Sorry to hear about another school shooting over there

Sounds like there were ample warnings to keep this kid away from weapons and more importantly to get him help but unfortunately for 10 people its too late for that

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4371159.stm

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...ack=1&cset=true
[QUOTE]MINNEAPOLIS

 

The shooting took place at the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Essentially the poorest spot in the state. I have been there a couple times for work purposes for a tour and it aint the greatest place in the world. Total poverty and rampant alcoholism. That last statement is not meant to be a stereotype, just a sad fact of what is going on up there.

I have a friend who is of all things, is a mortician up there. When his beeper goes off it means he has to go get the meat wagon and pick up a stiff. He has told me stories of going into some trailer homes up there he says are shin deep in cigarette butts and booze bottles. He claims that is no exaggeration, tens of thousands of cigarettes on the floor of a trailer home, booze bottles everywhere, stench, filth, and a family with children living in it. I would have never even imagined someone would try to live like that, but he said he has seen it a few times.

Don't know if those are the kinds of conditions at this kids home, but that reservation is not exactly a utopia of kid friendly environments. Sad story.

 

The warning signs are always there. Unfortunately most people don't recognize them.

 

maybe now we can get rid of false security systems like metal detectors, and focus on the real problems. Treating students like inmates isn't helping, and fails to prevent tragedies like this. Addressing the community issues that lead to such outbursts would be far more effective.

 

Father committed suicide.
Mother in a home being cared for due to a brain injury suffered in a car accident.
Postings on Nazi boards.
Being teased about his goth-ness, etc etc...

 

The warning signs that I was referring to were that I heard he planned something like this last year and people found out about it but he didn't go through with it

 

Those *signs* should have been followed up on immediately.

Over here in CA, there was a Jr. College student that took pictures of his arsenal, then the photo clerk immediately called police. I think this was back in '01 or '02.

 

However unfortunately many communities have not developed any kind of protocol that involves all the players (ex. schools, police, child welfare authorities, etc.). If there is no standard procedure, or even appropriate training for professionals to recognize and address concerning behaviour, things like this will continue to happen.

 

Yup, that local incident is the one described here (dude went to my high school):

http://www.svcn.com/archives/cupertinocour...cover-0106.html

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/09...c-eye-0239.html

The dilemma in my mind, though, is how to accurately detect warning signs, and once detected, how to respond to them? Getting picked on and having a troubled family life is very common - by themselves, they don't indicate a propensity to commit violence. You'd have to somehow weed out the few who are inclined to become violent, and that could require screening tons of students. It could save lives, but it's not practical, particularly given the limited funding of many school districts (such as the ones we have around here in the Bay Area). You'd also have to account for the possibility that a minority of non-violent students could become violent once external people like counselors interfere with their lives.

In retrospect, it's easy to see the signs, but when you're looking prospectively, they're not nearly as clear. Personally, although I hate to say it, I just don't see much that anyone can do to prevent this kind of thing. Kids go through tumultous times in high school. Most of them get through it okay, and it's not easy (I'd say it's near impossible) to spot the ones that aren't going to.