Dr. Poland has been a responder to 13 different school shootings, including two in California. He is very dedicated to prevention and identifying the lessons that have been learned from school shootings. This webinar provides invaluable insight on these topics: ◦Prior concerning behaviors of the shooters and their mental health ◦Prior knowledge that some peers had of the attacks ◦A look at thought processes and motivations of school shooters ◦Identify the warning signs that were missed by parents, school and community personnel in previous school shootings ◦Understand the types of school shooters and learn strategies to prevent future shootings

1. The Minds of School Shooters:
Implications for Prevention
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2. The Minds of School Shooters:
Implications for Prevention
Presented by:
Dr. Scott Poland
Co-Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office
Nova Southeastern University
License No. 045127

3. USA Today Cover Story 3/1/12
He Was Just an Average 17 Year Old Kid
• Chardon High School in Ohio 3 killed and 2
wounded
• What do we know about school shooters and are
they average kids?
• Is it appropriate to place a picture of a school
shooter on the cover of a national publication?
• What have we learned for prevention of future
tragedies?
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4. Why Kids Kill by Peter Langman
Palgrave Macmillan (2009)
• Based on his study of 10 school shooters that
killed 74 and wounded 92
• Rampage acts best understood as a result of their
personalities and life history
• Hypothesized there are three types of shooters
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5. Types of Shooters
• Psychopathic—narcissistic without a
conscience—aspiring to be godlike—paranoid,
sadistic with antisocial personality traits
• Psychotic—avoidant, schizotypal and dependent
personality traits—paranoid delusions, auditory
hallucinations—depressed and full of rage
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6. Columbine
Thirteen Murdered and Twenty-four Injured
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7. Eric Harris: Psychopath
• “I will rig up explosives all over town and
detonate each one of them at will after I mow
down a whole f*ing area full of you snotty as*
rich mother f*ing high strung godlike attitude
having worthless pieces of sh* whores.”
• “I don’t care if I live or die in the shootout, all I
want to do is kill and injure as many of you pricks
as I can!”
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8. Eric Harris
• “If we have figured out the art of time bombs
before hand, we will set hundreds of them
around houses, roads, bridges, buildings and gas
stations.”
• “it’ll be like the LA riots, the oklahoma bombing,
WWII, vietnam, duke and doom all mixed
together. Maybe we will even start a little
rebellion or revolution to f* things up as much as
we can. I want to leave a lasting impression on
the world.”
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9. Eric Harris
• “God I cant wait till they die. I can taste the blood
now.”
• “If it moves kill it, if it doesn’t burn it. kein
mitleid!!!”
• “Kill them all. Well in case you haven’t figured it
out yet I say, ‘KILL MANKIND.’”
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10. Eric Harris
• Accomplished liar
• Knew how to say what adults wanted to hear and
his Juvenile Diversion program was ended early
• School projects and violent comments should
have prompted extreme concern
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11. Heath High School
• Student opened fire on prayer group killing 3 and
wounding 5
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12. Michael Carneal: Perpetrator
• Example of psychotic type
• Many examples of paranoid behavior , delusions and
hallucinations
• Pleaded guilty in adult court but later asked for a
new trial based on his mental illness
• He cited that he saw, smelled and tasted things that
were not there. His lawyers argued that it took years
for medication to reduce his psychotic symptoms
• Had talked for over a year about shooting up the
school, showed students a gun prior to the shooting
and warned students not to be at school
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13. Third Type
• Traumatized Shooters—suffered emotional and
physical abuse at home—were sexually abused—
lived with ongoing stress and losses—parents had
substance abuse problems--frequent moves—lost
parent to separation, jail and death—trauma
history resulted in suicidal thoughts
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14. Red Lake High School:
Student kills 9 then himself
Red Lake Net News, 2005
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15. Family/Trauma History of Jeff Weise
Red Lake Perpetrator
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Parents separated when young
Lived with mom and her boyfriend
Severely disciplined (locked in closet)
Father died by suicide when Jeff was 8 (standoff
with tribal police)
• Mother in car accident suffered brain injury and
in nursing home
• Moved frequently
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16. Weise History
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Bullied and harassed at school
Black-garbed loner
Described as “floating alone”
Introvert at school
Outspoken on internet
Posted often on neo-Nazi web-site
Created violent animated story on internet about
school shootings and suicide
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17. Weise History Continued
• Posted entries against racial mixing
• 2003-2004 told other Red Lake students he was
going to shoot up school and was questioned and
released by police
• 2004-2005
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stopped attending school twice due to depression and harassment
Expelled for unspecified reasons
Suicide attempt summer-2004
Under psychiatrist’s care
Prozac doubled 2/05
Viewed film “Elephant” frequently in days before shooting
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18. Posting from the shooter
“Most people have never dealt with people who
have faced the kind of pain that makes you
physically sick at times, makes you so depressed
you can’t function, makes you so sad and
overwhelmed with grief that eating a bullet or
sticking your head in a noose seems welcoming.”
Jeff Weise
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19. Federal Report on Red Lake Shooting Found:
• 39 students knew of his violent plans
• 5 students communicated via internet with the
perpetrator about the planned violence daily
• 8 teens were part of the Elephant Group that
watched the movie repeatedly
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20. Prior Knowledge of School Violence Study
• 81% of time at least one person had prior
knowledge of planned attack and 59% of time
more than one person had knowledge
• Only 4% with prior knowledge tried to dissuade
the attacker
• Many with prior knowledge did not believe it
could happen
• School connections effected whether or not
adults were told (examples)
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21. Classroom Avengers
• J. McGee and C. DeBernado reviewed 16 school shootings
no profile but there are common factors: All were male
• Most shootings were in small towns and suburbs in the
south and west
• Family relationships were often dysfunctional
• Perpetrators were proficient with guns and most guns
came from their own homes
• Many were immature, introverted loners who lacked
empathy for others
• Many had rigid all or nothing thinking with depressed
mood that was not evident to others as they rarely
complained of sadness
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22. Classroom Avengers
• Primary motives were vengeance and notoriety
• Prior to shootings there were precipating events such as
loss, arguments, rejection, humiliation or discipline
incidents
• Presented as secluded, sullen, angry and irritable
• Attacks were planned and calculated
• Menninger Triad elements were all present: wish to die,
wish to kill and wish to be killed
• Prolific journal writing, computer postings or videotapes
spelled out their violent plans
• Frequently threatened or boasted to others about the
planned violence
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23. Violence Key Points
• Increase in violent incidents around the world
intended to kill 2 or more people
• Warning signs in violent fantasies, mental illness,
distorted sense of what is just and severe
interpersonal conflicts
• Signs of trouble include aggression, interest in
obtaining guns, collecting posters of school shooters
and being a social loner
• Mass murderers are almost always suicidal
• 11th commandment for gun owners: Lock guns away
from disturbed and mentally ill individuals
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24. Suggestions to Prevent School Shootings
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Limit adolescent privacy
Don’t lie to protect your child
Follow through with due process
Pay attention to what the schools says and seek
help
• Eliminate easy access to guns
• Take threats seriously
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25. More Suggestions
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Recognize anyone can stop a school shooting
Recognize rehearsal and planning of attacks
Physical security alone is not the answer
Implement suicide and bullying prevention
programs
• Good communication and positive culture
important at school
• Implement anonymous tip lines
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26. More Suggestions
• Limit media violence exposure
• Arm teachers not with guns but with mental
health support services and smaller classes
• Limit access to school buildings and implement
meet and greet procedures
• Increase student participation in school safety
and utilize pledges and surveys
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27. More Suggestions
• Increase mental health services at school and in
the community
• Physical security alone is not the answer
• The 4th R is relationships and it is important to
know all students well and to have all students
connected to their school
• The school should be place that students like and
do not want to blow up!
License No. 045127
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28. Question….
“My child is
fascinated by
violent video
games and plays
them for
hours….should I
be worried?”
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29. Safe School Initiative
• Report on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in
Schools
• U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment
Center
• Departments of Education and Justice
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30. Secret Service Report: Preliminary Findings
• Incidents of targeted violence at school are rarely
impulsive and are typically the end result of an
understandable and discernible process.
• Prior to most incidents, the attacker told
someone about his idea or plan but did not
threaten the target directly.
• There is no accurate or useful profile for “the
school shooter.”
• Positive connections at school are preventative
License No. 045127
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31. Secret Service Report: Preliminary Findings
• Most attackers had previously used guns and had
access to them.
• Most shooting incidents were not resolved by law
enforcement intervention.
• In many cases, other students were involved in
some capacity.
• One half the attackers had more than one target
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32. Secret Service Report: Preliminary Findings
• In majority of cases, having been bullied played a
key role in the attack.
• Most attackers engaged in some behavior, prior
to the incident, that caused others concern or
indicated a need for help.
• The majority of perpetrators were suicidal
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33. “We must reach out to the unreachable!”
Craig Scott
Columbine Survivor
Keys to prevention are getting disillusioned
youth involved in activities, finding a job
and establishing social ties!
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34. Questions?
Disclaimer– Keenan & Associates is an insurance brokerage and
consulting firm. It is not a law firm or an accounting firm. We do not
give legal advice or tax advice and neither this presentation, the
answers provided during the Question and Answer period, nor the
documents accompanying this presentation constitutes or should be
construed as legal or tax advice. You are advised to follow up with
your own legal counsel and/or tax advisor to discuss how this
information affects you.
License No. 045127

35. More Questions?
Contact Information:
Dr. Scott Poland
Email
spoland@nova.edu
Websites
www.nova.edu/suicideprevention
www.scottpoland.com
Articles Posted
www.districtadministration.com
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36. Thank you for your
participation!
Innovative Solutions. Enduring Principles.
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