massmrderpsych

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Mass Murderers:Why They Kill

Roberto A. Sebastian Jr., MDPLM Batch 1985

General Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School South Shore ProgramCharles Steinberg Fellow in Psychiatry and the Law, University of

RochesterDiplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with

Added Qualification in Forensic Psychiatry


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What is a Forensic Psychiatrist


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Forensic Psychiatrist

Liaisons betweenpsychiatry and theLaw

1. CompetencyEvaluations(Civil, Criminal)

2. RisksAssessments(violence,

suicide, sexoffender)


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Teachers


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Why Mass Murderer? Why notSerial Killer

Do not present a great challenge to law enforcementofficials

Do not produce the same terror and worryRestricted geographicallyLimited in dataDo not have the same characteristics sexual and sadisticcharacteristics as serial killers


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Definitions

Homicide-killing of one

human beingby anotherMurder- thecrime of unlawfully

killing a personwith malice oraforethought


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Spree Killing

takes placewithin agivenperiod of time, suchas hours ordays withsome

intervalbetweenkillings


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Serial Murder

String of victimskilled over one at atime over a periodof weeks, months of even years


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Mass Murder

limited to incidents thattook place within a 24-

hour period or single event(Aitken, 2009)

Antisocial and non-state-sponsored killing of multiple victims during a

single epiosde at one ormore closely relatedlocations (Levin, 2009)


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HistoricalAmok (Gaw andBernstein, 1992)

Youngambitious butpoorly educatedmen,whose self esteem hasbeenthreatened

Quiet andwithdrawn

Typicallydiagnosed withschizophrenia


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Historical

Bath School, 1927 Andrew Kehoe from Michigan Killed his wife and 45 people by setting a bomb in

the school building Criminals are made, not born

Charles Whitman, 1960 Shooting from a tower at the University of Texas at

Austin


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Prevalence of Mass Murder

Duwe, 2004 1900-1990- reviewed 909 mass killings

First murder wave occurs in the 1920s-30s 66%- familicides

52% of mass murders from 1900-1975 Agricultural depression 71% increase in divorce rates


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Prevalence of Mass Murder

Post 1966, there is an increase mass publicshootings frequency

1900-1965 21 mass public shootings Since 1966 95 more

1997- juvenile mass shootings began 14 of the deadliest school attacks in the last 8

years occurs in 8 countriesUS (6), China (2), Canada (1), Japan (1), Yemen (1),Finland (1), and Britain (1)


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It is not uncommon

1976-1999 FB I Supplementary Homicide Reports497, 030 people murdered in the US

3,956 slain in incidents claiming 4 or more victims599 mass killings involving 2,800 victims and 826killers

Two incidents of mass murder per month andclaims 100 victims annually


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Myths

Indiscriminate shooting of strangers in a publicplace by a lone gunman Disgruntled employee who kills his boss and co-

workers after being fired Estranged father/husband who killed his entire

family and then killed himself Band of armed robbers, who slaughtered a roomful

of witnesses to their crimes Racist hatemonger who sprays a schoolyard of

immigrant children with gunfire


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Myths

Although 50% of single-victim homicides occurduring an argument between the victim andoffender, it is rare for heated argument toescalate into mass murderOffender characteristics

Single victim offenders are mainly more oftenblack single men

Mass murderers middle aged white men


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Mass Murder Patterns

LocationV ictim Characteristics

MotivesWeaponsEnd Results


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LocationPalermo, 2007 Frequently occurs in public places such as

restaurants, schools, post officesHempel et. al., 1999

70% of mass murders occurred in workplaceduring weekdays morning hours

Fox and Levin, 2003 Mass murderers do not cluster in large cities

as do single-victim crimes but rather in smalltowns and rural settings


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MotivesWeaponsEnd Results


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V ictim Characteristics

Fox and Levin,2003

40% of massmurders werecommittedagainst familymembers andacquintances

Many victimsare young, whitefemales


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MotivesW eaponsEnd Results


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WeaponsFirearms are theweapons of choiceIt is difficult to killmany people with aknife or physical forceIt is rare to have an

individual who isproficient in the use of explosive devices.


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Weapons

Timothy Mc VeighOklahoma City Bombing168 killed


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Factors contributing to Mass Murders

PredisposersPrecipitants (short-term and acute triggers)

Facilitators


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Predisposers

Childhood illnessesAccidents

Child abusePhysical defectsIsolation

PovertyLow self esteem


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Precipitants

Sudden losses (employment, death, divorce)

Contagion Effects Media Novels Fanatics/Disciples


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Facilitators

Increases the likelihood of violenceIsolated from sources of emotional support

Weapons Access Training lethality


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Typology of Mass Murder

RevengePower

LoyaltyTerrorProfit


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Revenge

Most common motivation for killers to massmurder

Seeks to get even with people he knows (wifeand all her children or the boss and all hisemployees)


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Revenge

Murder by Proxy V ictims are chosen in which victims are chosen

because they are identified with primary targetsagainst whom revenge is sought


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Ronald GeneSimmons of Dover,AK massacred hisentire familyincluding his

grandchildren inorder to avengerejection by his wifeand an olderdaughter with whom

he had an incestuousrelationship


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Revenge

Some are motivated by grudgeagainst an entire category of

individuals typically defined byrace, ethnicity or gender who areviewed as responsible for thekiller s difficulties in life


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1999- Marc Lepine, University of Montreal 14 female engineering students killed hatred against feminist


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April 2000Richard Bauhammer,

Pittsburgh

- killed five minorityAmericans due to hishatred towardsimmigrants from 3 rd

World Countries


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Revenge

Killer s paranoid view of the world

George Hennard Hated humanity (targeted his neighborhood) 1991, rammed his truck through the glass window

of Luby s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas and openedfired on customers (23 killed)


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Revenge

School Shootings Jonesboro, Arkansas 1998

Andrew Golden (11) and Mitchell Johnson (13)Four students and one teacher killed; several woundedGolden s girfriend broke up their relationship


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Revenge

School Shooting Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado, 1999

Eric Harris (18) and Dylan Kliebold (17)Planned and prepared for several monthsArmed with explosives and gunsCelebrated Hitler s Birthday

Trench Coat MafiaTargeted the most respect and popular members of thestudent body


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Power

Columbineshooting

missionoriented killer

Claims anattempt torid the worldof filth andevil


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Power: Pseudocommando

Pseudocommando kills in public during daytime,plans his offense well in advance and prepared withweapons. He ha no escape planned and expects tobe killed during the incident.


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O Seung Hui Cho

It was driven by strong feeling of anger andresentment flowing from beliefs of beingpersecuted.

It was argued revenge fantasies become thelast refuge for the mortally wounded self esteem and ultimately enable him to commitmass murder-suicide.

P


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Pseu ocomman oPsychodynamics

Persecution Klein s concept of paranoid-schizoid position vs.

Depressive positionEnvy

Is not about being envious over the Other s

possession but the way the latter enjoys theirpossession

Nihilism In depressive position, a person develop as sense

of res onsibilit uilt and concern over the harm


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Envy

You have everything you wanted, YourMercedes golden necklaces trustfunds .vodka and cognac

Oh the happiness I could have had minglingamong the hedonists, being counted as one of you, if only you didn t {expletive} the living{expletive} out of me.


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Power

Unabomber Pseudomotivation: save humanity from enslavement

from technology Main motivation: control Desire to be published in national newspaper Threatening hoax at the LA Airport Obsessive library visits to read himself on the news


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Power

True V isionary killers Rare Hears the voice of God or devil instructing him to

kill Tends to be psychotic, delusional and disorganized Because his killings are impulsive, visionaries are

not capable of amassing a large victim number The Unabomber does not meet this criteria


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Loyalty

Multiple murders committed by cultistsreflects the desire of loyal disciples to beobedient to their charismatic leaderMore than 80 Branch Davidians died in 1993 atWaco, TX


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Profit

Some murderers are committed for profitThey are designed to eliminate victims andwitnesses to crimes


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Wah Mee Club,Settle, WA 1983 Three men crashed

into the club androbbed eachcustomers

Methodically

executed 13 victims

Matamoros, Mexico 1989Drug smugglers killed 15 people

Human sacrifice made to bringimmunity from bullets andprosecution while bringing2000 lbs of Marijuana acrossthe US-Mexico border


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Management: School V iolence EarlyWarning Signs

Social Withdrawal

Excessive feeling of isolationExcessive feelings of rejectionBeing victims of violence

Feelings of being picked on andpersecutedLow school interest and poor

academic performance


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Early Warning Signs

Uncontrolled angerPattern of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidationand bullyingHx of discipline problemsPast hx of violence and aggressionDrug use and alcohol useAffiliation with gangs


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Imminent Warning Signs

Serious physical fighting with peers and familymembersSerious destruction of propertyDetailed threats of lethal violencePossession of firearms and other weapons

Other self injurious behaviors or suicidalthreats


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Proactive intervention

Share responsibility with the community

Communicate with parentsDevelop skills and understanding of staff, students and families

Make interventions ASAPStress the confidential nature of referrals and educational records

Use formal training to teach positive interaction skills

Develop a written violence prevention policy


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Management

School V iolence

W ork V iolence


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Management of WorkV iolence

Categories Random criminal violence where the

assault is carried out by a perpetratorunknown to the victim

Worker violence where the crime is carriedout by a perpetrator who works at thesame company

Domestic violence, crime committed by aperpetrator who is not an employee but afamily member or significant other

Stalking Toxic work environment


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Management of WorkV iolence

Treat the underlying psychiatric comorbidities(Axis I and II pathologies)Effective identification and prevention of violence identifying potential perpetratorsDevelop a response team

Access to work records (Disciplinary measurestaken; hx of previous threats, disability hx)

Close interaction between the clinician andthe company


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What If a Specific EmployeeIdentified?

Be attentive to and be emphatic to theemployee s feelings and frustrationsManagement should be able to facilitate inproblem solvingAlways frame the meeting in a way to keep itfocused on what needs to be achieved


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What If termination of an employee

has been reached?Management should focus on the positiveaspects of the individual s futureEmphathize and assist in controlling theemployee s emotionsAvoid arguments over the merits of theterminationFinality of the decision should be emphasize

Offer resource persons to help the terminatedemployee to overcome feelings of self doubt andlow self esteem

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