Portrait of a shooter

A commentor at Steve Gilliard's News Blog was good enough to post the following MOST useful information. Let these be our criteria for screening shooters.

The US Secret Service went over the ground on school shootings back in May of 2002. Here is their report: The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative (PDF).

Here are the ten key findings from the "Conclusions" section of this report.


1. Incidents of targeted violence at school rarely are sudden, impulsive acts.

2. Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack. In most cases, those who knew were other kids–friends, schoolmates, siblings, and others. However, this information rarely made its way to an adult.

3. Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.

4. There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence.

5. Most attackers engaged in some behavior, prior to the incident, that caused others concern or indicated a need for help.

6. Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Many had considered or attempted suicide.

7. Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.

8. Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.

9. In many cases, other students were involved in the attack in some capacity.

10. Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most attacks were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention and most were brief in duration.


Note that not a single solitary one of these findings mentioned video games.

Note that bullies do receive mention. But then, so do several other indicia of young people who are going down for the third time.

Note, finally, that the US Secret Service, which is about the furthest thing from "fluffy happy liberals" you can find from here to Gliese 581 (about 20.5 light years thataway) stated, in print, and in your face, that ... (sustained drumroll) ... "There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence".

So the next time some security snake-oil salesman tells you that there is one, and then proposes to use it to stigmatize some group he doesn't like, just tell him to stuff about 4 pounds of Semtex up his ass and take a one-way hike to Mars.

-- Stormcrow
-- # Apr 25 2007, 08:51

(MG) Riffing Jim Morrison

When I was back there in high school
Someone put for the proposition to me
That one can profile a killer by his writings.
Profile a killer by his writings?
Profile a killer by his writings!
You CANNOT Profile a killer by his writings!