It's a vicious circle.Why do people commit mass shootings?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the mass shooting incident involving a biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, exploring potential motives, the implications of the tenure system, and broader societal issues related to gun access and mental health. Participants share various perspectives on the incident, its context, and the psychological state of the shooter.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the shooting occurred during a tenure meeting, suggesting a possible motive related to professional stress or perceived failure.
  • There is speculation about the premeditated nature of the act, given that the professor arrived with a gun.
  • Some participants question the role of the "person of interest" and whether they had prior knowledge of the professor's intentions or involvement in the incident.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of the tenure system being outdated and potentially contributing to high-stress environments.
  • Participants discuss the psychological state of the shooter, with references to possible mental health issues and the complexities of legal defenses based on insanity.
  • There is a divergence of views regarding the relationship between gun access and mass shootings, with some attributing the incident to the actions of an individual rather than broader societal issues.
  • Some participants express disbelief that a professor could commit such an act, suggesting that it reflects deeper personal struggles rather than a typical profile of mass shooters.
  • There are comments about the rarity of female mass shooters and references to historical cases to contextualize the incident.
  • One participant humorously remarks about the thread's direction, indicating a desire to avoid discussions about gun ownership rights.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the motivations behind the shooting, the implications of the tenure system, and the role of mental health. There is no consensus on the causes or broader societal implications, with multiple competing perspectives remaining unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of the situation, including the psychological aspects of the shooter and the societal context surrounding gun access and mental health. There are unresolved questions regarding the motivations and mental state of the shooter, as well as the implications of the tenure system.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying psychology, sociology, education policy, and gun control issues, as well as individuals seeking to understand the dynamics of mass shootings and their societal implications.

zoobyshoe
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First time I've ever heard of anything like this:

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville who authorities say opened fire at a faculty meeting is facing a murder charge after the shooting spree that left three dead and three wounded.

Amy Bishop, 42, was charged Friday night with one count of capital murder, which means she could face the death penalty if convicted. Three of Bishop's fellow biology professors were killed and three other university employees were wounded. No students were harmed in the shooting, which happened in a community known for its space and technology industries.

The husband of one of the victims said he was told those at the meeting were discussing tenure for Bishop, who had been an assistant professor since 2003. Authorities have not discussed a motive.

UAH student Andrew Cole was in Bishop's anatomy class Friday morning and said she seemed perfectly normal.

"She's understanding, and was concerned about students," he said. "I would have never thought it was her."

Bishop, a neurobiologist who studied at Harvard University, was taken Friday night in handcuffs from a police precinct to the county jail and could be heard saying, "It didn't happen. There's no way. ... They are still alive."

Police said they were also interviewing a man as "a person of interest."

University spokesman Ray Garner said the three killed were Gopi K. Podila, the chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences, and two other faculty members, Maria Ragland Davis and Adriel Johnson.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100213/ap_on_re_us/us_ala_university_shooting
 
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I read about that this morning. She apparently flipped out - at a meeting about tenure. :rolleyes:
 
Astronuc said:
I read about that this morning. She apparently flipped out - at a meeting about tenure. :rolleyes:

I think she will have tenure where she is going now. Very sad, indeed.
 
Astronuc said:
I read about that this morning. She apparently flipped out - at a meeting about tenure. :rolleyes:

Apparently she was expecting it to go bad: she brought a gun.

This part is mysterious:

Police said they were also interviewing a man as "a person of interest."



Another student said:

Andrea Bennett, a sophomore majoring in nursing, described Bishop as being "very weird" and "a really big nerd."

"She's well-known on campus, but I wouldn't say she's a good teacher. I've heard a lot of complaints," Bennett said. "She's a genius, but she really just can't explain things."

It's pretty mind-boggling. I bet the whole campus is in shock.
 
I wonder if the police suspect that the 'person of interest' should have known or did know that the professor intended to threaten or use violence if she didn't get tenure, or did the POI have something to do with the gun?

If she showed up with a gun, that does suggest pre-meditation.

I'm sure the campus and the surrounding community are in shock.
 
Astronuc said:
I wonder if the police suspect that the 'person of interest' should have known or did know that the professor intended to threaten or use violence if she didn't get tenure, or did the POI have something to do with the gun?

Yeah, that's the same set of questions I have. Did he know and fail to warn? Or was he some sort of accomplice?
 
"It didn't happen. There's no way. ... They are still alive."
Did she think the gun was empty or had blanks? Perhaps the "person of interest" supplied her with the gun.

Even firing a gun you think is empty at people is unhinged.
 
Is this a sign that the tenure system is outdated, overly stress-inducing, and broken?
 
Evo said:
Did she think the gun was empty or had blanks? Perhaps the "person of interest" supplied her with the gun.

Even firing a gun you think is empty at people is unhinged.

I doubt she thought it was empty. She fired it enough times.
 
  • #10
cristo said:
No, it's a sign that crazy people, when given access to a gun, will use it and take innocent lives.
See?
 
  • #11
I heard about this last night. I thought that it was a student that went on a rampage. But a professor? Well, we are all human beings. Perhaps she just wanted to be appreciated more by the faculty, that's all. And then brokedown.
 
  • #12
otto1923 said:
No, its a sign to everybody in Great Britain that Americans should not have access to firearms.
Why not add hydrogen peroxide and lipstick to the ban?
 
  • #13
Bishop, a neurobiologist who studied at Harvard University, was taken Friday night in handcuffs from a police precinct to the county jail and could be heard saying, "It didn't happen. There's no way. ... They are still alive."

Evo said:
Did she think the gun was empty or had blanks? Perhaps the "person of interest" supplied her with the gun.

Even firing a gun you think is empty at people is unhinged.

The implication is that she was in a dissociative state for the whole thing. She may have been, or she may be faking that to lay grounds for an insanity plea. I haven't read the new DSM but it used to be said that the only people who fake insanity are sociopaths (anti-social personality disorder). Her diagnosis is going to be a big issue at the trial. This could be ASPD, post-traumatic stress, bipolar mania, or paranoid schizophrenia. In any event, the defense would have to prove she was so psychotic she didn't know right from wrong. That just about never happens in a courtroom, from what I understand.

In fact, she may already have a diagnosis and it could be the "person of interest" is her shrink.
 
  • #14
what said:
I heard about this last night. I thought that it was a student that went on a rampage. But a professor? Well, we are all human beings. Perhaps she just wanted to be appreciated more by the faculty, that's all. And then brokedown.

Mass shootings are rarely carried out by women, said Dr. Park Dietz, who is president of Threat Assessment Group Inc., a Newport Beach, Calif.-based violence prevention firm.

A notable exception was a 1985 rampage at a Springfield, Pa., mall in which three people were killed. In June 1986, Sylvia Seegrist was deemed guilty but mentally ill on three counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder in the shooting spree.

Dietz, who interviewed Seegrist after her arrest, said it was possible the suspect in Friday's shooting had a long-standing grudge against colleagues or superiors and felt complaints had not been dealt with fairly.

Gregg McCrary, a retired FBI agent and private criminal profiler based in Fredericksburg, Va., said there is no typical outline of a mass shooter but noted they often share a sense of paranoia, depression or a feeling that they are not appreciated.


As they say there's no fixed profile for this kind of killer, but it would be hard to believe such a surge of violence sprang from nowhere over this specific issue. I'm thinking this woman's been holding herself together with safety pins and duct tape for years.
 
  • #15
If you peoples are done derailing this thread, I'd like to point something out. I am glad it wasn't Moonbear :biggrin:
 
  • #16
cronxeh said:
If you peoples are done derailing this thread, I'd like to point something out. I am glad it wasn't Moonbear :biggrin:

:smile:
 
  • #17
This thread will not turn into yet another gun ownership thread.
 
  • #18
Evo said:
This thread will not turn into yet another gun ownership thread.

I was thinking of that last night when I saw this news :biggrin:
 
  • #19
Evo said:
This thread will not turn into yet another gun ownership thread.

Then how about if we delete all allusions to gun laws and ownership, and not just those supporting gun ownership? She could have hacked them all to death with a maschete, poisoned the coffee, or bombed the building. A crazy person can always find a way to kill people.
 
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  • #20
I deleted all posts concerning gun ownership rights discussions. Posts about her using the gun are ok, since it was the weapon used.
 
  • #21
She should be hanged. Lethal injection is too good for this lady. If she pleads insanity and gets an easier sentence it will show that the legal system is messed. I don't care how "insane" you were at the time, you don't go around shooting people.
 
  • #22
MotoH said:
She should be hanged. Lethal injection is too good for this lady. If she pleads insanity and gets an easier sentence it will show that the legal system is messed. I don't care how "insane" you were at the time, you don't go around shooting people.

1) Would that prevent shootings in the future?
2) How others will be better off by killing her?
 
  • #23
Why does she have the right to live, when she so carelessly took it away from others?
 
  • #24
The thing I wonder about is, given how these things tend to suggest explosive behavior to people in similar situations, like the rash of postal worker violence, and then student rampages, are there other professors out there also ready to blow? It never occurred to me there'd be any professor anywhere on the verge of this kind of thing.
 
  • #25
cronxeh said:
If you peoples are done derailing this thread, I'd like to point something out. I am glad it wasn't Moonbear :biggrin:

A gun? Moonbie? nah, she will have just brought a frozen fish to slap some sense into those faculty members lol
 
  • #26
zoobyshoe said:
The thing I wonder about is, given how these things tend to suggest explosive behavior to people in similar situations, like the rash of postal worker violence, and then student rampages, are there other professors out there also ready to blow? It never occurred to me there'd be any professor anywhere on the verge of this kind of thing.

I think that I lost all surprise by these incidents after seeing the Ft. Hood shooting with the accused being a psychiatrist with the rank of Major killing his own brothers in arms.
 
  • #27
Borg said:
I think that I lost all surprise by these incidents after seeing the Ft. Hood shooting with the accused being a psychiatrist with the rank of Major killing his own brothers in arms.

Yes, you're right. That one was pretty hard to fathom.
 
  • #28
New hit is brewing - "Tell me why - I don't like Fridays".
 
  • #29
MotoH said:
She should be hanged. Lethal injection is too good for this lady.

So instead of justice, you believe in revenge? I hope your signature is meant to be ironic!

If she pleads insanity and gets an easier sentence it will show that the legal system is messed. I don't care how "insane" you were at the time, you don't go around shooting people.

Erm.. isn't that what "insane" means-- unable to make rational decisions. I don't see why shooting someone is unexpected of an insane person.
 
  • #30
What makes any person who kills someone so special to be able to keep their own life? She isn't worth the cost of the light bulb used to light the execution chamber.
 

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