What compels a person to commit mass murder?

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine killers, Cho Seung-hui and Tyler Peterson, the Wisconsin sheriff's deputy, all shot and killed multiple people over perceived slights. How could people just take some guns and decide to do this? Were these people just born wrong in the first place? Some people I suppose, have an innate violent nature about them, what Michael Vick and dogfighters would call "game", I suppose.





Any experience with potential psychopaths that you all can share? Have you been afraid of anyone? Do you understand the mentality?

What compels a person to commit mass murder?
Desire for revenge is hardwired into our brains, which is one reason why movies depicting harsh justice at the end for the villians are so popular. Unfortunately, when angry, frustrated men have an overwhelming desire to take revenge for their greivances, they'll often attack indiscriminately, and innocents die. They aren't necessarily psychopaths, because many people don't think clearly when emotions are running high. People are notoriously poor in thinking clearly when anger overtakes them.
Reply:They were pyscho.They were depressed (i guess)...there is NO GOOD reason for them to do the AWFUL things they did!
Reply:I think they got a lot of thumbs down on yahoo answers. It can be pretty devastating
Reply:Mental illness
Reply:anger...


or maybe their just crazy or mentally retarded
Reply:I do not understand the mentality of killers. But often wonder after they get off their sick high of killing people. They come down from that and have some kind of remorse and that is why they end up killing themselves most of the time?
Reply:rejection, self-inferiority, bunch of problems, may be at that time..they are emotionally weak to weigh things up
Reply:There are different reasons. Mental illness, of course, is a popular one. Anger. Revenge. Hate. A sense of responsibility to do something like that. No longer wanting to be alive, and wanting to take others with you. Fear. Boredom. And of course, some sick people do it for fun. They get a jolly out of taking the lives of others.
Reply:I have known a few killers, most were pretty nice people, some were very scary.





The majority are not psychopaths at all, they just fail to cope properly in a stressful situation.





We live in a very confusing society. We are constantly told that we can not insult or confront another. In our schools we force young boys to suppress natural aggression.


On the flip side our entertainment, music, games, movies, are all filled with violence and murder.





What happens is that we are failing to deal with natural aggression and give it outlet. When you show children that violence is good and desired and then you make them behave in a manner that is totally opposite, you create a subconscious bubble of aggression covered by a conscious skin of social restriction. With few acceptable vents the ones we have only backup the pressure of the bubble. When these people are faced with a situation that is ongoing the skin of social restriction is stretched tight and might rip. When this happens you get the people and actions you mentioned.
Reply:Politics and ignorant driverss do their part for me.

safety boots