What a shocking revelation.
The young man who went on the shooting rampage last week at NIU was off his meds.
I say "shocking" with a cynical and sarcastic twist. Having covered killings and assorted mayhem for about thirty years, I've found a pretty common reason people suddenly explode in violence is their failure to stay on a proscribed drug therapy. The most common explanation is that they began to feel better and think they don't need any more medication. A couple of mental health professionals I spoke to this week have a different take on that, however.
They tell me the medications used to treat bi-polar disorder work well but create a baseline effect for the user. Instead of the intense, energetic highs and depressive lows, the drugs keep them in the middle. And some bi-polars resent that. They like the magic of the manic stage. They miss it. In fact, they crave it.
How the NIU shooter must have gotten off planning his attack. Carefully thinking out and then purchasing the handguns he wanted to use. Gathering the ammunition for handguns and shotgun. Figuring how best to carry the long gun so as not to be noticed. And then, when finished, firing his weapon one last time so as to avoid the judgement he knew would come his way. A coward's way out. A sick coward, but a coward just the same.
All evidence of the sort of twisted, premeditation of which only a true psychotic or psychopath is capable.
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