Adam Lanza plotted Newtown, Conn.'s Sandy Hook massacre for years Read more: http://

[badrose]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lupica-lanza-plotted-massacre-years-article-1.1291408

“They don’t believe this was just a spreadsheet. They believe it was a score sheet,” he continued. “This was the work of a video gamer, and that it was his intent to put his own name at the very top of that list. They believe that he picked an elementary school because he felt it was a point of least resistance, where he could rack up the greatest number of kills. That’s what (the Connecticut police) believe.”
The man paused and said, “They believe that (Lanza) believed that it was the way to pick up the easiest points. It’s why he didn’t want to be killed by law enforcement. In the code of a gamer, even a deranged gamer like this little bastard, if somebody else kills you, they get your points. They believe that’s why he killed himself.
“They have pictures from two years before, with the guy all strapped with weapons, posing with a pistol to his head. That’s the thing you have to understand: He had this laid out for years before.”

[Darrell KSR]

Very sad. Wish there was a way to have all people with mental illnesses treated so that this kind of thing doesn't occur.

Of course, some group will probably take this and suggest we now need to outlaw video games.

[bigsky]

If video game violence correlated to murders we'd be seeing thousand more killings a year.

Sometimes evil happens. And it can be as natural as the tsunami or as conscious as this shooter. It's our human condition and I no longer try to resolve the philosophical problem of pain/evil.

It is. We can mitigate, but not eliminate.

[bigsky]

I just don't know about calling him "an insane gamer". It's as if we have to find that one thing, video game, bushmaster, mom, mental professional, that can be blamed.

But there isn't that one thing. There is only evil. I don't mean supernaturally. Just naturally, the same way there are incredible acts of bravery or kindness.

[CitizenBBN]

Very sad. Wish there was a way to have all people with mental illnesses treated so that this kind of thing doesn't occur.

Of course, some group will probably take this and suggest we now need to outlaw video games.

No chance. The people who run around wanting to ban stuff these days (with the New Right receding) is the Left, and those video games come from liberal Mecca, Hollywood.

Not that I think they should be banned either, but I played a lot of first person shooters like Doom some years back and I will testify right now my mind was far more affected by a day of going through dark corridors shooting monsters versus a day out shooting, by a factor of 1000. I stopped playing b/c it was messing with my head. They were getting in my dreams, my perspective.

As the games get more real, is it any surprise the known psychological impacts of sustained combat or high threat situations would begin to surface in some who play the games? People intentionally putting themselves in situations that in the real world often have mandatory psych evals attached to them b/c of the damage it can and does do.
I don't want them banned, but I did quit playing them b/c of the way I was responding to them mentally.

[CitizenBBN]

So they have documented proof he specifically picked a gun free zone b/c it was in fact gun free, a point of least resistance. Wonder if those politicians will move to rescind the laws they just passed expanding the number of those zones in some states.

It's also proof the NRA is right, the best way to protect children in schools is to increase the resistance of those targets, and the surest way to do that is to put in security that can shoot back.

These people are all cowards at heart. Insane maybe, but cowardice is part of the psychology. They never attack police stations or shooting ranges. They are insane, not stupid. It's not just coincidence all these shootings happen in gun free zones. They were designated gun free b/c they are seen as having high asset value, like innocent children or college students, and they are selected b/c they have high asset value (you are trying to get as much attention as possible) and the least chance of their plan of destruction being stopped or cut short.

So our solution is to give them more targets, not fewer. Smart.

I'm sure this evidence in support of the NRA's positions on video games, mental health and school security will be shouted from the rooftops by the media.

[badrose]

"As a man thinks within himself, so is he."

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

I think everyone is capable of evil deeds if they allow themselves to be consumed by it; if there's nothing in place to cause reconsideration (as Chuck has described of his own experience). It is within our nature to have evil thoughts, it is natural. But to continue and be consumed by them I do believe a supernatural presence is there. Like the good dog and bad dog, whichever is fed the most wins and they don't eat the same thing.

[bigsky]

"As a man thinks within himself, so is he."

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

I think everyone is capable of evil deeds if they allow themselves to be consumed by it; if there's nothing in place to cause reconsideration (as Chuck has described of his own experience). It is within our nature to have evil thoughts, it is natural. But to continue and be consumed by them I do believe a supernatural presence is there. Like the good dog and bad dog, whichever is fed the most wins and they don't eat the same thing.

Absolutely you are what you feed.

[suncat05]

And just further proof that when an individual or group of same with like ideas commits to do harm then there is little chance of stopping them. It is very clear that Lanza had thoroughly planned this crime and hid it well. There is nothing that could have been done to stop him, except to have had either armed security or law enforcement on duty at the school at that moment that he chose to act out his ghoulish scheme.
A total, complete gun ban would not have prevented this from happening. I'll never be convinced otherwise. And if he didn't have firearms available he would have used other instruments to fulfill his lust for carnage.

[Catmandrew]

And just further proof that when an individual or group of same with like ideas commits to do harm then there is little chance of stopping them. It is very clear that Lanza had thoroughly planned this crime and hid it well. There is nothing that could have been done to stop him, except to have had either armed security or law enforcement on duty at the school at that moment that he chose to act out his ghoulish scheme.
A total, complete gun ban would not have prevented this from happening. I'll never be convinced otherwise. And if he didn't have firearms available he would have used other instruments to fulfill his lust for carnage.

I agree completely that a total gun ban doesn't prevent these things. I lean left but am second amendment to the core, banning anything only keeps it away from good, law-abiding people.

However, I respectfully disagree that nothing could have been done to stop him, or at least prevent it from happening again. I am not defending this monster, but SOMETHING happened to this kid at some point in his life, probably multiple things, that shaped him into what he was. I feel its ALL of our jobs, as a society, to find out what makes these people reach this state, and get them the help they need before it comes to this. It's never gonna be foolproof, but if only a percentage are reached, imagine the positive consequences. An ounce of prevention>lb of cure. Bigsky said it best,you can't pinpoint one thing, it was prob many issues. But odds are, somewhere in the past, somebody missed or blew off a chance to talk to this kid and try to understand or help him in some way. It's a tragic lesson we should all try to learn something from, and be better human beings for it.

[Catmandrew]

My favorite quote to support your position suncat:

"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them."

Thomas Paine