THE AFTERMATH OF THE VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS
A chill came over my body the first time I spoke to a killer. The killer, who showed no remorse, told me while he was in prison that he could possibly get out of the penitentiary sooner than his victims could get out of the cemetery. That was the beginning of my journey into the mind of a killer.
Nothing is more dangerous than a person - mental illness or not - who is committed to killing and willing to give their life to do so. These people write the end to their novel while carrying out the action in their book. It is sobering to know that only a few mental patients are dangerous and homicidal. But when killings occur, the rest of us are overwhelmed by questions like "Why would someone do this?"
That question was raised on Monday, April 16th, 2007, after a student, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, slaughtered 32 people at Virginia Tech University. The gunman was a South Korean immigrant and English major who had been in the United States since 1992. He purchased a 9 mm Glock 19 pistol and a .22 caliber automatic pistol for the shootings.
The shootings became the deadliest rampage in U.S. History. Cho killed two victims in a dormitory, then apparently left campus to mail a video and written information about himself to NBC News. Cho returned two hours later to finish his mission. He left a rambling 8-page note that ranted about rich kids and religion. He said that the end was near and that there was a deed to be done. He also said, "You caused me to do this."
Sending the disturbing posthumous materials to NBC News appears to have been his angry way of taunting those of us left behind. Cho decided he could speak from the grave in a last attempt at having control. The pictures he provided gave a hint as to how he really saw himself. He demonstrated a "macho-type" appearance in contrast to the mute, sunglass-wearing, coat-covering-part-of-his-face description which we have now become familiar with. Should he have been given a final word?
A 2000 New York Times' analysis of 102 rampage killings found that most crimes of this sort occurred during the day and was carried out by educated white males. Seven of the 102 killers were Asian and a third took their own lives. The rate of killings in the U.S. involving five or more victims, the generally accepted definition of a mass killing, represented less than 1% of all homicides 25 years ago. That statistic is still true today.
Did Cho snap? Snapping implies an instant action based on a single thought. It is not a random act. Mass killers often take months or years to meticulously plan their destruction. Many of them are narcissistic, angry, depressed and may suffer from a psychotic disorder. A minor disappointment can trigger a major outburst.
Mass murderers are usually lonely, isolated, angry Caucasian males who can look normal on the outside, but are very angry on the inside. They tend to be suicidal and may take revenge out on those who they believe are responsible for their distress and anger. The anger is often triggered by a narcissistic injury, violent fantasies or psychotic thinking.
Psychotic is characterized by gross impairment in reality testing and the creation of a new and personal reality. Those who are psychotic may be delusional, paranoid and demonstrate hallucinations.
Narcissistic persons tend to develop their disorder because of major disappointments during childhood. Healthy adults can accept disappointments, failures, and limitations and their self-esteem will remain constant. The narcissist sees the world as good or bad, black or white. Bad attributes are projected onto others while good traits are assigned to themselves. They have a heightened sense of self-importance and grandiose feelings.
Serial killers are different from mass murderers. They do not want to be caught and they enjoy taunting the police. Serial killers achieve a tremendous amount of pleasure and gratification (usually sexual) from the killings and may mutilate their victims. Control is also a motivating factor in the killings.
Cho was described as a loner who never responded to those who greeted him. He wrote extremely violent, scatological and obscenity-laced screenplays that included discussions about sexual molestation and attacks on others with hammers and chainsaws. Some students said they feared he would become violent one day.
His odd behavior came to the attention of school officials and he reportedly received psychiatric treatment in 2005, after the mental health staff determined that he was mentally ill and an imminent danger to himself or others.
The Virginia Tech shootings raise some questions about mental health care in our country. Many patients are rushed out of the hospital prematurely because of insurance or financial guidelines or restrictions. Outpatient treatment may not provide the necessary supervision and observation that is necessary. We need a system that allows for thorough and complete mental health treatment independent of other issues.
We need to provide long term care to those who are unlikely to re-establish stable behavior. The main criteria for determining who should stay or leave a mental hospital should be safety. And further, it is important for all of us to pay attention to any odd or unusual behavior as it may indicate serious mental illness and the potential for violence if unattended.
Why did Cho do this? No one can precisely answer that question, but based on the information that has been presented to date, there are strong indications that Cho suffered from a narcissistic personality disorder and a psychotic illness that precipitate the violence.
To sum up this tragic event, I reflect on the words of Poet Nikki Giovanni. Here is a portion of what she said at the convocation: "We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly. We are brave enough to bend to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS.
Neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory. Neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water. Neither does the Appalachian infant who is killed in the middle of the night in his crib. No one deserves a tragedy. Through our blood and tears; through all this sadness, we all will prevail."
A chilling feeling came over my body when I heard the news about the Virginia Tech shootings. The fitting aftermath to this story would be no more mass killings on campus or anywhere else.
K. Fortune, M.D.
