October 2, 2006

NOWHERE IS SAFE-ok

I just can’t believe the latest school shooting. What is the world coming to?

Six school shootings in less than six weeks

Anne-Marie Tobin, Canadian Press
Published: Tuesday, October 03, 2006

(CP) – It has an all-too-familiar ring to it: at least three girls were killed before a gunman turned his weapon on himself at a school, this time a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa.

The tragedy Monday brings to six the number of school shootings in the United States and Canada in recent weeks, and experts say it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a cluster.

Wade Deisman, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, has given the subject some thought – both in and out of class – since gunman Kimveer Gill stormed into Dawson College in Montreal on Sept. 13, killing Anastasia De Sousa, 18, and wounding 20 people.

He’s not certain that copycatting is at play, but notes that as a general phenomenon, finding out about someone else’s rampage can serve as an example.

"It erodes some of what might be previous cognitive barriers to doing something," Deisman said from Ottawa.

"Seeing somebody else do it makes it seem more … alluring to do it, maybe more attractive to do it, to some of these people."

The first incident in this cluster occurred on Aug. 24, when Christopher Williams, 27, went to a school in Essex, Vt., looking for his ex-girlfriend, a teacher. He couldn’t find her and fatally shot one teacher and wounded another. His ex-girlfriend’s mother was also killed before he shot himself twice in the head.

Six days later, a 19-year-old in Hillsborough, N.C., killed his father, then opened fire at Orange High School, wounding two students before surrendering.

And last week, there were shootings in both Wisconsin and Colorado.

In Cazenovia, Wis., a principal was killed, and a 15-year-old student, described as upset over a reprimand, was charged with murder.

In Bailey, Colo., a 53-year-old gunman held six girls hostage in a school, and sexually assaulted them before killing a 16-year-old girl and then himself.

Deisman said there are "gateways" to unlawfulness that include falling into a peer group that teaches disrespect for the law, and a belief that the "system" is not fair.

He noted the anger and willingness to die that was revealed by Gill’s writings on the Internet.

"Some people may identify – ugly reality, but it’s true – they may identify with the feelings that the person expresses, especially if the suicide note is publicized afterward… that’s straight up learning theory, modelling behaviour," Deisman said.

The last cluster of note occurred after the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo., in April 1999, followed a week later by a school shooting in Taber, Alta.

Loren Coleman, author of The Copycat Effect, published in 2004, wrote his book after 25 years of research on suicide clusters and workplace rampages, which he says have evolved into school shooting situations.

"There’s been a steady progression of school shootings since Columbine," he said Monday from Portland, Me., where he has taught at various universities, and is now a consultant to state of Maine on suicide prevention and school violence.

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It is truly tragic that this can happen at all. *shakes head sorrowfully in disbelief*

mrs toot

October 3, 2006

you wonder why someone around the people who have done this could not see that person was in trouble and get them help before they went this far….such saddness for all of us to know it will most likely happen again…huggs

WhippedSilk

It is a tragedy. It breaks my heart to think that this is going on all around us and it is scary. 🙁

country pharm girl

this is all so tragic. I can’t even imagine what it would be like if this happens at my children’s school!

thats so awful, I’d love to live in America but things like this put me off, a lot of bad things have happens in my area recently, 3 weeks ago today a girl was raped at 2am and 3 days later another girl was raped at 4am and last wednesday an old woman was beaten to death in her house and last night a man stabbed his neighbours ( a man and woman) due to an arguement n jumped off a bridge…

..got hit by a car and still survived but broke all the major bones in his body, the man and woman that got stabbed survived too and that was from a 10 year feud. its awful what happens in this world these days most of the people that get hurt are innocent, if only something could be done

Dec. 1, 1997 West Paducah, Ky. Three students killed, five wounded by Michael Carneal, 14, as they participated in a prayer circle at Heath High School. So traggic and it happens even in our small towns.

diane26

its so sad that all this is going on. it makes me nervous about sending evelyn to school.

offmychest

It is so sad and yes they do come in clusters. It makes me very nervous.

I think it is copycatting — but what to do about it? It’s awful.

Chopped Liver

melondrop

I think the man was possessed by some evil because it was evil. The world has come out of peace and all you hear and read on the news is terrible stuff. I cannot be a paranoid person but it makes me want to homeschool my children which I won’t but so much for living in a free country with the right to bear arms. I could go on but I won’t. ryn. ryder waite or something like that.