TX - Gunman in Hijacked Mail Truck, multiple victims, Midland/Odessa, 31 August 2019

[enelram]

Have most of the mass killers been found to be under the influence at the time of the shootings? Or have reported history of drug/alcohol abuse?

I support open discussion and I'm very anti-rock throwing ! Which reminds me... Do statistics show these killers have a history of violence?

It's hard to learn this as many times this is never
mentioned in msm. Do they drug test the bodies at autopsy? I'm sure they do but many times it's not reported, although the Dayton shooter was reportedly on cocaine and xanax.
Sometimes there's a comment from the shooter's friends or family but many times it's never mentioned.
I'd sure like to see the FBI undertake a study
of this as I'm convinced it's part of the problem. Just part though.

 

[margarita25]

JMO- don't throw rocks at me.
In his old booking photo I noticed his puffy eyelids like he was a pot smoker or other drug user. Studies have shown that long term pot or drug use DOES affect the amyglada gland in the brain which controls executive function, judgment and decision making.

Rocks! Heeheee jk.

Seriously though, pot isn’t the problem. I smoke weed regularly and so do a large number of Americans. We hippies aren't the ones shooting people up, I’ll tell you that right now.

“Pot use” is not to be equivocated with other “drug use”, imo. Pot and, say meth or “blow”, are compleeeetely different.

Yes, some criminals smoke pot, but that is not what makes them a killer, moo.

 

[MsBetsy]

After thinking about it, the neighbor may not have wanted him to know she had called the police. Maybe fearful of him knowing. I think I would be.

Yeah, well considering that she said he sat on top of his house shooting animals that he later retrieved might make me feel a little intimidated, too. Imo

 

[margarita25]

Well there may be something to your theory because we know from studies that as testosterone wanes, so does criminal behavior,
generally speaking. The ages of high T. is also correlated w/ high crime period in many males.

Yay, we can agree on this though, enelram.

(Cheeto, anyone?)

 

[human]

I have no sources to provide, this is just my very simple thoughts.

Males with high (or low) testosterone.

Time on their hands.

Low, small number of friends

Obtaining firearms/ammo over a period of time (didn't purchase day before)

Feelings of anger (and possible feelings of social isolation -self-imposed or not)

Family problems?

Mental illness?

ETA:. Drug obuse

Unable to control thoughts/feelings which is so severe they seek retribution AND inflict vengeance on humanity. Kill.

Please feel free to add/dispute. I'm not all that smart but I am a member of society - as is everyone here. What can we see and do to explain AND remedy?

JMO and all that usual stuff

Isn’t it incredible that America has this problem? I wonder why other First World Nations don’t have this problem.

I wonder if any other nations had problems like this and what they have done

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Youngest shooting survivor released from hospital; Mother describes incident, aftermath

 

[ilovewings]

I'm super interested in motive. That's my main interest on WS, actually. I find it very compelling and potentially useful in prevention. The more we learn, the better, imo.

jmo

i am interested in motive of most murderers, but not mass murderers because for me mass murderers are hateful and evil and their motive is to kill as many people as possible

 

[imstilla.grandma]

FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs said the shooter called the national tip line about 15 minutes before the shooting began.

"It was frankly a rambling statement about some of the atrocities he felt he had gone through he did not make a threat during that phone call," said Combs.

Officials said the ATF and other authorities were investigating how the shooter obtained his weapon.

ATF Special Agent Wester said the shooter failed a previous background check when he attempted to purchase a gun.
LIVE: Authorities update Midland-Odessa shooting investigation

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[fred&edna]

Yay, we can agree on this though, enelram.

(Cheeto, anyone?)

I'm scanning links provided by imstilla (thank you!) so pass the Cheetos over here, please!

I'm seeing... Traumatized youth, internal psychological processes, contagion, and possibly limited education. (And regarding educationI hope no one really noticed I accidentally spelled abuse with an "o" in a previous post )

 

[ilovewings]

Isn’t it incredible that America has this problem? I wonder why other First World Nations don’t have this problem.

I wonder if any other nations had problems like this and what they have done

It is incredible---there are so many factors that make us the most violent civilized country on the planet and one of those factors is access to guns and the prevalence of assault rifles.
i think social media is a huge factor as well ---some of these killers just want their 15
minutes-- i also think social media gives potential killers an audience and a venue for their
ugly murderous feelings---- before social media these types may have had those same feelings but no real outlet to express them
of wanting to do harm, but they kept those feelngs under control----

 

[fred&edna]

O/T (sorta')
Anyone familiar with the podcast "Jolted" (mass killing thwarted - true story)

 

[MsBetsy]

I have no sources to provide, this is just my very simple thoughts.

Males with high (or low) testosterone.

Time on their hands.

Low, small number of friends

Obtaining firearms/ammo over a period of time (didn't purchase day before)

Feelings of anger (and possible feelings of social isolation -self-imposed or not)

Family problems?

Mental illness?

ETA:. Drug obuse

Unable to control thoughts/feelings which is so severe they seek retribution AND inflict vengeance on humanity. Kill.

Please feel free to add/dispute. I'm not all that smart but I am a member of society - as is everyone here. What can we see and do to explain AND remedy?

JMO and all that usual stuff

Many of the things you mentioned have been common in mass killers.

Another thing that is common is the killer has some sort of grievance toward an individual or demographic group.
They want to be seen as a hero standing up for a cause.

Then of course there is the problem that mass killers are inspired by other killers. They tend to research previous crimes and mimic gestures and killing tactics before carrying out their own crime.

I know you were mostly talking about what the underlying causes may be but these things seem to be common among many mass killers, especially recently. Imo

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Isn’t it incredible that America has this problem? I wonder why other First World Nations don’t have this problem.

I wonder if any other nations had problems like this and what they have done

Well, look at how New Zealand reacted recently. That won't happen here though.

 

[Kubirai]

... we know from studies that as testosterone wanes, so does criminal behavior,
generally speaking. The ages of high T. is also correlated w/ high crime period in many males.

What is the logical conclusion of this theory ... find male teens with high testosterone level and put them on drugs or therapy? Eugenics went down that path already.

Testosterone deprived eunuchs have been used as guards and soldiers in the middle ages. Some of them became quite aggressive rulers. There is no significant correlation.

Male teens with high testosterone get pimples and some become bald earlier. They don't become rapists and murderers just because of high testosterone.

 

[margarita25]

View attachment 201875
Youngest shooting survivor released from hospital; Mother describes incident, aftermath

Bless her heart. She is precious. Thank goodness she is alive.


““Probably the No. 1 thing people will tell you is that she’s smiley and happy," Kelby Davis said describing her young daughter Anderson.

Because she is almost 1 1/2 years old, the hope is Anderson will have no lasting memories of the Saturday shooting rampage.”

 

[Betty P]

Isn’t it incredible that America has this problem? I wonder why other First World Nations don’t have this problem.

I wonder if any other nations had problems like this and what they have done

Also noteworthy that these mass killings are on the increase while overall homicide rates have been declining for many years and are nearly at historic lows. The people committing these mass murders are very different from the typical violent criminal in the US. There's something else driving the increase in this particular type of murder.

Crime in the United States - Wikipedia

 

[margarita25]

An article for anyone who is interested in the potential correlation between testosterone levels and violent aggression:


“Atavistic residues of aggressive behavior prevailing in animal life, determined by testosterone, remain attenuated in man and suppressed through familial and social inhibitions. However, it still manifests itself in various intensities and forms from; thoughts, anger, verbal aggressiveness, competition, dominance behavior, to physical violence. Testosterone plays a significant role in the arousal of these behavioral manifestations in the brain centers involved in aggression and on the development of the muscular system that enables their realization. There is evidence that testosterone levels are higher in individuals with aggressive behavior, such as prisoners who have committed violent crimes. Several field studies have also shown that testosterone levels increase during the aggressive phases of sports games. In more sensitive laboratory paradigms, it has been observed that participant’s testosterone rises in the winners of; competitions, dominance trials or in confrontations with factitious opponents. Aggressive behavior arises in the brain through interplay between subcortical structures in the amygdala and the hypothalamus in which emotions are born and the prefrontal cognitive centers where emotions are perceived and controlled. The action of testosterone on the brain begins in the embryonic stage. Earlier in development at the DNA level, the number of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene seems to play a role in the expression of aggressive behavior. Neuroimaging techniques in adult males have shown that testosterone activates the amygdala enhancing its emotional activity and its resistance to prefrontal restraining control. This effect is opposed by the action of cortisol which facilitates prefrontal area cognitive control on impulsive tendencies aroused in the subcortical structures. The degree of impulsivity is regulated by serotonin inhibiting receptors, and with the intervention of this neurotransmitter the major agents of the neuroendocrine influence on the brain process of aggression forms a triad. Testosterone activates the subcortical areas of the brain to produce aggression, while cortisol and serotonin act antagonistically with testosterone to reduce its effects.”
- more at link
Testosterone and Aggressive Behavior in Man

ETA: Interesting the first sentence mentions “animal life”. The author of this article might like my shark theory.

 

[MsBetsy]

It is incredible---there are so many factors that make us the most violent civilized country on the planet and one of those factors is access to guns and the prevalence of assault rifles.
i think social media is a huge factor as well ---some of these killers just want their 15
minutes-- i also think social media gives potential killers an audience and a venue for their
ugly murderous feelings---- before social media these types may have had those same feelings but no real outlet to express them
of wanting to do harm, but they kept those feelngs under control----

The US is the most violent civilized country on the planet?

I have never seen any evidence to suggest this.

In fact there are many countries that fall under this category but I did not realize the US was so high on the list.

What is the source for this?

 

[MsBetsy]

Isn’t it incredible that America has this problem? I wonder why other First World Nations don’t have this problem.

I wonder if any other nations had problems like this and what they have done

I think every country has their own specific problems.
Comparing countries is not going to help to solve the problem in the US.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I agree.

My basic questions, I suppose... Why are these men SO angry they no longer value human life? Where do we find the answer??

So many more don't value their own lives either.

We are losing over 25 thousand men a year due to committing suicide. That is like a town with a population of 25K being wiped off the map in one year!

It's an epidemic no one seems to care much about. Imo.

I've always felt the more we can save of them the more we will save others who either do murder/suicides or do unspeakable acts like this monster has done.

If it's ever going to improve we must find the root causes why so many of our boys, and men seem so angry or why they feel so helpless, and hopeless that over 25K take their own lives every year, and that number is expected to rise.

Jmho