication. We also don't know, as I've said before, if Adam expected his own performance in college to be much higher than it was. And, his success may or may not have been due to cognitive ability - ability only means you can do something if you have the right circumstances and apply yourself. Many emotional/physical problems can interfere with your thinking ... and, as we know stress or emotional problems can cause physical problems. Some people are also quite good at limited problem solving or completing tasks, but not good at more fuzzy logic, moral problem solving, or complex thought. I don't want to rely on pictures too much, but Adam's classmates didn't say anything about him really acting or looking bad. That was at 17? He does look bad in the Driver's license photo at 18 (of course, I don't want anyone to see my DL photos either).

I cannot find the exact story, but it's been stuck in my mind that I read Lanza was diagnosed or it was apparent to the Sandy school physchologist ( who was killed) they believed he had Aspergers as early as elementary schooling

 

[i.b.nora]

Here's the most current news on what LE has on their hands extracting data storage content from Lanza's computer, external hard drive devices:

snip

Link please.

 

[Donjeta]

I would just like to say that if I had that guy as my barber (or stylist), I don't think I would talk to him either. He sounds totally obnoxious to me.

Most people would just go to someone else if they hate their barber so much they can't even bear to talk to him.

 

[HastingsChi]

How much time would it take to ruin a hard drive?
smash a computer and get ready for murder?
Wonder if he slept at all that night.......
NL would never hear him in the basement?
Where was her bedroom? 2nd floor?

Regarding the hard drive, there was an interesting article by Wired Magazine (I think, if not Wired it was a tech publication) and the writer states that if he wanted to ruin a hard drive he would smash up a different hard drive and take the hard drive with the information he wanted no one to find to salt water (Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean) and even if it was somehow found in the salt water, they would not be able to get anything (even fragments) off of it.

 

[bourne]

Time you've raised some very interesting ideas in your posts this morning; I really appreciate the thought-provoking points you outlined.

In not sure what CT medical privacy laws are regarding deceased individuals, but I am most interested to learn if the shooter was participating in any form of social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy, seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist, or on any medication to treat his Asperger's or for any potential co-existing conditions he may have been diagnosed with.

I second this Q. What type of psychological/skills training/treatment, if any, was AL involved in? For certain the mom should have had at least one mental health professional overseeing AL's care.

 

[not_my_kids]

How much time would it take to ruin a hard drive?
smash a computer and get ready for murder?
Wonder if he slept at all that night.......
NL would never hear him in the basement?
Where was her bedroom? 2nd floor?

Since he was said to be able to take a computer apart and put it together in minutes, tearing it down to get to the hard drive and then smashing it would have only taken a few minutes for him, IMO. The getting ready for the murder part would have taken the longest, IMO, making sure that he had everything exactly where he wanted it, and making sure that he had his "look" perfected.

I would assume that he didn't sleep much simply due to the adrenaline high of finally having made up his mind and visualizing what he was about to do. Or he was calmed y finally having a plan and slept like a baby. Either way, Nancy was probably used to hearing him move around late at night and it didn't cross her mind that he was making any kind of plan to harm her or anyone else, so she didn't check.

All total assumptions on my part.

 

[bourne]

If it was his own idea and not a course that mom chose for him.

I guess if he was interested in historical weapons like the plumber said it might have broadened into an interest in history of war, and if so, Germany is quite central to what happened in WW2.

I was thinking similarly. That perhaps it's his mom who pushed him to take the college courses so he could integrate with society and improve his communication skills. Maybe she was in denial about his Aspergers and just wanted him to be "normal", and he resented all the pressure.

 

[jjenny]

I was thinking similarly. That perhaps it's his mom who pushed him to take the college courses so he could integrate with society and improve his communication skills. Maybe she was in denial about his Aspergers and just wanted him to be "normal", and he resented all the pressure.

There are many successful individuals with Asperger's, so why would you say she was in denial?

 

[bourne]

Most people would just go to someone else if they hate their barber so much they can't even bear to talk to him.

I agree, although in AL's case, his mom seems to make most of the social decisions for him, so I have no idea why if he didn't like the barber, she won't just take him to another barber. This is one thing that bothers me. Is it about control on her part, or just that she figures, he'll react the same way towards every barber because he doesn't like to be touched?

 

[time]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but starting high school at the age of 13 would either make the shooter: (a) a class year advanced compared to his peers IR (b) a person whose birth date falls within days/weeks before the cut off date beginning school?

The teacher said he was homeschooled in 7th and 8th grade and the article said "After 3 years Adam left Newtown, to take classes at Western Connecticut State University. Jennifer says he earned his GED there." If Adam was homeschooled in 7th and 8th grade and was at the high school for three years... that would be 9th, 10th, 11th grades, right (if he entered as a 9th grader)?So he had one year of high school to finish when he entered college and there they helped him get his GED?I can't answer your question, but I would have been 16 when I was in the 11th grade. It's possible Adam was one year ahead of his peers though.

 

[Donjeta]

Very little of my post was meant to question whether he had Aspergers. I just tend to leave things open when it hasn't been validated by another source - I believe he did have Aspergers but mostly it seems that comes back to mom telling people as far as I can tell except for both parents in the divorce agreement.

It's kind of beside the point so don't jump on me. My bigger point is that there could or must have been more going on, ok?

I'm sorry if my post gave you the idea I was jumping on you, it was not my intention at all.

I don't disagree with the notion that there might have been more going on but the school staff is saying that they knew he had Asperger's "based on documents" and that's not just mom saying so.

 

[flipflop]

Does anyone know why the car the shooter drove to the school (seen here on a flatbed being driven away from the scene) is not registered to the shooter or the shooter's mother???

As noted in the raw police audio here (the plate # is read by LE 30 minutes and 15 seconds into the video, matches the plate in the photo above and is identified to be someone completely different) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETkrxfYoQtc&t=30m15s

The car is registered to a 42 year old career criminal (several previous drug and burglary charges) who is from Norwalk CT currently living in Miami, FL.

Just throwing this info out there because it seemed odd to me. I am absolutely confident that the lone shooter is AL so please don't insinuate that I'm questioning that.

I'd be thrilled to learn your thoughts. Thanks!

Interesting find which leaves me completly baffled.

 

[not_my_kids]

There are many successful individuals with Asperger's, so why would you say she was in denial?

Because many parents are. It's hard to see the bright side of "he could still have a normal life" if you get stuck on "he's not normal." Just from personal experience, I can say that for every two or three kids getting treatment and intervention for something like autism, there is at least one parent bringing their kid to therapy and intervention just to prove that they are "more normal" than the other kids and that the doctors are wrong, and so on and so forth. Actually quite frustrating for those of us with a child whose diagnosis we accept and try to work with.

You and I and lots of other people might just say, "Alright, there's something wrong, let's give him the best life we can." Others, will fight the diagnosis and argue over every symptom because they can't live with the idea that they created a child that was less than perfect.

 

[HastingsChi]

I was thinking similarly. That perhaps it's his mom who pushed him to take the college courses so he could integrate with society and improve his communication skills. Maybe she was in denial about his Aspergers and just wanted him to be "normal", and he resented all the pressure.

BBM

That is an interesting thought-- the perfect house, the perfect garden (I recall the comment about having such a perfect garden that no one ever sees since her house is on a hill), the perfect marriage (until it ended), the one perfect son and the other son. It's plausible Bourne; hopefully close friends and family will come forward with such information after they have had time to grieve and the shock begins to lessen even slightly.

 

[Tennlyn]

Thanks for the laugh.

Seriously, maybe she was afraid he'd set the house on fire, seeing as he sometimes gets into a zone (catatonic withdrawal?) according to his past teacher.

I have to say, sometimes if I don't set my kitchen timer on when I'm cooking/baking, I too forget the stove/oven is even on and living in a big house can be even more dangerous in that regard.

Or maybe she was just a Mom that thought she had to make all the meals. My MIL was that way with my DH. He was pretty much not allowed in the kitchen. Once my hubby got out from under her (estranged for almost 10 years now), he discovered he loves to cook and is the chef of the house!

 

[bourne]

Thanks NORA....here's an excerpt from that story

But, Jennifer says, “I never saw him lose it, or have a tantrum.”

Newtown students — like those she knows now at Staples High — are “very respectful of differences,” she says. “There was never any meanness or bullying. They’d ask Adam to sit with them.”

After 3 years Adam left Newtown, to take classes at Western Connecticut State University. Jennifer says he earned his GED there.

“I understand he dropped out of WesConn after 2 years,” Jennifer continues. “Then he sat in his basement for 2 years. Something happened.”

I'm with Jennifer from the article. Something happened in the past 2-3 years. Didn't we learn that his parents divorced in 2010? Could that be the disruptive catalyst?

I think it is hard on "normal" children when parents divorced. Many feel they are the cause of the divorce and breakdown mentally, suffering depression, etc. and doing poorly in school...I can only imagine how frightened and confused it must have been for AL to face the sudden breakdown of the family unit in which his dad then quickly -- within months of the divorce (?) -- remarries and moves away, his brother leaves home for college, and now his mom is talking about moving or having him moved to a residential home/school, etc.

 

[jjenny]

I'm with Jennifer from the article. Something happened in the past 2-3 years. Didn't we learn that his parents divorced in 2010? Could that be the disruptive catalyst?

I think it is hard on "normal" children when parents divorced. Many feel they are the cause of the divorce and breakdown mentally, suffering depression, etc. and doing poorly in school...I can only imagine how frightened and confused it must have been for AL to face the sudden breakdown of the family unit in which his dad then quickly -- within months of the divorce (?) -- remarries and moves away, his brother leaves home for college, and now his mom is talking about moving or having him moved to a residential home/school, etc.

They were separated long before the divorce. It wasn't a "sudden break up."

 

[Xavier]

Hi Flip!

I just don't think what you are suggesting explains it all ... I don't think all this happened just because she was pushing him to be more independent.

the Mom was very involved in her son's life....


She was very much involved in his life. She tried to get as much help for him as she possibly could,” he said. “She didn’t work at the school. She gave all her time to him.”

"As he got older it got harder for her — getting him into regular society, living on his own, having a regular job.

Despite Adam’s struggles, the brothers said they could never have imagined such evil was boiling inside of him.

“She wanted him to succeed in life. There was never any impression that he was violent or had outbursts,” family friend John Tambascio said.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...on-adam-worse-article-1.1221505#ixzz2FoLjMkcC

 

[Donjeta]

I'm with Jennifer from the article. Something happened in the past 2-3 years. Didn't we learn that his parents divorced in 2010? Could that be the disruptive catalyst?

I think it is hard on "normal" children when parents divorced. Many feel they are the cause of the divorce and breakdown mentally, suffering depression, etc. and doing poorly in school...I can only imagine how frightened and confused it must have been for AL to face the sudden breakdown of the family unit in which his dad then quickly -- within months of the divorce (?) -- remarries and moves away, his brother leaves home for college, and now his mom is talking about moving or having him moved to a residential home/school, etc.

If it's true that the parents had been separated since 2001 it wasn't as much a breakdown of a family unit but a change in one of the two family units.