Deadly Lessons: School Shooters Tell Why

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 448 359 CG 030 506 TITLE Deadly Lessons: School Shooters Tell Why. Sun-Times Exclusive Report. INSTITUTION Chicago Sun-Times, IL. PUB DATE 2000-10-00 NOTE 20p. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.suntimes.com/shoot. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Bullying; Educational Environment; Elementary Secondary Education; Guns; Listening; *Prevention; *Psychological Patterns; School Security; *Violence IDENTIFIERS *School Shootings ABSTRACT This document represents a compilation of newspaper articles analyzing information shared by the Secret Service concerning 37 school shootings. The findings are presented to educate parents and teachers concerning what has been learned about violent students. It was determined that there is no profile of a typical youth who kills. The shooter is neither impulsive nor spontaneous, but sees the shooting as a way to solve a problem. The shooters told friends of their grievances and shared information about the violence they planned. Acquiring weapons was never .a problem, since most youth had access to weapons in their homes. The articles point to the inherent problems associated with the current response schools are using to counter school shootings. They warn about over-reliance on metal detectors, SWAT teams, and zero-tolerance policies. Suggestions are made about the importance of listening to students; how to deal fairly with bullying; how to improve the school climate; the need to keep guns away from children; and the importance of investigating when a student raises a concern. The articles in Part 1 examine actions of the shooters; discuss bullying; and present tips on listening. In Part 2 they look at schools' responses and provide additional resources. (JDM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization 00Ke originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES official OERI position or policy. INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." In their own words, the boys who have killed in America's schools offer a simple suggestion to prevent it from happening again: Listen to us. DEADLY LESSONS SCH OL 0 S SUN TD EXCLUSOWE REPORT OCT. 15-16, 2000 D D D D D RIPST (YIP!! ifiVA AK21 IC MG WESTiBEST-READ NEWMPER These articles were published October 15-16, 2000, in the Chicago Sun-Times, 401 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill., 60611. Telephone, 312-321-2522. E-mail, [email protected]. Editor-in-chief, Michael Cooke; vice president, editorial, John Cruickshank; managing editor, Joycelyn Winnecke; metro editor, Don Hayner; Sunday news editor, Marcia Frellick. Cover illustration by Norm Schaefer. Design by Jeff Vrabel. These articles are available on the Web at www.suntimes.com/shoot PART 1 Deadly lessons: School shooters tell why 4 Examining the actions of an adolescent killer 5 Journals, poetry scream of violence, despair 6 Secret Service findings overturn stereotypes 8 Tips on listening to boys 10 Bullying, tormenting often lead to revenge 11 PART 2 Schools may miss mark on preventing violence 13 Shooters usually tell friends what they are planning 15 Secret Service offers suggestions 16 Editorial: Teens need to talk; we need to listen 17 Contacts and further reading on school shootings 18 A LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR We are pleased to share with you these articles, which we believe every parent and teacher should read. The towns are familiarLittleton, Jonesboro, Paducahthe details of the cases have not been analyzed before now The Secret Service has completed an analysis of 37 school shootings, and shared its results with the Chicago Sun-Times. The findings of the study demand the attention of every adult. There is no profile of a typical child who kills. The shooters come from many types of families, from all incomes, from all races, from all academic backgrounds. No easy explanationsmental illness, drugs, video gamesexplain their actions. No profile rules anyone in or out. The shooters did not snap. These attacks were neither spontaneous nor impulsive. The shooters usually had chosen targets in advance: students, principals and teachers. This may give adults time to prevent an attack. Many of these children saw the killing as a way to solve a problem, such as to stop bullying by other children. The shooters told their friends of their grievances, and often told someone of the violence they planned. Those who knew in advance sometimes egged on the shooters, and rarely told any adult. The students had no trouble acquiring weapons, usually bringing them in from home. These cases are disturbing, but the results of the Secret Service study overturn stereotypes and offer hope that many school shootings can be prevented. The authors of the study also raise questions about the responses that many schools have taken to school shootings. They warn of over-reliance on metal detectors, SWAT teams, profiles, warning signs and checklists, zero-tolerance policies and software. The answer, the researchers believe, lies more in listening to children, dealing fairly with grievances such as bullying, improving the climate of communication in schools, keeping guns away from children, and investigating promptly and thoroughly when a student raises a concern. Consider Evan Ramsey, who killed the principal and another student in Bethel, Alaska, when he was 16 years old. Zaggadn7 RIIGtqcOgriDeS Q. "If the principal," Ramsey was asked, "had called you "ASSOOM1Smy hope is gone people die." in and said, 'This is what I'm hearing,' what would you have said?" ' ', 3.1k , DEADLY TES5S: A. "I would have told him the truth." SCHOOL SHOOTERS SUNT IMES EXCLUSIISE REPOOT 3C1111511141a SIMMS AI MILS TEL Y TBS I OF MO PARIS 4--",.: Joycelyn Winnecke Managing Editor LI at. Chicago Sun-Times t4V Riot police nervously guard Jerusalem 4 SCHOOL SHOOTERS TELL WHYCHICAGO SUN-TIMES PART 1 SUNDAY, OCT° ED 15, 2000 Deadly lessons: School shooters tellh By Bill Dedman ChicagoSun-Times WASHINGTONIn their own words, the boys who have killed in America's schools offer a simple suggestion to prevent it from happening again: Listen to us. "I told everyone what I was going to do," said Evan Ramsey, 16, who killed his principal and a student in remote Bethel, Alaska, in 1997. He told so many students about his hit list that his friends crowded the library balcony to watch. One boy brought a camera. "You're not sup- posed to be up here," one girl told another. "You're on the list." Researchers from the Secret Service have completed a detailed analysis of 37 school shootings. They reviewed case files and interviewed 10 of the shooters. The Secret Service shared the results of its Safe School Initiative with the Chicago Sun-Times. As it turns out, kids at school usually knew what would happen because the shooters had told them, but the bystanders didn't warn anyone. That disturbing pattern gives hope: If kids plan, there is time to intervene. If kids tell, teachers or parents might be able to learn what a student is planningif they take time to ask. Together, the school shooters make a diverse class portrait. They are white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Alaskan. They were in public schools ASSOCIATED PRESS and Christian schools. Few had a men-Kip Kinkel killed his parents, then two students in Springfield, Ore. tal illness, although many were des- perate and depressed. As a Secret Service consultant says, to kill someone, but listening and pay- The shooters do share one charac- "If every parent went away from this, ing attention to depression, we'd be teristic: They are all boys. not worrying that their boy is going better off." CHICAGO SUN-TIMES SCHOOL SHOOTERS TELL WHY 5 Examining the actions of anadolescent killer By Bill Dedman Chicago Sun-Times WASHINGTON Whattype of kids kill at school? That's the wrong question, say researchers from the Secret Service. The people who protect the president have spent the last year studying the rare but frightening events known as school shootings. The Secret Service studied the cases of 41 children involved in 37 shootings at their current or former school, from 1974 to 2000. It shared its findings with the Chicago Sun-Times and plans to publish a guide of advice for schools. The Secret Service researchers read shooters' journals, letters and poetry. They traveled to prisons to interview 10 of the shooters, who sat for the video camera in orange prison jump ASSOCIATED PRESS suits, all acne and handcuffs, more sad than evil. An interview with Luke Woodham, who killed his mother and two students in "It's real hard to live with the things Pearl, Miss: I've done," said Luke Woodham, now 19, who killed two students in Pearl, Q. Did any grown-up know how much hate you had in you? Miss., in 1997. A. No. The researchers found that killers do not "snap." They plan. They Q. What would it have taken for a grown-up to know? acquire weapons. They tell others A. Pay attention. Just sit down and talk with me. what they are planning. These children take a long, planned, public path toward violence. Q. What advice do you have for adults? And there is no profile. A. I think they should try to bond more with their students.... Some lived with both parents in Talk to them.... It doesn't have to be about anything.

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