What Are the Real Warning Signs of a Mass Shooting?

By artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 1:21pm |

While some mass shootings are committed by people with diagnosed mental illnesses, a life crisis is a better predictor of violence, researchers say.

By Shaila Dewan @ NYTimes.com, Aug. 22

[....] Blaming mass murder on mental illness is a time-honored impulse, used by law enforcement and politicians alike.[....] Such explanations satisfy a deep longing to understand the incomprehensible. And they appeal to common sense — how could a person who kills indiscriminately be in their right mind?

Yet America’s mass killers fit no single profile and certainly no pattern of insanity — many, if not most, had never been diagnosed with a serious psychiatric disorder. Background checks can prevent someone with a diagnosis of mental illness from acquiring a gun, but psychologists say there is a wide divide between a clinical diagnosis and the type of emotional disturbance that precedes many mass killings.

The real problem, those experts say, is that mental illness is not a useful means to predict violence. About half of all Americans will experience mental health issues at some point in their lives, and the vast majority of people with mental illness do not kill.

“Do you or do you not have a mental health diagnosis?” said Jillian Peterson, a co-founder of the Violence Project, a research center that has compiled a database of mass shootings from 1966 on and studied perpetrators in depth. “In many cases, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not the main driver.”[....]

URL:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/us/mass-shootings-mental-illness.html

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Meanwhile -

Nobody cares unless it's a mass shooting. True story.
— Doggo1234 (@Doggo12347) August 22, 2022

this, slomo mass shooting. 350 dead, many more permanently injured, over just 8 months

With a tragic 350 homicides year to date, Philadelphia remains on pace to record its deadliest year in its entire 340 year history. pic.twitter.com/qvv9ZfIy8j
— Seth Williams (@newsethwilliams) August 22, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 1:29pm

Hello, from the NYT article:

All of this has prompted some skepticism about the new federal gun law’s allocation of $8.5 billion to expand the country’s mental health care system, especially when the number of mass killers is vanishingly small. “If we were to cure serious mental illnesses, violence would go down by 4 percent,” said Jeffrey Swanson, a sociologist at Duke University.

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 1:37pm

“We can’t dig graves fast enough” Grim and startling reminder of Philly violence. Workers told me 90% of new graves at this Upper Darby burial ground are from gun violence. Many victims in their teens and 20’s. They tell me they are runnning out of room. Story at 10 @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/T18UsXByLw
— Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) August 18, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 11:33pm

Black female assassin (with glasses yet) in midtown Atlanta this afternoon !?!? Very strange developing...

Live | 2 dead, 1 hurt in Midtown Atlanta shooting; Suspect in custody

APD said the suspect was captured at the airport. @ 11alive.com

Author: Donesha Aldridge (11Alive), Published: 2:45 PM EDT August 22, 2022, Updated: 5:46 PM EDT August 22, 2022

ATLANTA — A suspect is in custody after two people were killed and one person was injured in a shooting in Midtown Atlanta near Colony Square. The shooting unfolded at two scenes.

Atlanta Police said they were called to 1280 W. Peachtree Street around 1:45 p.m. and found two people who appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them died, APD said.

While they were investigating that scene, they were called to 1100 Peachtree Street, where another person was injured. APD said they were taken to the hospital and have since died.

Police said it's unclear what led to the shootings.

They said the suspect -- a woman -- is allegedly connected to the shooting. Just before she was captured, they released a photo of the person they believed was connected to the shooting.

"We are working to determine whether the victims were targeted by the suspect or whether any of the victims were shot randomly," APD said.

Police said the suspect was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. An 11Alive viewer sent us a photo of what appeared to be the suspect being taken into custody there.

[....]

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 6:37pm

Atlanta followup. The dead victims are white guys she was suing;

Victims identified in deadly Midtown shooting https://t.co/hkqgoccGSN
— 11Alive News (@11AliveNews) August 23, 2022

The victims in yesterday's deadly triple shooting in Midtown Atlanta have been identified and the suspected shooter is behind bars facing numerous charges. https://t.co/Q43VcTbzWN pic.twitter.com/Br21MnX9Uy
— CBS46 (@cbs46) August 23, 2022

by artappraiser on Tue, 08/23/2022 - 12:12pm

Worth noting that murders and shootings are down nearly 10% this year in NYC. Also can't ignore that literally every other reported crime is up, and massively (robbery a scary 40%). But still, less bang-bang is better than more bang-bang. pic.twitter.com/SIkpiWEyh8
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) August 21, 2022

an example:

Zero fear. What does that tell you? At some point, as the sense that nothing will be done to stop this sort of thing becomes more entrenched, those who don’t want to live in a place where thefts go unanswered will either start to take justice into their own hands, or leave. https://t.co/OfWSODTV8w
— Rafael A. Mangual (@Rafa_Mangual) August 19, 2022

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 11:42pm

Sounds like old 'liberal got mugged' stories (read a few paragraphs,then got paywalled)

This is really good shoe-leather journalism about innovative technology and the frustratingly bad condition of property crime and hamstrung policing in San Francisco. Something has to change. https://t.co/kHWx7bOkqp via @sfchronicle
— Adam Lashinsky (@adamlashinsky) August 26, 2022

Still stresses that with the shortage of cops and a lack of will to punish, all kinds of anti-theft technology is basically of little use. You really do have to have the "fear" component, as all people do not have "thou shalt not steal" morals.

by artappraiser on Sat, 08/27/2022 - 2:15pm

The man being beaten by Arkansas police in the viral video is a young white guy of hale and hearty build

Attorneys Carrie Jernigan and David Powell announced they will be representing Randall Worcester, the man whose violent arrest by three officers was caught on tape. https://t.co/TPLMnST0mg
— 5NEWS (@5NEWS) August 23, 2022

he physically attacked one of the cops before they attacked him and the issue of mental illness has been raised

Randall Worcester (South Carolina), 27, released. Charged with 2nd degree battery, resisting arrest, refusal to submit, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening, and 2nd degree assault. https://t.co/aeOvH0Qycg
— Michael Marquis (@MTMinCA) August 22, 2022

there are many cynical comments on Twitter, like these

How you know the victim in the Arkansas police brutality case is white.

Not one media organization has mentioned his race.

Not one march.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) August 22, 2022

Where’s the peaceful protests now? I could use some new Nikes
— Sheila (@SheilaW69804617) August 22, 2022

by artappraiser on Tue, 08/23/2022 - 12:28pm

New polling shows Portlanders are increasingly scared of their own city, particularly walking around at night. https://t.co/E17KTMfOhj
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) August 25, 2022

...Cellphone data tells the tale. As WW reported earlier this month on wweek.com, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, used GPS data to see how many people were returning to businesses, bars and restaurants in 62 downtowns around the county as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs. In the latest period, March through May of this year, Portland came in 60th, with a recovery value of 41% compared with pre-pandemic activity. Only San Francisco (31%) and Cleveland (36%) fared worse.

Now, thanks to polling data paid for by the city and obtained by WW, we have a better sense of what’s keeping people away....

by artappraiser on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 1:26am

^ story has lots of really good comments and some interesting discussion, mostly real people discussing local problems without injecting national politics into it

by artappraiser on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 1:49am

But how to treat ppl while handling crime remains an unsolved issue.

After the Sandra Bland stop in broad daylight, it's understandable why this woman would handle things this way. Does the cop care?

wow. What on Earth would people say about this if there wasn't a video record? if it was just, y'know, as story from one of the kids about, "Here's what this motherfucker did to my mother."

I wonder how it would be spun. If only one could know. if there was just some way.... https://t.co/FIDESwVCI2
— Thorne Identity (@GeoffThorne) August 25, 2022

Do black pipple water flowers?

but we're making this shit up. it's all in our woke heads.

FOA https://t.co/qk1AB8Krbt
— Thorne Identity (@GeoffThorne) August 24, 2022

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 3:19am

Will military lead the way?

BREAKING: Pentagon unveils broad overhaul of doctrine, training & planning aimed at better protecting civilians in future US combat operations - not just counterterrorism drone strikes, but conventional wars, space, cyber etc w/ @EricSchmittNYT @AzmatZahra https://t.co/MjQX5kGVb7
— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) August 25, 2022

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 3:33pm

Yup:

The crux of this problem is not housing (that's also a problem) but this. https://t.co/xuCFZgWwiZ https://t.co/5ReQi0wEPu pic.twitter.com/6l8DAnAR2g
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) August 25, 2022

by artappraiser on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 11:05pm

Great work! Now dig into Russian spy Yana Maximova.
Remember her? She interned at a Portland radio station, she was featured in an article on dumpster diving. Seen at an economic conference. Then she's visiting and delivering information to Julian Arrange of Wikileaks. pic.twitter.com/byUZ3apTej
— SalixFeter (@FeterSalix) August 26, 2022

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 08/26/2022 - 6:47pm

From @darkblue714, self described as African-American. UC Berkeley Criminology & Law graduate. Law enforcement veteran. Pragmatic progressive centrist evidence-based Democrat. and retweeted by Peter Moskos

Crime causes disinvestment. Disinvestment perpetuates poverty. https://t.co/LhLgqwYTdD
— Darkblue714 (@darkblue714) September 3, 2022

by artappraiser on Sun, 09/04/2022 - 1:32am

Each victim is indeed "just an anecdote" to defenders of the status quo. But each anecdote is literally a victim. https://t.co/pJlWk7IpgE pic.twitter.com/99X8ztCfbB
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) August 26, 2022

by artappraiser on Thu, 08/25/2022 - 11:04pm

sicko violent underclass culture:

*WARNING*
59 yr old man killed after an altercation between 2 women.
One attempts to run the other over & kills the man who was sitting on his walker.
No respect for life whatsoever. Let’s see where the riots are about an innocent white mans death.

The silence will be deafening. pic.twitter.com/cRgLqN0Uqy
— Jo (@pimpmytweeting) August 28, 2022

by artappraiser on Sun, 08/28/2022 - 5:16pm

Speaking of 59-year-old men...

there's no phenomenon on this planet more reliable than leonardo dicaprio breaking up with his girl by age 25, the stats are breathtaking https://t.co/A9czRJo56Q
— no (@zedonarrival) August 30, 2022

Apparently the generation gap kind of exists in a different plane than we imagined.

by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 08/31/2022 - 6:53am

UPDATE: 3 people are dead, including the suspected shooter, after an attack at a grocery store in Bend, Oregon https://t.co/6DqF7aL462
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 29, 2022

I just read what is supposedly the Bend, Oregon’s shooter’s journal on Wattpad. Don’t know if it was real, it sure looks like a disturbed obsession with guns, mass murder & suicide. I hope someone investigates…if that is not the shooter, it’s someone who needs monitoring. @FBI
— “MyBodyMyChoice” Barlow (@LindaBarlow) August 29, 2022

Bend Oregon is my hometown. Here is the manifesto of the shooter. Before it gets pulled from the web.

The Downward Spiral Of "Ethan Miller" - Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - Wattpad https://t.co/UFH2GbCt6K
— Mic just Mic (@mic_oregon) August 29, 2022

spoiler: it's the same old suicidal mentally ill garbage

He had a decent job, which he didn't like, that enabled him to buy the guns, and yes he did the waiting period on the purchases. Being mentally ill is not the same thing as waxing and waning emotions fueling most gun violence. Hence, plans for a shooting event actually are not at all affected by having to wait to get purchased weapons.

by artappraiser on Mon, 08/29/2022 - 2:11am

I did not select "grocer" or counterhelp" or "checkout worker" on my bingo card as the world's most dangerous profession...

by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 08/29/2022 - 11:46am

A variant of what you said. He survived 20 years in the army. And then:

Donald Ray Surrett Jr., 66, served in the Army for 20 years and was stationed in Germany three times, but he didn’t die in combat - he died trying to disarm a gunman with military-style weapons at a grocery store in America. RIP. https://t.co/Hwl80Wlji9
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 30, 2022

by artappraiser on Tue, 08/30/2022 - 10:58am

So Biden FINALLY did a Sister Souljah moment against the "Defund" types (like "The Squad", for one example) as well as the GOP in his speech in PA.

Meanwhile there are still lots of elements of our judicial system in blue cities who haven't gotten the memo that can be played like a violin as "what liberals will actually do" -

Teen arrested with loaded semiautomatic in stolen car cut loose by NYC judge with no bail https://t.co/2hdqXIC276 pic.twitter.com/JYbIjTi0St
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) August 30, 2022

...One police officer with two decades on the job bashed Wang’s decision, dubbing him, “Judge Letemgo.”

“You really think he’s going to come back to New York for his gun case?” the cop said....

by artappraiser on Wed, 08/31/2022 - 2:47am

Sounds like old 'tax and spend" Democratic party policy to me and certainly doesn't sound like the old GOP policies of low taxes, small government, pull yourselves up by your own bootstraps, take responsibility for your own life and own firearms for protection -

Failed governance blames residents for failing to do what government failed to do. Don't tell people to "get up off their ass" to help shooters not shoot when you can't or won't stop shooters despite having all the city's schools and police and social workers at your disposal. https://t.co/MwK5zbhjJH
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) September 3, 2022

Unless of course he's talking about their parents. If you _must_ cast blame on other adults, I'd start with the parents.

As it is, it's like blaming the residents of Jackson for not getting off their asses and fixing the broken pumps at the waterplant.
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) September 3, 2022

Truth is I wouldn't encourage residents of Baltimore to get up off their ass. Seems like when city residents do get off their ass, they're not inclined to put said posterior down till they're past the County line.
— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) September 3, 2022

by artappraiser on Sun, 09/04/2022 - 1:40am

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Russia's hosted such meetings in the past, most recently Feb 2019

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— Hanna Notte (@HannaNotte) February 29, 2024

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Events: Heavy gunfire is occuring around the area of the U.S. Embassy and residential compounds adjacent to the Trutier area of Tabarre. All Embassy personnel have been instructed to remain indoors and shelter-in-place until further notice. All others should avoid the area.

Actions to take:

Avoid the area;

Avoid demonstrations and any large gatherings of people;

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If you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area.

Read the article at https://ht.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-port-au-prince-haiti-december-25-2023/

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Could we have a war in South America?!?

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