There Has Been A Shooting At My College Today!!!

My deepest condolences to all those affected. Glad you are ok.

I can't help to wonder if all these recent mass shootings are really connected in some way. Just too many coincidences about these awful incidents. Too many Pharma-induced, no-feeling, mass-assassins. One or two of the previous posters' said something to the effect of "Something Must Be Done", and I would agree but, that is eerily the first step in a Problem-Reaction-Solution scenario to completely disarm the whole civilian population of the U.S. Just thinking out loud.

Again, my deepest condolences.

This event has been more tragic than the others for some reason. I hope I can express what I mean by that so people will not misunderstand.

WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR SOCIETY!

It is not guns. It is not necessarily due to the negligent parenting (which does exist). It is something more. It is our society's inability to deal with those with mental illness.

Columbine, VT - they were people who exhibited anger and what we would deem "concerning behavior" long before they took the lives of innocent people and then lost their own lives. For some reason when some one acts odd for some yet undefined time before they do these terrible things we seem to be able to call them bad.

But what of this recent anomaly?

Oh dear.

Now, we have some one who didn't get the prerequisite time of odd behavior in order to deem them "weird", or "anti-social", or "dangerous".

What do we do now?

Yeah, what do we do now? Those boys at Columbine. That boy in Georgia. The guy at Virginia Tech...this guy in Illinois...they are all the same. They are us. They are our society. Why do we act as if some one acting strange for a period of time warrants dismissing their need? Why do they become an okay target for villification?

What do we do with one lone guy who didn't get the prefacing time to earn "villification"?

Oh dear.

It points out that we have those around us who need us to pay attention; who need us to help them when they cannot help themselves. Those whose lives were taken by Stephen are not totally representative of all the families who lost loved ones. There was one more. He is a murderer. He cannot be defended. But could he have been saved? Could they all have been saved? Why can't we look at each other and pay attention and just slow down enough to CARE?

This one hurts me the most. Not because he wasn't "an odd duck", "a strange one", or "a very angry person"...but because he wasn't. And for those who can understand what I'm trying to voice, that really nonsensical statement will make sense.

[edit on 2-15-2008 by Valhall]

He was "odd", in a sense. It was revealed that he had been acting erratically for the past few weeks since he stopped taking his medication. The type of medication was not revealed.

And it was during that time period that he bought 2 of the 4 weapons used.

Flags were raised. But the question is, did anybody notice?

Originally posted by jsobecky
He was "odd", in a sense. It was revealed that he had been acting erratically for the past few weeks since he stopped taking his medication. The type of medication was not revealed.

And it was during that time period that he bought 2 of the 4 weapons used.

Flags were raised. But the question is, did anybody notice?

Exactly - that was my point.

He was not "odd" long enough to be ostracized, the standard nonsensical reason for why the previous ones were not helped. He became noticably "erratic" and still was ignored to the point of destroying numerous lives. Wonder what the reason will be for not helping him this time? They'll probably think up something that will get them out of admitting they knew he wasn't on his medication, and he wasn't acting right - because - hey, it's his responsibility to be sane even when he's not, not theirs, right?

Here on ATS I think we can all agree to some extent that the world is going crazy.

If you believe in The Father, Son and Holy Spirit the actions of these shooters is explained.

Roper

reply to post by DigitalGrl

I'm glad you are safe. know that many are praying for you.

You & your classmates are also in my prayers...
if there is something more I can do to help, contact me.
www.ancientwiz.com

[email protected]

Hey digital girl, good to see another NIU student on ATS! I was also at school when the shooting started, it is straight up surreal. Which dorm do you live in?

Ever think that school shootings are done on purpose by certain people so that they can enforce gun laws? My theory... but that is fed up that it happened

reply to post by Raist


Raist,

i understand what you are saying. and i agree. i dont want to let what happened win. i know you werent meaning to be cold, and that is not how i took it.

however, as someone else mentioned the world is all about rush rush rush, and for the sake of what happened...im just asking that they take a couple days, and let our parents and family members get the information they need, let us have some time to hear from them how they are going to insure our safety in the future (in terms of what safety revisions have been made) and more importantly, give us time to go to the victims funerals, and mourn for the deaths. and im sure you agree with that. i completely understood your sentiment and i want you to know that no offense was taken. and i thank you for your words of encouragement.

---------------------------------------------------
today, when i woke up and saw the killers face on the tv..i cried for the first time and i couldnt stop. part of it was because everything that happened finally became real. the first day i was just in survival mode. i was collected, angered but not to the point of loosing it at all, and just soaking in information and trying to comfort people. i thought for all intensive purposes i was "fine". but today, i was so sad i felt sick. that is consistant with my personality though. i am collected in a crisis, and then the feelings come pouring out later.

the other part of why i felt sad i feel somewhat confused and guilty over. i felt sad for the shooter. seeing his face smiling, and having heard his background, he seemed like a nice guy with very admirable career and education interests. and i couldnt help thinking about what he must have been thinking before he shot himself. was he thinking "im worthless" "Noone loves me" "im scared". What happened in the days prior that made him feel like this was his only way out? and if he did have a mental illness and him going off his medication caused his brain to go haywire, then it makes me feel sorry that this will be his legacy.

i in NO WAY and i want to make this very clear, feel he should be excused for what he did. an explaination of reason is not a justification of cause. but the reports about him gave me an indication that at one time there was some good in him and for anyone to come to the point he did, where he felt he had to kill others and himself, i feel such sorrow for them.

dont get me wrong i am also very angry. i think about the flip side of this.....what were the victims thinking before they took their last breath? my fellow students must have been scared... or felt alone. when i reflect on this, i become outraged, and my saddness for him disappears.

all of my feelings are so intertwined right now. and today was a very strange and sad day.

i dont know maybe in a couple of days ill look back at this post and feel completely different. you all have just been so supportive that i felt i could share how i am feeling with you.

Thank you,
digitalgrl

Another shooting. Always a male on psychotropic drugs goes in and kills four or five, eight or nine and then shoots himself. A lot of this going on for a long time now. Can ayone say "Manchurian Candidate"?

I am sorry that this is hapening to our people. I truly feel there is more to this phenomenon than we are being told. I feel it. I sense it and I know the military industrial complex has the capability of doing it. People do not understand the ruthless evil out there that is hell bent on bringing the free people of this nation down. And since we have left God and limited him to a building on Sunday morning, we have no one to watch out for us.
cantyousee

[edit on 16-2-2008 by cantyousee]

Please be strong Digital Girl and know that so many people are praying for you and your community. I say this without any possible association to cliche'.

I saw the young mans father on television tonight and when he broke down in tears I cried with him, also.

It's a sad, sad world.

Allow yourself to grieve....Also allow yourself anger ( about what happened)....not necessarily aimed at the perpetrator. Please heal soon.


Take care.

reply to post by DigitalGrl


I am sorry to hear about the shooting. I hear you are safe, but it seems others are not so fortunate.

Here's a few news stories that I found to be interesting and informative:

Another shooting at a gun free zone college campus

I am not saying the outcome would have been different if some students were armed, but the chances are more likely.

Who was the shooter?




A picture of the "boy."


Apparently he had stopped taking medication prior to this shooting:

Gunman planned shooting in advance

Kazmierczak had recently stopped taking medication and "had become somewhat erratic," Grady told reporters.

Its a very very sad story. I really have nothing positive to say here.

reply to post by FewWorldOrder


Excuse my inaccuracy in my original post, the growing clamor that "something must be done" about these mass-killings is the desired "reaction" for those who wish to provide the soution of a 'dis-armed civilian population'.

Deadly Combination:

Drugs - somekind of medication which you DO NOT need.

Guns - which you can buy on the way to school.

Now somebody please start blaming video games...

reply to post by Souljah


I agree on the drugs thing to many people taking to many pills

on the gun thing I am guessing you are talking about illegal firearms
cause you can't just walk in and buy any type of gun in minutes..

and damned those video games which they are stating was a common connection between the NIU and Virginia shooting

I personally feel there is no blame to be placed the guy had a malfunction which doesn't make it right just sometime with so many people somebody is going to malfunction..


Respectfully
GEO

[edit on 2/16/2008 by geocom]

reply to post by Souljah


I totally agree with you on guns and drugs. Also i never understand why people play life simulations that are so violent and they say that it never affects them. The army say that the life simulators they trian there soldiers on are not as graphic or real as the ones kids are playing today.

If this has been mentioned - please excuse.

No one has survived living.

No one dies at the wrong time.

Angels of Death have existed since time started.

Funerals are for the living.

reply to post by DigitalGrl


DigitalGrl,

You sound like you are moving through this very well so far. I hope that you continue to keep your head up and remember who you are as well as remembering those that were taken.

I am glad to hear you understood what I was saying and I know that hearing it can be hard at times. Take the next few days to let this all soak in gather love from those around you and gather strength for your future.

The person who did this stopped being a person the moment he took the life of another he became something entirely different. I agree his educational start and what they explained about the guy seems almost impossible that he would be the type to do this. But the mind is a strange thing and even more so when it is confused and clouded by drugs. Of course I personally think the drugs had the biggest part in this but that is another thread.

My wife had heard that they thought someone he had dated or had interest in was in the class at the time. I have not heard this so I cannot tell if it was a guess or a fact yet. If so this combined with drugs and then the sudden drop of those drugs could have been enough to push such a vulnerable mind to their limit.

You and the others will be in my mind that strength comes your way as well as peace. Take this time to understand and feel the love that is around you.

Raist

reply to post by Souljah


"Drugs are bad mmkay." As we have seen time and time again, pharmaceutical drugs have unintended (or are they) side effects that may worsen the person's condition while taking them.

This guy should have been using natural medication that is more reliable and safe.

What strikes me as significant is that this was another "Gun Free Zone" shooting.

At my old college, we were allowed guns on campus just not in our dorm rooms (cars I guess?).

If there were armed students, the chances of this guy hurting more than one person would have been greatly reduced.

Then there's the issue of guns on campus in the first place, but people seem to bring them on anyway.

Either there needs to be better security guards (which I don't know is a great solution) or the students need to be able to protect themselves.

This is also a endemic societal problem, but that's another issue altogether.

What would make him want to kill people in the first place?

Could it be that we as a society force those on the fringe to hurt themselves and others?

I am truly distraught by yet another event like this in USA!!
My condolences to you and everyone who lost loved ones. This is becoming pandemic rather then single act of violence.
There is so much hatred and animosity in youngsters today then ever before. We can thank white house and their crap foreign and domestic Nazi policy for this. They managed to completely destroy family and everything good People across the globe stand for!
No other politician talks more about family values than US president yet he is doing everything to destroy the same thing and divide people. This is clear result of crap politics which is hurting society and making young People angry and making them pull the gun, maim, kill, rob the shops, do drugs...
I pray for you guys even dough I am an Atheist and I can just hope you bring Dr. Ron Paul in oval office to start sorting all domestic and foreign issues A.S.A.P.
Stay well and let us know first hand what is happening in there. Good luck our Friend. You have a greetings and support from all Serbs across the globe.