Inside Mind Of Mass Murderer

(CBS)  What motivates a teenager to go on a killing spree like the one Robert A. Hawkins went on in an Omaha, Neb., mall Wednesday?

His rampage left eight people dead before he turned the gun on, and killed, himself.

Psychiatrist Dr. Harold Koplewicz, director of the Child Study Center at New York University Medical Center, told co-anchor Harry Smith on The Early Show Friday, "It's very troubling that we have to have a terrible event like this for us to discuss this. Let's take this in context, though.

"The good news is most psychiatrically ill young adults do not kill people, do not have violent episodes, and even don't kill themselves. However, the psychiatric illness itself really damages them. But it does happen. So, every year in this country we lose 5,000 kids to suicide. Between 14-and-24. They kill themselves. This (incident in Omaha) is a suicide, also.

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For a wealth of resources on depression in adolescents, click here.

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"And depression is the No. 1 reason people kill themselves. And we do see warning signs of depression at least two years ahead of time. People suffer a very long time before they ever come to our attention. So, there are warning signs."

Depression, Koplewicz says, is "definitely on the rise, but I think, most importantly, that Americans have to recognize adolescence, which does occur between 13-and-24, is the prime time for when you're going to get depressed.

"We're not talking about demoralization. We're not talking about bad things happening. But it's much more common during adolescence than it is during childhood or adulthood. When you become very old, a geriatric, over 65, a whole different problem.

"So, during adolescence, there are 2 million people who have depression. Out of those 2 million, some of them get very sick. This year alone, we'll have 600,000 teenagers who will try to take their lives and will need medical attention.

"Just think of it from an economic point of view. Forget about the humanity of it. They will need a tremendous amount of services from an emergency room. So, this is a real public health problem that we have to address. Parents and educators have to understand what are the warning signs of depression."

If parents see signs, what should they do?

"First thing, go to your pediatrician or family practitioner. Find out if it's a virus, a flu, if it's physical. If not, if it's depression, you have to get it treated. Treatment works, and then you have to make sure the kid takes the treatment. Remember, when you were a teenager, you wanted to be the same as everybody else, and the last thing you want to do is be sick. But if you leave these kids untreated, these diseases, particularly depression, it only gets worse. It doesn't get better.

[baileyccc]

The drugs this animal took and the drugs that the Columbine killers took might be what created these monsters. The main stream media won''t report on this news because of advertising dollars from Big Pharma.

[misseskleen]

I have a 16 year old son who has RAD who was diagnosed as early onset RAD which is the disorder the doc was talking about .These children do not have a concience because in the early years of developmet you teach them how to love and trust and it begins at birth alot of kids that have been placed outside the home at an early age and that are bounced from home to home form trust issues .Children who live in foster homes and orphanages suffer from RAD. This "desease" is treatable but never,does the individual,it usually starts with behavior patterns that are unusually for their age group. Their thinking patterns are based on attention for that love and they then love but then push others away and it is so misuderstood.my son whom I still support has been in treatment for the last 11 years and with close monotoring and meds and attatchment therapy he is doing better but still testing that attatching trust,he''s been afraid of loving in fear someone will leave him. sometimes as in my situation leaving a child to provide a safer life will sometimes have reverse effects.....so what do we do??????

[kaelinda]

This article doesn''t tell us why the guy killed other people than himself. If he thinks he is no good himself, does he ascribe that quality, or lack of it, to other people? Or is the truth of the matter simply that even though he thought he was no good, he also thought "I''ll show ''em! I AM important! They''ll be sorry!" before he shot so many innocent bystanders?

[godofredo29]

Once again we have journalists practicing their creative writing as if they all graduated with MFAs. The correct title should have been "Inside the Mind of a Suicide." All the facts about suicide are laid out (and have been for a long time) in the CDC suicide fact sheets. There''s nothing mysterious here.

[gkc99]

So is that how Darth Cheney thinks about things?

[klifton2-2009]

When the harm is done, the "experts" come out from their woodwork and analyze the situation. If they can''t prevent the destruction and the mayhem, what then are the "experts" good for? We do not want explanations, we want to know how such a tragedy can be prevented. In America, it is one violent day after another from the White House down to the common folks. It appears to the world that American lives are cheap and such impression has credibility.

[opinion8]

I just saw the Early Show and this story aired yet again. I understand it may be very newsworthy, but to continue to feed on this type of event is why some of these troubled individuals do what they do; because we give so much attention to their event. If this Omaha story continues to air, I guess I''ll go back to watching "Law and Order?" on TNT.

[sandycat2]

Cathomas71, you are lucky that your daughter is happy. Depression is often hereitary and can run in families and people can become depressed even though they have very good lives. The mall shooter was mentally ill and severely depressed. You can see this by his suicide note where he says he is totally worthless and no good to anyone so he might as well end it right here. That is how a severely depressed person feels, like they are no good. I suspect also from his note that he thought he was becoming famous by killing these innocent people. I guess he got that from from our culture of mass killing that is growing here in the US. I think I will keep my guns for my own protection.

[photogeezer]

What goes on in the mind of someone who has military firepower, including ammunition, and doesn''t keep it in a gun safe? Did the shooter know these people? Did they let on to a known nut case that had they had an AK?

[michellem99-2009]

Was the male at the centre of this story bullyed for looking like a girl as he was not the blame for this.I am female and born female. When I was younger I walk in a fast fast place and they address me as Sir. I could not buy the ladies things I needed as they thot I was a male. I got tired of that. I told this one lady I have the same parts as yer do. My wt. was 100 pounds. My father named me Barbara Ann and that is a girl''s name. I told them it is Miss/ ma''am and not Mr/sir. That was /is the main reason I carried ID. I have to prove my age.
I have said there is no need for combat style guns in the hands of the public.