CO high school student sets himself on fire in Cafeteria

So, I searched via Samaru, found nothing, looked in several forums, found nothing. I saw this this afternoon while at work, but was unable to start a threat.

DUDE SET HIMSELF ON FIRE. IN HIS SCHOOL CAFETERIA.

A 16-year-old boy was critically injured Monday after setting himself on fire in the cafeteria at a suburban Denver high school in an apparent suicide attempt, authorities said.

She didn't know how the student set the fire, which caused extensive smoke in the building.

Link

Now, we're seeing a lot of school shootings. Kids who, for some reason or another, have come to such desperation that they feel they need to kill one or more people other than themselves before killing themselves, in order to make some sort of statement and be remembered.

But here, we have a kid who decided to set himself on fire. He didn't feel like he needed to hurt anyone else, he just...wanted to set himself in fire, so some strange reason or another. Luckily, he harmed no one else, but....why the hell would be set himself on fire.

And from another article:

The teen reportedly doused himself with oil before setting himself on fire and left word of his intentions on social media. Spottke said she didn't know how the student started the fire.

"This is not someone's fault. I had this planned for years," the teen wrote in a social-media post. He went on to mention that friends over the weekend tried to talk him out of the suicide attempt. "If anyone says that they know why I did this, ... nobody knows and nobody will."

Link

What is going in our society, our culture, our world, when these things become such a regular, seemingly everyday occurrence?

WHY is this happening to our kids? What are WE doing wrong (as a society/culture)?

Antidepressant medication. Just a guess but most of the shooters are on them. Might be a connection.

reply to post by Liquesence

What are WE doing wrong (as a society/culture)?

I fail to understand how you can't see what it wrong in the world around you. One needs to live under a rock or in castle in the clouds not to have any grasp on reality. Whatever the view point you may wish to defend I think it is obvious to anyone that things are not fine and dandy and improving.

reply to post by Panic2k11


Who says I can't see what's happening around me?

I think you fail to understand my point.

A kid set himself on freakin fire.

I know things are screwed up. I've been saying it all along, and my posts attest to it. I have my theory of why people (and kids) snap, which is the constant barrage of contradictions in daily life that overwhelm stimuli and short circuit the brain. But THIS is something kinda different, an anomaly.

Kids have been shooting up schools for a while. But setting oneself on fire...in public. For a kid in the US.

He obviously wanted to make a statement and be remembered...but jeez

This is just the latest in a pattern in that area. This includes Columbine, another shooting, a 10 year old girl was abducted and killed by a teen in the area.

So maybe the question we should be asking is what's wrong in Denver?

reply to post by Liquesence


When God is removed from society then evil manifests in it's place. What is happening to our kids? Well, you can start your path to the answer by watching the Grammy's.

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by Liquesence

 

When God is removed from society then evil manifests in it's place.

That's silly. Who's god? There are plenty of non-secular societies where horrible things happen all the time, so the "we took god out of our country" justification as the reason all this happens is like saying hurricanes are caused by broad societal acceptance of homosexuality. And in the US, "god" has not been removed. God exists within each person, and it doesn't have to be publicly displayed to keep "evil" away. "God" doesn't have to be worn on sleeves.

What is happening to our kids? Well, you can start your path to the answer by watching the Grammy's.

That I can agree with.

You cant blame a lack of god for someone upbringing and mental state.

Self immolation suggests a serious mental disorder. Cant think of a more painful way to kill yourself, or attempt to.

reply to post by shaneslaughta


That would also be the second self-immolation in the US in recent times. Remember this?

Self-immolation used to be something Buddhist monks did in far off Asian countries, not the US.

Good evening ATSers

What the heck is going on in our country. We are a society that is over medicated, under appreciated and are obsessed with doom and gloom. I went to high school in the mid and late 90's and I never had a thought to harm myself or anyone else. If we knew that someone that was having an issue or a depressing home life we would try to support them and not let them get to that point. It seems ppl have lost compassion for their fellow man, I know ppl can be jerks but really parents and society as a whole need to step up and extend a hand.


~Morpheus

ketsuko
reply to post by shaneslaughta

 

That would also be the second self-immolation in the US in recent times. Remember this?

Self-immolation used to be something Buddhist monks did in far off Asian countries, not the US.

Yup, with 7 billion people worldwide, there are bound to be a few with some screws loose.

My prayers and well-wishes go out to this kid and his family.

If you see things like this happening and want to do something besides read doom and gloom, use this occurrences to motivate yourself to take action. Hone yourself against the whetstone of tragedy, and sharpen yourself against these terrible events so you can become a sword against this corrupt society that puts children in such horrible mental states they feel the need to immolate themselves for refuge against this system.

In short, we need more activists for change in the world. If you want to see these kinds of horrible events STOP happening, then if you haven't been already, START speaking out and working to undermine this corrupt and vile society. Be the change you want to see in the world... if not for yourselves, then so no other poor kids like this ever have to feel their lives are so hopeless they'd rather die in fire than keep living in this broken world.

reply to post by MorpheusUSA


Oh, I think there is one thing I disagree on. I think we're over-appreciated. I think part of the problem is the empty self-estee movement. We spend all this time telling every single child that he or she is special, unique and precious just because they're breathing, and that's bound to come crashing down sooner or later.

You are not special just because you breathe. You are special because you earn it. Self-esteem is something you earn and own, not something anyone can give you. And we are seeing the results of a culture that tries to give its children self-esteem.

reply to post by ketsuko


I actually said pretty much the same thing in reply to another thread.

I think I also referenced Fight Club..

reply to post by Liquesence

But THIS is something kinda different, an anomaly.

I don't really understand your definition of anomaly, to me it seems that things continue in a steady path of getting worst in general terms and in all areas. An anomaly can only exist in rare numbers and this is not the case, each subsequent event makes it the norm.

Consider the native American Indians and most other aboriginal cultures and you will see the effect of imposing external cultures that are themselves creation of failed artificial systems that only serve a few. I wouldn't even start to put any of my ideological views or attempt to rationalize the fact without having all the data, one thing is certain the kid was in pain and so severe a pain that he chose to end it in a very public and painful way.

Myself, I have only respect for people that take the ultimate step in self determination (especially if they show consideration for others) or chose the ultimate sacrifice as a way to positivity (hard to define) advance a communal position that couldn't have been achieved in any other way. The only exception to the later would would be religious causes (as most of it is can be resumed to simple mass manipulation), those I can only feel sad and pity that they fall into such a trap, even if only at a personal level, no creating force would work toward destruction.

Well, I can see why one might do that. I feel terribly for the coming generations. They have little or no future unless they already stem from financial security. Not everyone born into this world wants to be a part of this society with how depraved it's become and how little choice there is but to submit and comply with the narrow road we're given towards "success".

It's overwhelming to think about how as this population grows and all the problems that come with it and facing a lifetime of forced societal expectations with less and less positive outcome is downright crushing. Now, yes, this is an extreme way to go, but, if you think about it, what's truly sad is that the entire nation isn't waking up to this and reacting to a young man's alarming and horrifying choice. Instead we comment - some rave about him being a lunatic - and move along as we're expected to do.

I think the internet, television, cell phones, etc. are the root of the problem.

People are starting to lose touch with reality on a massive scale.

ketsuko
reply to post by shaneslaughta

 

That would also be the second self-immolation in the US in recent times. Remember this?

Self-immolation used to be something Buddhist monks did in far off Asian countries, not the US.

Glad you brought that up. It is indeed the second immolation we've had within the last few months and other cases of self immolation tend to be a form of protest. It was a man who self-immolated in Tunisia that set off the Arab Spring so it's definitely outside of Tibet. For a 16 year old boy to do this in a cafeteria though, the reasons could be different. To do such a thing so publicly and amongst his peers, they will remember what he did for the rest of their lives. It'd be a significant mental and emotional injury and maybe that was the point.

Found his facebook and not much to see. Timeline is closed but his background photo for his page features the following statements:

me: I hate all of you
me: stop screaming that you saw your friend yesterday
me: holy **** walk faster
me: get smarter idiot
me: maybe if I hit my head enough times on my desk i'll die

Says a whole lot really. Vince didn't hang himself, overdose or shoot himself. He incinerated himself before his peers. Who knows why for sure but one thing, he most definitely wanted those peers to witness it. That's obvious and in a way, it could still be viewed as a protest.

Apparently, the kid just wanted to kill himself—in a way that would certainly get him remembered. :/

Vince Nett remained in critical condition Tuesday, a day after he drank a water bottle filled with bleach and doused himself with a gallon of fuel before he lit himself on fire inside Standley Lake High School in Westminster, just north of Denver, KUSA-TV reported.

Nett reportedly left a suicide note on Facebook, saying his death was "not someone's fault. I had this planned for years." He also apologized for the way the school would smell after he roasted himself in his bid to publicly kill himself.

Link

Drank a bottle of bleach, and apologized for the way the school would smell after he roasted himself.

I'm curious what was going on in his life/at home to warrant such an act. Sure, kids have all kinds of problems, and most suicide attempts are for attention, but this one....If he survives he will be physically scarred for life, and probably try again...

ketsuko
reply to post by shaneslaughta

 

That would also be the second self-immolation in the US in recent times. Remember this?

Self-immolation used to be something Buddhist monks did in far off Asian countries, not the US.

While Googling an update on the OP story, Google suggested this, from 2010:

Aaron Williams, South Carolina Teen, Dies After Setting Himself On Fire At High School

Authorities say 16-year-old Aaron Williams doused his clothes with a flammable liquid Wednesday morning and ran toward the school's doors. Dozens of teachers and students saw him on fire.

Sadly, this seems to be something that is not as infrequent as I would've thought.

What the hell is so wrong when our kids are setting themselves on fire?