He just acted out of curiosity, impulse, and fantasy. He knew what he was doing wrong, yet ultimately decided to carry out the tragic acts anyway. I am not sure there is any remedy to prevent future act based off this case.

Banning guns and horror films is not the answer. Can't we just concluded that there will be a fowl duck among us from time to time....and you're just S.O.L. if they're in your life or you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time in public? After all, not all humans are psychologically balanced.

Basically admitting he's a mental case.

Time to ban horror films and violent movies! Hope those Hollywood stars are happy now...how much money did they make on that film?

I often wonder about the impact Hollywood has on the young and gullible. These days there is hardly a movie being made without a car chase or cars flying through the air and flipping over, with the passengers often walking away without a scratch? Shootings and killings are the favorite with carnage everywhere; victims are covered in blood and the heroes’ smiling, ready for another fight.

Everything is so easy and thoughtless. Little wonder people experiment and try to emulate movies. The only problem is that in the “real life” the victims often don’t walk away, death is irreversible!

It is my opinion that violent action movie and game producers have a lot to answer for and a law suit is long overdue!!

wtw, thats the difference.you see it for what it is hollywood bs.you and i know its not real, but mental deffectives in fantasy worlds dont.ive been a horror movie fan since i can remember.seen thousands of them.but i never acted them out in reality because i am not a scumbag.parenting and teaching kids consequenses is the problem.he watched "waterboy" but didnt try to love his "momma" like the charactor in that movie.hes just a peice of crap.

It is my opinion that violent action movie and game producers have a lot to answer for and a law suit is long overdue!!

Give me a break. The movie the kid saw was a remake of the original "Halloween," made in 1978. As far as blaming video games, of the OECD nations, Japan and South Korea have the highest consumption of youth playing violent video games, but the lowest youth crime. Lack of parental discipline and easy access to guns explain teen gun violence in the US.

Since all these hollyweird types want to ban me from being able to defend my family I have a little suggestion to hit them where it hurts too.

Lets have a violence tax on hollyweird movies. Lets say if they make a violent movie the first murder is a freebie.

After that a $100,000 fee is levied for each murder portrayed in the film where a gun is used.

$75,000 if a bomb is used.

$50,000 for all other acts of violent murder are portrayed.

On top of that lets have a gun shot fee impossed on them as well. For each time a gun is fired in a movie there should be a $10,000 tax.

Each time a gun is portrayed in a life threatening measure then they would have to pay a $5,000 tax.

So on and so forth. Of course we really are not going to call this a tax but instead we shall refer to it as a fee.

A key point in this story is this. He STOLE the GUN from his grandfather. Everything else is just a cop out.

Sure, wtw,

He shot his little sister, and then his mom, because of some movies that he watched. That's a load of baloney.

It is his confession, not the NRAs or anyone else. I know it is so hard for some of you to believe that someone might be influenced by a violent movie or a violent video game but it can and has happened. A few years back there was a movie in which a guy sprays a flammable liquid on someone in a ticket booth and then sets them on fire. A few months later that exact same thing was done to an innocent person working a ticket booth at a movie theater.

So face it. Hollyweird teaches people how to kill.

Very few things about this event are clear except that not only did this kid act in a premeditated fashion (yes he did as he states his reasoning through every detail of his confession). What is not mentioned is when he stole the gun from his grandfather, potential evidence of mental health issues or even the extent of his alleged emotional abuse by his sister. It is very easy to seek out a target to blame when such events occur hence the target on the film industry. However the viewing of a film does not kill, just as it is impossible for a gun to kill unless it is wielded under human power. Society doles out accountability to any and all, often forgetting that personal responsibility lies with the individual who commits the act. People of all ages go through life watching horror films, drama's and or documentaries on serial killers without ever even entertaining a single thought of re-enacting what they have viewed. This is a situation of mentally disturbed individual who placed no value on human life and who obviously lacked any real instinctive familial bonds.

Crap! What freedoms will I lose now due to another whack job!?!?!?

WTF!!! Seriously??? Jesus...time to disconnect the freaking internet. I am SICK to DEATH of horror story after horror story in the media.

"Fat lady deprives step-son of water for a week, killing him"

"Young medical student in India, gang raped on a bus including inserting a pipe into her body..dies days later"

"Evil lady lures children and elderly into her home and kidnaps them for months/years to collect their welfare checks. Only fed drugs and noodles, most of them die in custody"

"Man beats the $HI# out of girlfriends dog (yorkshire terrier), dog dies from injuries"

"Homeless person set on fire. For fun"

Almost all of these stories from THIS WEEK alone. Can the world get ANY more disgusting?

Where in the HELL are the GOOD stories? When are we going to demand less of this crap! I cannot stand it any longer. What about the little kid who raises $500,000 for charity? Or the kids who stick up for a bullied peer? Or the mistreated dog put into a loving home?

Quit plastering this evil BS all over the front page media! Why not just get a billboard in time square with America's murder statistics while you're at it.

I know every once in awhile some of those good stories are floating around, but hell, it is few and far between.

Too bad he wasn't influenced by a movie called, "Go Jump Off A Bridge".

Punk....

No Bob..he's not a mental case. He knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and planned it all the way.

He's a cold calculated KILLER is what he is. Nothing more or less.

1.7…1.8...1.11

All fair arguments! The view I presented is too simplistic. Without a doubt, there are other issues at play here like the ones you’ve already mentioned such as parental “neglect” and access to guns, but there’s also family breakdown, his mental health, the frequency of these type of events that our society readily accepts and turns a blind eye to it, the gradual chipping away and break down in law and order, as well as the failure of our education system, peer pressure etc.

Which ever way we look at it one thing is certain, there is something wrong with the core of our apple.

House Of A Thousand Corpses, and The Devils Rejects has to be the best horror movies ever made.

Rockyroad, what freedoms have you lost thus far?

Good old Texas. In a competition with Florida for the state with the most crazy homicidal maniacs.

Violence posed as entertainment influences people.

As I understand it, he didn't say the movie made him do it. He said it "inspired" him. If it wasn't this movie then it would have been something else that triggered him. Mental illness caused this not the movie, and I believe, from what I read, that he isn't blaming the movie for his decisions.

I'd like to know what prescription drugs he was on?

@ Rocky.........Crap! What freedoms will I lose now due to another whack job!?!?!?

I say your freedom doesn't come in sealed package .......whatever we do we have to have considerations for others ,called unselfishness ,if God created you logical ,think of others that aren't .Clearly the guy acknowledges the influence on him...... EVIL and no surprise if he kills himself .Evil it's let loose people.... we never know in who is going to settle in ,could be your highest IQ child ,your soul mate,your coworker .We just have to be aware of it ..... There is no perfection in this world .....God be with you .

@ Rocky, Crap! What freedoms will I lose now due to another whack job!?!?!?

I say your freedom doesn't come in sealed package .......whatever we do we have to have considerations for others ,called unselfishness ,if God created you logical ,think of others that aren't .Clearly the guy acknowledges the influence on him...... EVIL and no surprise if he kills himself .Evil it's let loose people.... we never know in who is going to settle in ,could be your highest IQ child ,your soul mate,your coworker .We just have to be aware of it ..... There is no perfection in this world .....God be with you .

so be considerate of evil people?

Jake Evans had Psychological issues WAY before he viewed any movies or played any games. Bottom line he planned his attacks, waited for an opportunity and carried out his plans. Jake and his lawyer are trying to have someone or something take responsibility for his own actions. Jake needs to be permanently removed from Society and the Gene Pool. Jake and his Lawyer sound just like the Dictator and Chief O'Bama who is STILL blaming others for his total failure as a Leader.

Young people generally don't have a wide experience in life and determine the norm from their limited information. Movies affect them very much weather they be about violence or sex. That is why we have ratings and children can't see sex movies. We don't want them to know about sex, how to kill is ok.

Think of the people of N Korea and how they all love their beloved leader, they don't know anything else.

So many people have seen the movie and NOT hurt anyone after. He wants to shift responsibility in hopes of leniency.

movies influence people just the changes over gay issues and pot are from movie influence, TV shows have changed the world believe it or not and a persons mental state can be altered by TV if not in the right state of mind, how many people do they say suffer mental issues on commercials i seen but whats ever done about it nothing till too late

There are those who will blame the gun the brat STOLE from his grandfather.

There are those who will blame the grandfather for LEAGLLY owning the gun.

There are those who will blame the MURDERED Mom for letting the BRAT watch the movei.

There are those who will blame the movie, mental illness, his age etc-----He KNEW what he was doing was wrong. He admitted he was CURIOUS to see how he'd feel if he KILLED HIS FAMILY.

Now he can be well versed in being Bubba's but buddy in prison.

We have issues with people taking personal responsibility for their actions----NO ONE made him do this it was a PERSONAL CHOICE.

and they say violent movies & video games don't cause people to commit such crimes- hmmmm....

"Oh, the movie made me do it!"

He didn't actually write that. It said he got the idea from watching it. This is nothing really. At root are some serious mental issues. It's not normal thinking to ponder killing your immediate family just for the experience. Anything- a movie, song, picture, etc. could have given him the "idea" but ideas are not actions. We all have dark thoughts and impulses. During our development we learn to suppress these impulses otherwise we would all be like dogs, fighting and humping each other in the street. This kid has serious problems and now his family is dead and his life is ostensibly over.

A series of talks with a psychologist when he was younger might have helped a great deal. All the more reason not to dismiss mental health as unnecessary. Mental health needs our attention. To ignoring it has deadly consequences as we are finding out.

How many kids have wrapped their little imported cars around light poles and guard rails thinking they can drive like Vin Diesel? The original"Fast and Furious"...hell, kids have died trying to emulate pro wrestling maneuvers.

Yes, movies and entertainment do influence behavior; sometimes obviously, sometimes more subtly...

Use the same gun & end him...... he can live both sides of his fantasy

Use the same gun & end him...

He's gonna rot in jail until he dies. He's 17 and barely got to live life yet. Heck, he's probably never been with a girl. I think I'd almost rather die. I just can't imagine having a thought process like his. Poor sister and mom.

This kid, the kid in New Mexico, the kid in Colorado, the kid in Oregon, the kid in Connecticut, etc, etc. What the hell are we doing wrong? I too would like to see some reporting on whether there were any prescription drugs involved. I wonder if big pharm would allow such a thing.

How many kids have wrapped their little imported cars around light poles and guard rails thinking they can drive like Vin Diesel? The original"Fast and Furious"...hell, kids have died trying to emulate pro wrestling maneuvers.

Yes, movies and entertainment do influence behavior; sometimes obviously, sometimes more subtly...

Very true and it's also important to note that influence isn't causation. Each person still controls their own actions in the end. This kid thought it over and made the decision to do this terrible act.

It's a fatal brew...a borderline psychopath....a gun...movies and video games that desensitize the horrors of death and annihilation. If one can't see the connection...one is an idiot or a special interest in denial to support their own greed...and we're not talking a river in Egypt...we're talking murder. It's time someone brought legal actions against the gun companies and the movie industry. Let's argue the facts in court and decide since our politicians only vote for what's in their own special interest.

you can't blame the movie, this kid had an underlying desire to "kill" long before he saw this movie.

i've always felt that you have to be a special kind of distrubed and messed up to dream up and create these kinds of movies, and in some ways I would not be shocked to find out that people who write and produce/film these kinds of movies - like SAW, have an underlying desire to kill people to (and who knows, might already have) - but maybe use the movie making process as a way to flesh out those desires in a safe way.

normal people don't dream up these kinds of horrors. normal people dont WANT to make movies like this.

and I would go a step further and say that normal people dont find these kinds of movies to be "entertaining".

I would actually suggest, that to find these kinds of movies as ENTERTAINMENT - you have to be a special kind of disturbed too. Maybe you have no real desire to kill someone, but clearly...you take enjoyment from watching it played out in a fictional way.

listen, look at it this way - i enjoy comedies and romantic love stories, especially ones with lesbian characters.

guess what, im a lesbian who's kinda funny and definitely romantic. dont you think thats more than coincidence? dont you think our choices of what we find to be "entertainment" say something about us?

so this kid actually took the crazy to the next level, dont act like you're so superior because you like violent and gruesome movies too, but would never kill anyone. that's like saying you like to watch child porn, but you'd never molest a child...doesnt make you significantly more awesome.

Mental case.... Not sure I buy that. I think we are seeing the byproduct of a culture that current society cultivates. It cultivates "bad seeds". The younger generations seem to have lost their soul and conscience. It's like their personalities are copycats of what they see on TV and movies because they don't know how to be themselves.

The younger generations will always be a reflection of the world they grow up in. They are the mirror showing us what we've been doing right...and wrong...for the 10, 15, 20 years prior to that child's birth.

Jeffor, no, he won't. He'll pad around a protected, cushy detention center and go through the motions to make govt. paid psychiatrists feel sorry for him. Then, he'll be released when they determine he was (a) toilet trained too early in life; (b) hormonal; (c) mom: took away his iPod/keys to her car/made him clean his room and study. I, for one, am thrilled he hasn't "been with a girl" and made more broken mini-me monsters - though he most surely will in a few years. Rinse, repeat. Five million American men in prison or on parole ... right now. This 17-year-old violent sociopathic assh*le is just the latest of them. This news cycle. The NM 15-year-old who shot his parents and 3 sibling, then planed to go after his 12-year-old gf's parents, along with all of the local Walmart this week will end up back among us, as well. Good times just keep on rolling, if one is a violent nutbag guy in America.

You're dreaming, littlechanges. He'll be tried as an adult and never see the light of day again.

Bless his little heart, a movie made him do it. I know a way to make sure you will not kill again, wonder how you would feel when a 30.06 his pointed at your head and a bullet takes you out of this world where then you can tell God how this movie made you do it.

With all the comments being collapsed about making Hollywood responsible for their portrayal of violence in movies, one thing is obvious; you lefties don't want anyone to see opinions that you don't agree with. I guess the next ammendment you'll be attacking, after the 2nd, will be the 1st. Reality check time libs...some people are mentally unbalanced, and no matter what you "ban", they are going to find a way to carry out what the voices in their head tells them to do. Stop infringing on others rights to put a bandaid on the problem. Next, you'll want frontal lobotomies for everyone. If children weren't raised in a violent atmosphere (including video games and movies, but also dealing with bullying and family violence), they would have less exposure to the anger and rage that prompts these outbursts.

I really do not think that movies or video games make a person violent. I believe that those who commit crimes and had a history of watching violent movies or playing violent video games did so because they were attracted to the violence-they chose to do so because the movie or game allowed them to live out their own violent fantasies/tendencies (not the other way around, where the games/movies made them violent). Then, when that wasn't enough any more, they went out and the rest is history. Which is not to say that everyone who has ever played a violent game or watched a violent movie is a ticking time bomb-the ones to watch out for would be those who exclusively consume only violent media and seem to be obsessed with it, not those who occasionally watch a horror film.

@Bgosh...

WTF does having to take .7 seconds to reload have anything to do with reducing the amount of violence one person has at wanting to kill as many people as they want... What difference is there if the mentally ill person used one or two magazines?? And WTF is a hi power magazine anyway??

Just goes to prove that teens' brains are not able to fully comprehend potential consequences. This is a conclusion drawn by many expert psychologists because a teen's brain is not fully developed. The same can be said about people with low or extremely high IQs...often leading to mental health issues. For many people a mental health issue goes undiagnosed because they never seek mental health issues. Repressing is more common than people realize. Just as with any health diagnosis, not all treatments are equal for individuals. Everyone reacts differently.

This is no excuse for what anyone does in any capacity regardless of the severity. Mental health is frowned up in society because of the way people stigmatize others. Seeking mental health should be as common as going for an annual health check-up or screening. I find it disturbing that bullying is not listed as a mental health issue...it should be just as timidness in people should be.

For all that may remember sounds like the Twinkie defense.

Ron-975213 - People have been killing for a lot longer than Guns or Movies have been available. What movie was Cain watching when he killed Abel ? Who was the weapons manufacturer ? There will always be killings no matter what. The only really effective thing I can think of to reduce these mass murder sprees is to stop making the perpetrators famous. I'm convinced that fame is their real motivation, they want to go down in history for something, anything. All the media should come to an agreement to always refer to these shooters in a belittling derogatory way. Like the "Dickless Shooter" or "Cowardly gunman" never use their full name never give them fame only shame. And if you show their picture only show it with silly clown makeup on and a finger up their nose. I believe we would see a drop off of these crazy fame seeking shooters if we take away their reward, which is Fame and Recognition. Right now these people are portrayed as Monsters. The Media gives them an aura of Mystery and makes them seem Dangerous. We need to make them look like the Joke that they really are. Nobody wants to be remembered as a joke.

No ...most horrifying and terrible things are yet to happen to him ...when he goes to prison....stupid @!$%#ing kid !!!

How is it we're raising a society of young sociopaths? What are we doing wrong that our parents and grand parents did so much better? Is it the media and our access to so much information? We need to figure this out. I was having this discussion in another thread (obviously arguing about gun control). It's not the gun just like it's not the movie, or the Internet, or the video game etc, etc........ Seriously, with in the last week a Philadelphia teen beat his mother with a hammer and then tried to cremate her using the kitchen oven, allegedly over a video game! A (Las Vegas?) police officer killed his entire family, lit his house on fire, waited on the front porch with a pistol in hand, when the police arrived he backed into his own burning house and took his own life. My WTF meter has been pegged for quite some time now, this is random violence with nothing to gain by the aggressor. This is a very deceptive type of crazy and it's rampant.

What I would like to know about all these killers like this is does or did their family go to church or have any form of religion in their lives. I'm only curious on that because it seems like they don't believe they have anyone to answer to when they are dead. I believe the fear of God stops alot of people that would do these crimes from doing them. Having good morals is all fine and dandy, but I don't think morals stops people from doing these crimes the same way as fear of reprocusions when you die does.

It's obviously true. When we see a movie it might make us cry, laugh or feel inspired. When psychos see movies like Batman, American Gangster and Pulp Fiction they see fantasy role models. There is a reason that guy destroyed his hard drive. Those guns in his house weren't talking to him, something else was. You will never convince me that inner city kids are not trying to emulate what they see in movies and hip hop. That the role model of culture is not the entertainment industry, it tells them how to dress, feel and react.

My son has played video games since pong. He still plays them, and he's 35. He grew up in a household littered with firearms. He's got the DVD of every horror movie ever made. Guess what, he's the kindest, sweetest, most caring soul you would ever come across. He hates violence, and he's in the military! He loves everyone, and he adores kittens. Sorry, all the excuses for bad behavior don't wash.

This kid made up his mind to do something evil, and he did. I can't explain why, I can't wrap my head around it. It makes no sense except this was something he wanted to do. If he's ever let out, I think he'd do it again in a heartbeat. He has no remorse, it's all about him. Psycho/sociopathic behavior will probably be his diagnosis--but that doesn't make him "crazy." Many people can be sociopaths, but that doesn't make them violent. Like I said, I can't wrap my head around it. The cure?--just keep this murderer locked up for all time. Throw away the key.

I can almost guarantee you he would have used the knife, had he not stolen the gun. It's obvious he knew very little about guns in thinking it would provide for a "clean" kill without pain. Since a .22 caliber is so small. Very disturbing. I might add, it appears he was without a contributing father.

This kid is full of $hit. All the stuff I watched in the 70's on network television (the horror miniseries, movies) as a kid and guess what, it didn't turn me into a homicidal maniac. Hell watching The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, the original Wicker Man and Salem Lot fascinated me, but didn't make me do anything I saw in those movies. I don't believe movies or video games are responsible, try not having any sympathy or ability to deal with problems. I love to read horror, but I don't want to go out and do the things I read in books. To me it is entertainment. I also love the Hammer Horror Films and other films like that. I don't care much for the torture porn and movies that are too bloody, but I also watch other movies. But those things do not make you go off and kill folks. He is not mentally ill, he is an idiot.

And if I am correct, doesn't Mike kill folks with knives and machetes and not guns, sooo where did he get the idea to kill them with a gun? And why is it when a white boy kill his family mental illness is thrown out as a possible reason. Try no home training.

Given that most kids who've seen the movie have resisted murdering their families, this has gotta be a cry for help...

I would have to say this closely resembles the case where that 15 year old girl murdered her 9 year old sister's best friend, just to see what it was like to kill someone. I don't know if it is or is not easy access to violent movies and games, but something definitely has desensitized today's young to death and violence. There have always been killings and some with teenagers killing family members, but they used to be out of anger or even for money.

Reminds me of the kid that says he did it because he was bullied at school. He said he kept thinking of all the times his sister had hurt him. He already had the implanted thought and related it to the kid in the movie.

Too bad this boy's mind is lost forever. He couldn't differentiate between fiction and non-fiction like those mass, senseless shootings. Let him rotten in jail for his deed. Let him remorse till his brain dried up. There's a bad apple in every tree. We have a big job ahead, colonize the moon and Mars. Maybe then we know enough to find a way how to fix human brain. 19.5 degrees

Execute him. He is worthless to society, his family, and himself.

When I was in school we did an exsperiment, we took two 10 gallon aquariums and in each placed 5 mice. We gave the mice all the food and water they wanted but in one we kept the population at 5 in the other we allowed the population to grow unchecked. When the unchecked aquarium reached 15 mice or so a change began in which the mice began killing each other and fighting. In part these behaviors that have occured lately may be the result of over population and instinctive controls which deal with it. But I think even more so is the break down of basic family values and community accepted and exspected behavior. Believe what you will concerning God being real or not but the bible is an excellent book for teaching good sound behavior and moral decision making which allows all of us to function together. Those basic exspectations of how a person is supposed to act in the community among others has been taken away on so many levels. The process now is to teach a young person to act on impulse and not to judge others. Usually the first words out of a kids mouth when you speak to them about their actions is,"don't judge me". This has to change, passing on judgement and exspectation of others is important in raiseing kids to understand how they are supposed to act with others in their community.

Japan and South Korea have the highest consumption of youth playing violent video games, but the lowest youth crime.

Thank you, Alkhidr. I keep telling these boneheads who want to blame films and video games the same thing, but they're too dense. Many parts of the world watch the same bloody films and play the same violent video games, yet have no where near the same amount of violence (especially GUN) that the US has.

Liberals are quick to throw out their anti-gun agenda and just as quick to protect their darlings in the media and entertainment industry.

val, im just like you.i love horror.been watching them since i could climb out of my crib to sneek downstairs and watch HBO in the middle of the night.ive been fascinated by the darker possibilities of life.i cant explain it thats just me.but through all the monsters,gouls,ghosts,giant creatures,mad animals,evil cars,slashers,killers,maniacs,zombies,cults,witchcraft,and all the rest,i still know the difference between right and wrong.and this kid is just a stupid fool who only worried about himself.he deserves to be riding a bike on the streets of utah in 1977.

Bob1/28 is spot on.

The first things you are trained in ANY firearms education I've ever recieved, be it scouts, or otherwise.

Rule #1 Secure your weapons safely when traveling and at home.

Rule #2 Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded, even if you feel absolutely certain it isn't.

It is repeated violation of these two rules that leads to many absolutely preventable accidents between accidentally shooting friends or self because "it wasn't loaded" and children getting their parents' and grand parents' guns.

Granted I think this particular kid has other major issues, but there's a reason you put child proofing on the knife drawer in the kitchen and the potentially poisonous cleaning agents. Leaving a gun and ammo easily accessable is equally stupid if not moreso.

My 2.3 yr old sometimes likes to run around thinking he's a space ranger with a laser gun, he has a little foam disc handgun he's pretty accurate with. I would be running for cover if I saw him holding what even remotely looked like a real gun as I find it highly unlikely he could currently reason or differentiate the consequences but I'm quite certain he is capable of pulling a trigger.

Humans, loosely speaking averages, don't fully develope their brains in terms of considering long term consequences until they get to be up to and around 25. There's a reason why your insurance takes a dip at that point and statistics back it up. You start to think ahead a bit more which tends to make you more cautious.

Regarless, we will find people do increadibly stupid things that we simply do not anticipate at all ages. We can only hope we and our loved ones are not the perpetrators and not caught in the collateral.

At the minimum though, locking up your weapons at home should be a no brainer. The argument of "what if I need it right away?!" doesn't hold water; get yourself a biometric or keypad safe. They are extremely quick and easy to operate (particularly biometric) and lets you store a gun/s wherever you desire safely if you're that worried about quick access upon intrusion of your property.

You can get them for under $200 now, which is a pittance of an investment to help insure children at your house only play with toy guns.

Having said that...a clearly implemented security system etc. often goes a long way to preventing a break-in from happening in the first place. Just because we can't prevent everything, doesn't mean we shouldn't make easy efforts.

wtw of KC...So I wonder....Did violent movies have any effects on people say, oh in the 60's? Did people rush to become Communists, Spies, in the 50's? Everything is just an excuse to do something and you have been completely snowed by the media and believe all that crap. While movies are an entertainment outlet for most of the world, for those like YOU it can be a reason to commit some pretty disgusting things....

That being said *I* was influenced by movies when I was a teen..It was called porn..And it made me think even *I* had a chance at the hot girl with big boobies....That and a few new positions.....

BGosh,

Only ten rounds in a magazine, ok so I carry ten magazines and carry on... You are a fool!!!

Pistol Instructor,

Kids being raised by daycares, baby sitters, people other then parents, not being able to discipline your child without fear of government intervention, etc., etc.... What we need is Criminal Control, you know when people get put in jail they have to work... Bring back Chain Gangs, make Little Rocks out of Big One's, Make a Year in Jail or Prison a Year, no 'Good Time', Make a Life Sentence a Life Sentence, no 'Parole' in 15 to 20 years, And a Death Sentence should be carried out in 24 to 26 months, not years... That is Long enough for an appeal!

@ Profreedom

and they say violent movies & video games don't cause people to commit such crimes- hmmmm....

That has to be it. I know all that rape and pillage during the crusades or any other medival conflict was all because of violent movies. I distinctly remember reading how Jack the ripper from england was influenced by his violent video games to murder all them women.

GET OVER IT. There has always been @!$%#ed up people in this world.

Well, one thing, I hope this kid enjoys living in prison. He had a nice home living with his family. Now Bubba will be his family. Have fun as Bubba's wife, Jake!

I've said this over and over, but people seem to be in denial. Violence in movies, in video games, in television.

Children learn what they live. If they are left to play and watch violence, they LEARN VIOLENCE.

How many of you swear children who watch their parents fight when they are growing up, learn it as a way of how real life is? If they hear you curse, don't they curse too?
Why do you think this would be any different? They play and watch violence every single day of their lives. Of COURSE it's going to "influence" them. The number of murders by these children, even gruesome ones is astounding, and don't just come out of the air. They are SEEING it everywhere they are.

It's time for Americans to WAKE UP and start taking CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN again. Teach right from wrong. They look up to you for guidance and so many parents are FAILING these kids by trying to make them their friend. They are NOT your friends. They are your CHILDREN. Learn to say NO! Use discipline and stop petting these kids. It's not that hard and it just might save a life. Maybe even YOURS!

@ Pistol Instructor: parents are no longer taking their kids out behind the wood shed and spanking them when they actually need it. That's one thing I think we as a society are doing wrong. Spare the rod type of thing. I'm not saying beat your kids, but there many kids getting away with backtalking their parents, being defiant, lying and getting away with it all. Why shouldn't they feel so entitled? It's time to take back parenting.

R. Battle, thank you. I don't understand how folks think that movies/video games are to blame. Now as for the video games that are blamed, I don't like to play them because I feel they are stupid and I don't want to use a keyboard or a mouse to play them. Also I think it's a waste of time, and too time consuming. That is my opinion. I have a female cousin who loves to play WOW, I don't get it, but if she likes it, good for her.

Solymar, good for you. You are interacting with your kid which is what you should do. There is nothing wrong with that. One thing, I don't believe that brain doesn't form until 25 thing. The idiot should know the difference between right and wrong. I have no sympathy for him. If he doesn't know what is right and wrong, then he deserves death. Also, I don't care how much his sister picked on him, get her back, hit her back or make her cry with mean words. Don't kill her. Hell there were times when I just wanted to beat the crap out of my fifth older sister because she picked on me (I have five older sisters and one older brother) but she was too big. But I tried and when that didn't work, I ran to my mom and told on her -- I am the baby.

I've noticed that a lot of parents simply don't interact with their kids and then wonder why their kids don't want to be bothered with them. They have then and then expect them to raise themselves and only had them because society said to have them. I know several people like that. I do believe it is a lack of that. CBurroughs I want to disagree wtih you about what you said. Not all kids being raised by daycares, babysitters, etc. is the reason why we are screwed up. Not everyone can stay home with their kids. I had a babysitter while both my parents worked before I went to school. A lot of folks do. I didn't turn out screwed up. Plus, I know folks who stayed home with their mother and they are either screwed up, able to function or don't want to be bothered. Plus I call bull$@!$%# on that the government won't let you discipline your kid. Folks I know do discipline their kids. By the way, I totally believe in corporal punishment. It was in my schools when I went. But back to the topic at hand, I hope this boy gets the death penalty. And as Resol stated, there has always been @!$%#ed up people in this world. It's true. So anyone want to explain what influenced Jack the Ripper to kill those women if it wasn't violent movies or video games?

The kid is a nut case. It wasnt a movie or a gun that caused him to do this......nope, it is the fact that he is out of his f'ing mind. Maybe if the progressives would stop with their PC nonsense we could point these types of nut jobs out without having to worry about hurting the poor little angels feelings.

Wouldn't I be proud if I was involved with that movie!!! Good job, everyone.

I have said since the early 1980's that hack flicks incite violence. You slow learning apologists go ahead and keep trying to figure it out. Meanwhile, be sure to leave lots of guns around your houses, and let your kids watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre at least once a week to disprove my contention. Thanks, and maybe see you before you are killed in your sleep.

Jessica,

You are dramatically oversimplifying an average person's thoughts. But to go along a similar path, if there was a train wreck occuring and you had 10 people standing a safe distance away but with a clear view. What do you feel the odds are that any of them would look away?

If you answered "not very likely" you'd be correct. Why does bad news sell better than good news? Because people instinctively worry about everything. And hearing stories about bad things that happened and why makes them feel that they can better anticipate bad things in their own life and consider how they'd deal with those situations. Are some of them so one-off that any possible "practical knowledge" they'd gain learning about it will pretty much never come to fruition? Yup. But people can't help themselves, they are almost always curious how something bad occured.

While I'll be the first to say I'd rather see media focused on good things happening, I'm not much better than the average bear considering that I'm here, reading this article, wanting to know how it happened, because I'm always worried about something bad happening to my wife and kids and will be till the day I die.

As to horror movies and people's general fascination with it, it's along a similar vien with an added twist. People generally want to try to find reason or explanation for completely messed up scenarios. Horror movies often (though not always) give some kind of explanation (though it may be equally ridiculous). But the other thing horror movies do is challenge people to be able to handle fear from various sources. Not unlike people challenging each other to eat the spiciest chicken wing or go on the biggest rollercoaster.

Yes that makes it somewhat juvenile in nature, but if you think about it, most things that people consider fun are juvenile and often violent including sports, car racing, and reading fantasy books.

But saying that your average person's motivation is to help reduce thier desire to do horrific things themselves I'd say you're sorely mistaken. Call me nuts, but I just don't think people re-telling the story of the headless horseman are sating thier urge to find people riding horses and chop off their heads... I would say we have a long standing fascination with ridiculous and unexplainable things and make stories out of them.

I remember when me and my sister were teens, and watched Halloween, how we really had the urge to kill everyone around us... Oh wait, no we didn't. Because we weren't mentally unstable.

Not that I believe this story for a second. Sounds like the latest is criminal defense cases. Blame a movie or video game.

What a bunch of nuts here...seriously? If we banned the guns he'd use a knife. If we banned knives he'd use a ball bat. If we ban that he's use a pillow to smother them to death in their sleep. Drugs are illegal and banned but people still use, sell, and overdose on them. He saw all the hype about guns right now, was pissed off at his mom over something stupid like letting his sister do more than him or something, had watched a movie before and said oh they won't do anything to me if i use a gun and blame a movie. I'll get away with it. Banning movies and games is the most stupid thing I've ever heard. Normal people who aren't spoiled brats like this kid understand the difference between a movie and real life. If people want to kill someone they will no matter what we try to do or ban. There was rape, murder, suicide, theft, forgery, all of that before movies were even made people! Years ago when people only had radios instead of tv crime was still in the world. I do believe that people like this brat aren't afraid of prison or punishment anymore. They do need to bring back disgusting food, chain gangs, work for prisoners not just making license plates, and do away with good behavior or time served. I believe murders need to get the death penalty no matter what. People have seen that if you have a good enough excuse the system may let you off with it or with little punishment. While I don't think anything we do will ever stop all crimes like this I believe theres ways we could slow it down a lot by putting fear into people and letting them know that no matter what BS excuse they come up with like a movie made me do it, a video game made me do it, my voices told me to so I am crazy that they are not getting away with it or getting an easy punishment for it.

I would agree that a lot of the problems we are seeing with today's youth has to do with the level of parental involvement and guidance. A lot of parents don't look at the ratings on things like movies and video games to get an idea if that item is appropriate for the age/maturity of their child(ren). Whenever someone is home with their children (whether during the day, or in the evening after work/school/child care), do they interact with their kids, or do they largely leave them alone to their own devices? If there's a problem at school (or home or in some other situation), does the parent address it or just ignore it? If there are rules, are they enforced, or do the kids just get to do whatever they want with no consequences? These are the issues that I think have given rise to a lot of the problems we are seeing as a society.

@FamousAmos:

See happynews dot com

I don't understand how in our so-called modern society, we seem to have so little willpower of our own.

It's called the nanny state.

Conway Twitter...My parents fought...My Dad beat the crap out of us..I had a choice when I got older to act that way, or learn from it. I learned from it and although my wife and I argue we NEVER get out of hand and I have NEVER hit my children. And my daughter is one of the most well behaved little girls. All of my sisters are the same as I am. It is people like you that allow others to use excuses for committing murders and rapes and shootings by feeding into the blame others mantra...Do you believe in personal responsibility??

I've heard that Feinstein is rushing to add this deadly high powered 22 caliber assault revolver to her list of banned guns.

Starderup,

Yeah lets blame the movies instead of the little sh-t that actually killed the people. Did it cross your mind that maybe this kid is a nut job?

@B.Gosh... I am not sure about the logic in your argument that 'high capacity magazines' ALLOW killers to kill many. Sure, they allow someone to have more bullets in a gun at one time. But what difference does this make? Ban the high capacity magazines. Then the person simply has to contend with having multiple 10 round magazines on their person, which take only a few seconds to discard and change out.

I am no gun owner, nor have I ever been. But your argument just isn't sound.

On another note, Horror Films and Violent Films in general are some of the most watched, highest grossing films released, and have been since the early age of Hollywood. Once again, I see so many reactionary people with little ability to reason throwing out rediculous calls to arms. "Ban the Movies!" "Tax the Movies"! Art of any kind reflects culture and fantasy. This includes liturature as well as film and recording arts. Hell, violent liturature dates back to the begining of the written word. I would certainly understand your outcry if there was an epidemic, but it seems to me you are looking for a scapegoat for a small selection of individuals that lost their grip on reality. Frankly, when compared to the amount of just Americans who have seen this particular film, this one incident by one individual accounts for a minute fraction of 1%. Show me a rash of violence among the initial viewers of this film and I will open my ears up. But for now, your arguments are void. I would say the answer goes back to upbringing. It goes back to parents facing the facts when they have a child that shows signs of mental illness and stop lying to themselves that "My Kid is Normal". If you have a kid that can't handle watching films due to an inability to separate fantasy from reality, you need to both take away the entertainment and seek professional help for your child.

This kid is just using the same excuse as our government did for the the murders in Benghazzi. Government blamed a U-tube video and sucks all the libs in and like sheep they defend Obamas/Clintons lame excuse. This kid blames a movie and no one believes him nor should they. How many murders/protests have taken place since the release of the movie "Zero Dark Thirty"? According to our government the terrorists must spend more time watching U-tube videos then public released movies which everyone can see. This kid and the government have something in common, they both are terrible LIARS. Only one of the two will pay for their lies. Ironic how that works.

Vahalla,

I am not trying to make an excuse for the kid based on his age. Just making a statement that, on average, people below 25 are progressively less cautious generally get worse and worse at thinking ahead. AKA the grandparents in this scenario should know better than to have guns readily accessable to other people, particularly when they know that kids will be visiting their house.

And I very much am with you on my generation and the one below us doing everything they can to not actually be parents. They don't interact with their kids, don't discapline them, and blame anyone and everyone else for thier kids short comings. If you are not interested in playing with and raising your own children, or know you are not in a situation where you can do a good job supporting them, you shouldn't have kids. Period.

I am a HUGE fan of putting criminals to work. I do not, for the life of me, understand how it is possible, that we continue to design prisons which are not run in a manner that gets them close to paying for themselves. You don't work, you don't eat. How hard is that to figure out? Someone doesn't want to work and starves, that is litterally their choice. It's no different in the real world.

@Wet Willy - Don't under estimate the .22, both the Mossad and U.S. Navy SEAL teams use .22 pistols for silent killing.

They always portray responsible gun owners as crazy stupid rednecks who can't be trusted......yet all these killings are done by young wealthy upscale freaks who can't handle anything negative in their lives.

President Obama and his Administration have to do something SERIOUSLY about Hollywood. The banning of all movies, theaters and any equipment that lead to violence must be passed by immediately!! The Government needs to punish these violence pushing corporations who are infecting the children of the Untied States. If nothing is done to stop these lovers of death by next week than it is obvious that this administration is in cahoot with the Hollywood death machine.

At least we get to see that he was not mentally stable and the movie isn't to blame. That just gave him a little push. This all started when he stole his grandfathers gun, not when he watched the movie. He apparently wanted the gun for a reason and found a way to get one.

We can't ban guns and movies we can only place blame. If someone wants a gun they will acquire a gun and we aren't going to destroy every movie ever made. What needs attention is the parenting. How I long for the old days when one parent stayed home and was a constant presence in their kids lives. Latchkey doesn't work. If you are going to get married with the intention of starting a family then you should also have the motivation and ability to raise that family instead of just that initial thrill of, we're having a baby. It's like people who love puppies but not dogs. Puppies grow into dogs and babies grow into kids. Movies and TV are raising kids these days because a lot of adults are pathetically selfish and consider their kids more of a burden than a part of their lives. Once they remove them from their breast they should be self sufficient is what I have seen far too many times.

A baby is an eighteen year commitment and the shortest period is when they are babies. They are kids for a lot more years. Parents don't spend enough time with their kids to recognize an issue anymore. Kids get advice from friends who only get their side of the story. They move from Nickelodeon as their babysitter to HBO yet we still place blame with one specific issue. It was movies, it was video games it was guns.................IMO if you truly want to blame something blame the entertainment industry and media as a whole and here's why.....they have taken advantage of the situation I just laid out in my comment. They know as well as I do how much parents are involved in a lot of kids lives and they are taking advantage of it. They don't police themselves they say that is the parents responsibility but they know the parents aren't taking on that responsibility so they keep pushing the limits waiting for the FCC to finally step in again which appears will never happen.

Used to be a time when certain programming could only be broadcast late in the evening because your kids should be in bed. Now you can find anything at any time whether on cable, on radio or on the Internet. TV's, radios, iPods, tablets, Smartphones......access anywhere anytime to a plethora of material that even the strictest parents can't completely stop a child from seeing. Instead of trying to see an image of a soft porn movie through the snow on the TV you just have to Google it from any device that is connected. And because all these media outlets want to track everything that every one of us do every single day there is no way to completely shut this off so your kids can never see it. Besides, when it comes to being connected the kids know much more than the parents which shows how much the hierarchy needs to be restored.

Think about it.

reading these comments and seeing that some people can not express themselves with out using profanity shows how our movie and entertainment actually effects people.

Growing up watching good wholesome shows like Leave It To Beaver, Ozzie & Harriet, The Donna Reed Show. They did not have sex and violence in them. They helped reinforce good morals.

Then came Howard Stern using profanity on the air, but he got to say it was his 1st constitutional amendment of Freedom of speech. That is not freedom of speech. What about my freedom of not having to hear it.

What we are doing here in expressing our comments is freedom of speech. Being able to publicly speak out against our elected officials (The Americans favorite past time). This is freedom of speech.

The Movies show women being raped, and selling their bodies degrades women. But it sells the tickets and makes money for Hollywood.

Oh yeah and the assault rifle's hmmm.. Look back to the late 70's The gangs had Mack 10 machine pistols that were fully automatic, they had Uzis which were fully automatic. These were and are non legal weapons. Weapons that John Q. Public could not get a hold of but the criminals could.

So how is Mr. Law abiding John Q. Public going to be able to protect himself and his family against gangs, that do not obey the law and that have fully automatic weapons, assault rifles with large capacity magazines. Were only taking the guns, ammunition, and large capacity magazines away from the good guy and now we are going to be victimized even more.

Fascisthunter brought up a subject I'd like to elaborate on. Psychopathic killers. Is it any wonder? Florida, a state firmly republican controlled, is either dead last or second in funding for mental health care. You can talk about democratic failings all you want, but the truth is the truth. Mental health is a problem in all states, but at least some try to address the problem. You'd think that a Governor with a background in health care would at least recognize this problem.

Kinda scary...

But this is what happens. Bad Thoughts => Bad actions. If you think about doing something enough, you will do it. End of story.

Now the movie put the thought in the kids head, but he kept thinking about it. That's his fault. Not the movie. In the end, what he did wasn't even reflected on the movie screen. He did something else.

But that's really scary.

valhallaarwen,

Well you missed the point, maybe I should of explained better... To many parents were/are in such a hurry to be parents but, then they really are in such a hurry to get back to work after the birth, and then really take no interest or little interest in the child during formative years. I know most families have both parents working, but so many just don't get involved with the kids... As far as the Government getting involved, this includes the school, try whipping your child and leave a bruise on them, the child is mad at you and tells the teacher you hit them... You will get DHS on your Butt, believe me, I know of cases where it has happened...

There is a lot in our world that is wrong and causing these things. Were to start.

First it should always start with the parents. When you make the decision to have children, you as a parent are responsible for that child. A lot of parents now a days don't want to take the time to really parent their kids anymore. They park them in front of the TV and video games to keep the occupied. We as parents have to make good choices when it comes to our kids. They are no ones responsibilities but our own.

Even though my 16 yr old wanted to watch violent movies I would not let her. We as parent don't even watch them or own them. And I would not have them in my house. Did she argue with me about it? You bet! But I stood my ground. Then it was she wanted to play the game that all her friends were playing. I think it was black Opps or one of those military shoot em up games. I went to one of our friends house that had the game and saw what it was. Came home and told her "Heck, No"!! Did she argue? You bet. But I did not change my mind. We can not be our children's friend, we have to be their parents first and foremost.

We have to teach our children about God. The Bible teaches that there is repercussions for our actions. It teaches us about loving one another. We have been trying so hard to remove God and values from our society and that we can do anything that we want and we do not have to be responsible for our actions and it is ok to blame everyone else for what we do. No one is responsible for us and our actions but us the individual.

Even if you do not believe in God. It is good to teach cause and effect. That for every action is a reaction and repercussions of that said action. Let's stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for our actions.

We have been lead down a slippery slope with the Pharmaceutical companies. They want us to take a pill for every aliment. All the while these drugs are put untold amounts of chemicals that are so bad for our bodies. Just listen to all the side effects of these meds. Most has a clause that it may cause suicidal thoughts and tendencys. Really??? A sleeping pill will cause suicidal thoughts and tendencys? No thanks. We are making the Big Phara companies rich all the while slowly killing our bodies. Most of these meds don't cure your aliment, they treat the symptoms. So they want you on the drugs for life. And the Government is ok with this and lets them get away with. Are you starting to get the picture. How many of these killers were on Meds? That is what we should be asking. Are these drugs really helping us?

Also, lets look at all the chemicals in our food. High fructose corn syrup and other chemicals are in all our foods. It is corn(Genetically Modified, also bad for you) broken down molecularly (sp?) and then synthesized to make a cheap sugar. Our bodies can not break it down and process it the way we do real sugar. So our bodies store it as fat. hence, the dramatically rise in obesity in our country. Europe has already caught on to this and has outlawed GMO's and High fructose corn syrup. All these chemicals are affecting the rest of our bodies in other ways, including our brains. Then you just have people that just over eat.

There will always be guns. There will always be movies. There will always be food. We just have to take responsibility for our selves and make better choices. Be informed! Be diligent with our kids in what they do and watch. These are young very impressionable children. What they learn from us adults and parents are going to shape them when they get older. We have to come together and demand better for ourselves and our children.

We as America can change things. We have to come together and stop letting others divide us. We are Americans and as such we should demand our Government and our companies do better. Or we will vote them out of office and or will not buy their products. It is time to take a stand for what is right in this country!!

If you don't do it for yourself, Do it for the Children!!!

I pray for America and our President and Government every day, that they make the right and good decisions. No mater what side of the aisle we are on, we are ALL AMERICANS!!! God Bless. (Sorry so long)

Comments collapsed by community, why?

Time to ban horror films and violent movies! Hope those Hollywood stars are happy now...how much money did they make on that film?

almost as bad an excuse as "the high capacity magazine is to blame"...

I go back and forth on this issue but since I have no love for guns I can't help but conclude that my desire to have guns vanquished from the planet is not only biased, but completely unrealistic. Still - based on this retelling of events, it is very evident - had this disturbed young man been put into a postion where he would have had to use a knife - it is VERY likely that these two women would still be alive. You can go on and on about movies, music, society, ethics, morals, blah blah blah. But in the end, the gun just makes it a helluva a lot easier to carry out a destructive impulse. You can tell me how YOU'RE a responsible gun owner and how even common sense type initiatives like taking military-style weapons off the market is limiting YOUR freedoms, but what the hell happens when you find your wife cheating on you? Or you lose your job? Or any other myriad reasons for committing some sort of crime of passion? How much more dangerous do you become with a gun in your hand? At that point, your freedoms are not being violated - instead, everyone's freedoms around you are at serious risk. As a society we need to understand that the government (and not the NRA) are a group of people we elected to office and represent the majority - whether or you agree or disagree. And in this case, they are not taking the radical step of limiting people's rights - instead, they are imposing initiatives that the rest of us support. We can work on the "why", but in the meantime it is time to impose tougher regulations on the "how". It happens in every other aspect of society - such a potentially dangerous tool should certainly not be the exception.

@Jessica-1170252

"so this kid actually took the crazy to the next level, dont act like you're so superior because you like violent and gruesome movies too, but would never kill anyone. that's like saying you like to watch child porn, but you'd never molest a child...doesnt make you significantly more awesome."

Congratulations. That is one of the dumbest comments I've heard in a long time.

CBurroughs

cburroughts, no I don't think that I missed the point, but I don't blame those who need to work and put their kids in nursery. Maybe I should clarify a few things. I think I stated I had a babysitter, who was a widowed woman in the neighborhood. That is how she made money watching kids. It was me and her granddaughter. It is true that too many people are in a hurry to be parents, but once the child grows up (non-baby, no longer cute) they don't want to be bothered. Yes, I know that the government tries to enforce the no hit your kid, but then they (the government) don't understand why your kids are so damn bad and get in trouble. My sisters disciplined their kids, and their kids discipline their kids. Of course, they have taught their kids right from wrong. That is the difference. You have to be there for your kids.

Solymar, I am just sick of folks throwing out that issue, and that is why what I wrote I wrote. No offense to you, but this kid did it, he should take responsibility.

If we banned the guns he'd use a knife. If we banned knives he'd use a ball bat. If we ban that he's use a pillow to smother them to death in their sleep.

This case is a perfect example of why the above quote is nonsense and no longer holds up. As the kid said himself.....

I thought to myself that if I were to kill my mom and Mallory, I wouldn't want them to feel anything, so I decided to kill them both with the .22 revolver I stole from my Grandpa,

Based on this kid's own words, I think it's safe to say that if he hadn't had a gun, he wouldn't have committed the murder. The gun facilitated that "extension" he wanted.

He wasn't about to kill his mom/sister with a knife, bat, or smother them with a pillow. It was the GUN that gave him the EASY WAY TO KILL.

I am liberal and love my gun. I am not now nor will I ever call for a ban of guns. That said, I do wish people would understand what this boy is trying to tell everyone:

GUNS don't kill people, they just make the decision to kill someone MUCH EASIER. Guns facilitate a MUCH easier and cleaner kill than a knife or baseball bat. A boy like this one, who admitted he could not commit a murder with a baseball bat or knife, was easily able to re-consider his options once dumb ole Grandpa left his gun unsecured.

While it's true that guns don't kill people, it's FALSE that those who kill with a gun would just as soon turn to a "pillow" for smothering, or a baseball bat for bludgeoning. WRONG. Listen to this kid... he's trying to us all something important.

Ultimately, it was the availability of the gun that caused this tragedy. The kid admitted he wouldn't have done it unless he could do it quick and easy with a gun. While the kid is ultimately responsible for this act, grandpa shares some blame too.

So long kid, we'll never see you again.

This is a perplexing story, from an analytical viewpoint. He's obvsiously very disturbed, and I'd be interested in how they diagnose him--or if they find nothing of mental illness in him.

There had to be signs that he was unstable, IMO.

Harold, I think it's fair to say the gun made it easier for him, but I don't think the absence of a gun would have prevented this crime. Because, he said in effect that he wanted to be humane about killing his mom and sister, and that he thought using a gun would be less painful than stabbing. (He was mistaken nonetheless.)

His logic is so flawed that we can't really use his decisions as a case for or against gun control.

valhallaarwen,

You keep talking about you and your family, and that is great... I'm talking about peoples as a whole, in my line of work it was frequently seen... Now Retired 16 years... Out of here!

Guess we have to start banning horror films now too.

Jim-Ohioan

Execute him. He is worthless to society, his family, and himself.

#1.74 - Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:23 AM EST

What family?!

God, I love the hypocrisy of the Left. This is just too funny.

Oh, no, no, no, Hollywood (full of all those great, wonderful and compassionate people and actors would never do anything to hurt anyone) is not at fault here. No, No, No, movies have no influence on people. Then why do they make movies "to raise awareness" of 'Social Issues'? No, no, no, it is those evil guns that make people like this, we must ban or restrict access to guns. We must not ban or restrict access to movies, TV or video games. Millions of people watch these movies and play games and don't kill people, it is not Hollywood's fault. They are the purveyors of the 'Truth'. (And millions of people use guns everyday and don't kill people)

Hell yes movies effect people. Are you stupid? It is subtle and it is subliminal, but it is there. Will a single movie make someone "Do this thing?", No. But a constant diet of the the stuff can. If it is accompanied by a lack of parenting, or mental deficiency. And the constant drivel on TV today...glamorizing or 'Normalizing' single moms, homosexuals, and other deviant behavior.

And just where was Dad in all this?

Has anyone else noticed the number of times and the number of movies made (e.g. An American President, Evan Almighty) in which the antagonist is a Republican/Conservative or other liberal stereotypical "Evil Person" i.e. CEO/Conglomerate, redneck, etc. It is called PROPAGANDA. And Hollywood spews it forth in a way that would make Goebbels jealous.

And the best part is, How does Hollywood solve its problems? with guns and bombs. How do they say we "untrained" masses should solve our problems? call the cops. (Google Warren v. District of Columbia)

Up until 1934, any one in the US could order and have shipped through the USPS, a fully automatic sub-machine(Tommy Gun) or even a BAR(both were heavily used during WWII). Where were all the spree shootings then(other than criminal gangland)? It was not uncommon to walk into a hardware store and buy a case of dynamite to remove tree stumps. If easy access to deadly weapons is the measure of a deadly society, why were things like the "Bath School Disaster" not regular occurrences?

NO, the only thing that has changed in the last 80 or so years is the Secular Progressive agenda has wove its tentacles into society. Family is irrelevant. Dads are irrelevant. Without the Father, the mothers too becomes irrelevant as they are busy earn a living, instead caring for their young. This is left to the daycare and schools. Males, especially white males, are irrelevant or even 'need' to be marginalized. Morals and Personal Responsibility are irrelevant. History is irrelevant.

My point is, since the 60's and the Progressive march toward hedonism in this country, with the rise of the welfare state, and easy divorce, discipline in this country is gone. No longer are men being raised by fathers. And how do you become a real Man, if you don't have one to show you the way? Granted it isn't always successful, but it is more successful than the alternative.

They call that "Cranial Rectalitis" or "Cranial Rectitis"

*Cranial Rectitis: 1. n. A condition noted by behaving in such a puerile, obnoxious, and moronic manner as to have one's head up his or her ass. Note that things are dark and smelly for someone with this condition.
2. When someone is severely afflicted to the point that his or her shoulders are two-blocked against the buttocks, this is known as "perpendicular cranial rectitis."

The sad thing is, it is contagious among liberals. When conservatives are exposed to it, it can cause "Optical Rectosis" or "Optical Rectalitis" which gives us a shi++y outlook. *The symptoms are everywhere - too much government, failed corporations, discredited government officials and executives, corporate bailouts, public dishonesty, abuse of power, superficial strategies, and failed initiatives.

*courtesy of the Urban Dictionary

"The intelligence of a people is inversely proportional to the size of city and the length of time spent there in". Robert Reedy 1980

“To paraphrase Chairman Mao: Freedom and Oppression are dispensed from the END of a gun. Which END are you on?” Robert Reedy 2008

IMHO, I think all the negative, violent, and adverse movies, video games, TV shows, and images the children are exposed to these day, in fact, affects them more than society wants to acknowledge. As an adult with a fully developed brain and psyche, I do not have any impulses to harm or in any way violently hurt someone "to see how it feels" or for any other reason. Of course, when I was young, in addition to the fact that there wasn't the sheer volume of both graphic and implied violence in every media imaginable as there is now, as children we were allowed very little TV and movie time and the content was strictly monitored.

Today kids are bombarded with incredibly graphic images and themes while their brains and emotional selves are still growing and forming. Instead of positive, kind, and inspirational messages at this delicate and trying time, it appears our young people are exposed to vast amounts of negative, harmful messages which, in turn, are the prime influences during their formative years. This is not to say that children should be raised in a vacuum and led to believe that there is no harm in the world. But, I do believe that, yes, some movies, shows and games are entirely unsuitable for the young (read this included teenagers) because they are not yet equipped to truly understand the difference and finality between the real and the unreal.

While I am not advocating censorship of these media for adults, I firmly believe the exposure of children should be strictly supervised and limited. Parents must take an active and interested role in raising their children, in directing the children's attention towards healthly, character building activities, and stop allowing the media to influence and babysit their children. Today, not all, but far too many parents, for whatever reason- tired from work, drunk, high, etc., don't want to be bothered and shirk the duty and responsibility of raising the children they brought into this world. Most children just want to spend time with their parents and want to know they are truly loved.

There is no one solution to the problem and violence will always be with us. But, as parents, it sure as heck will stop a lot from ever happening.

Holy crap.... 119 responses to R Battles blog of a (period)

After reading this young man's "confession", several observations can/should be made. There is no doubt that a portion of our young male population is desensitized to violence, has poor impulse control, may or does suffer from mental illness ( under or, untreated) lacks healthy intimate relationships of all types especially with the women in his life he should feel closest to, craves widespread attention from our "look at me" society, but has no real inherent skills to cultivate so they can achieve success and earn said attention, fundamentally confuses the difference between fame and notoriety, but "knows" that they will receive that notoriety from the national media if they follow through on their heinous impulses....One, all, or a combination of these factors, leads to these socio or psychopaths to commit these brutal acts, with seemingly little if any remorse, care or regard for the consequences, to themselves or, society.

Famousamos 1.17; That is because folks would rather read about murder and mayhem then a story about how little socks the puppy found his way home.

We do, of course, all realize that these problems have been around since the dawn of time, don't we? I mean, one of the oldest laws on the books is Thou Shalt Not Kill. It's certainly not because we are a peaceful species by nature. Movies and Guns don't make people kill, because people have been killing each other since long before there were movies or guns.

I think the reason why cases like this seem more prominent these days is, 1. the level of population (with seven billion of us on the planet, a one in a billion idea will occur to seven people at the same time), and 2. proliferation of media in our daily lives means we hear about everything almost instantaneously (especially when media is gearing up a cause, like gun control, so they report on all gun crimes except those in places like Chicago and DC--it's manipulation, but I digress).

The vast majority of us will never kill anyone.

Is there an argument to be made that the destruction or our moral foundations have degraded our individual humanity to the point that some people just don't care what they do or even lack the ability to see past the anger or greed or desire to a fundamental need to do right these days? Perhaps. If we're each in it alone, here to suffer for no purpose beyond now, then there's no real reason to abide by any law (of God or Man), so we see the degradation of society. But I don't even think that's the case in these instances. Someone would really have to show me an actual statistical increase over time, one that can't directly be related to copycat-type crimes (ie a suicide happens at school, and five other kids over the course of a year kill themselves because a societal barrier has been temporarily breached VS a suicide happens at school and every year the number of suicides in that school increase exponentially because suicide has become a societal norm). The reality though is that people have been getting angry at their family members and killing them forever.

I don't understand how some of you are so stupid??? How can you say this boy did not have mental issues? Think for a minute...... You are all getting stuck on one point and another, like that fact that he said he got the idea from a movie, he used a gun and weather or not you think he is crazy. How could he not be crazy? Do you think its normal for people to fantasize about killing anyone let alone your mother and sister? If all you are worried about is that he is going to get out of prison because he is crazy then you are crazy!

Harold of the Rocks

If we banned the guns he'd use a knife. If we banned knives he'd use a ball bat. If we ban that he's use a pillow to smother them to death in their sleep.

This case is a perfect example of why the above quote is nonsense and no longer holds up. As the kid said himself.....

I thought to myself that if I were to kill my mom and Mallory, I wouldn't want them to feel anything, so I decided to kill them both with the .22 revolver I stole from my Grandpa,

Based on this kid's own words, I think it's safe to say that if he hadn't had a gun, he wouldn't have committed the murder. The gun facilitated that "extension" he wanted.

He wasn't about to kill his mom/sister with a knife, bat, or smother them with a pillow. It was the GUN that gave him the EASY WAY TO KILL.

I am liberal and love my gun. I am not now nor will I ever call for a ban of guns. That said, I do wish people would understand what this boy is trying to tell everyone:

GUNS don't kill people, they just make the decision to kill someone MUCH EASIER. Guns facilitate a MUCH easier and cleaner kill than a knife or baseball bat. A boy like this one, who admitted he could not commit a murder with a baseball bat or knife, was easily able to re-consider his options once dumb ole Grandpa left his gun unsecured.

While it's true that guns don't kill people, it's FALSE that those who kill with a gun would just as soon turn to a "pillow" for smothering, or a baseball bat for bludgeoning. WRONG. Listen to this kid... he's trying to us all something important.

Ultimately, it was the availability of the gun that caused this tragedy. The kid admitted he wouldn't have done it unless he could do it quick and easy with a gun. While the kid is ultimately responsible for this act, grandpa shares some blame too.

So long kid, we'll never see you again.

#1.114 -

And you are an idiot, or at least, based on your own words, I can conclude you are an idiot. Right? Are you an idiot?

How can you conclude that he would not have committed the crimes "If the gun were not available."?

This kids had an urge, and I doubt it was going to go away, because "he didn't have a gun". And it is a myth that "GUNS don't kill people, they just make the decision to kill someone MUCH EASIER. Guns facilitate a MUCH easier and cleaner kill than a knife or baseball bat." Poison is much easier, and less messy. pushing someone in front of a bus or train is easy. Typically, you hit someone in the head with a bat, they are instantaneously unconscious, then you can proceed to bludgeon them at leisure.

So explain to me your solution to this conundrum? as You say "re-consider his options once dumb ole Grandpa left his gun unsecured." How does one secure his guns?
And since "dumb ol grandpa" shares some blame, what is the penalty? What is your statute of limitations upon such things? Is a gun owner absolved of responsibility if the guns are stolen from a secured location, or are they still culpable for not making it secure enough? What is secure? (As far as I am concerned, the door to my property, whether is my house or car is a the barrier to security, once someone trespasses upon that, they have already broken the law, yet some how I get the impression this is not good enough for you) Do I get to leave at least one of my weapons out of the "secure" location to defend myself with? Do I get to leave out one for each room as I do now? (since I am a cripple and cannot run to another room, I need to have a gun in easy access) Or do I have to lock up all of them, and subject myself to a home invasion? In which case if they find the gun safe and demand I open it, What then?

The trouble with most liberals, yourself included, it would seem, is that you all have an emotional reaction to things like this. "Well, we just gotta do something, and we must do it right now!!" And very little thought is given to the consequences of doing "something" 'right now!' This is one of the reasons we are in the situation we are in now in our culture. read my post at 1.119

The more you (and by proxy Force us) rely on government to solve problems, the more problems you are going to get. And I have from 1776 to 1930 and from 1930 to present to back up my claim. Not that there weren't issues prior to 1930, but I think it is safe to say that we certainly seem to have more issues today. And a growing disparity between many of the parties involved.

FamousAmos-3755959

WTF!!! Seriously??? Jesus...time to disconnect the freaking internet. I am SICK to DEATH of horror story after horror story in the media.

"Fat lady deprives step-son of water for a week, killing him"

"Young medical student in India, gang raped on a bus including inserting a pipe into her body..dies days later"

"Evil lady lures children and elderly into her home and kidnaps them for months/years to collect their welfare checks. Only fed drugs and noodles, most of them die in custody"

"Man beats the $HI# out of girlfriends dog (yorkshire terrier), dog dies from injuries"

"Homeless person set on fire. For fun"

Almost all of these stories from THIS WEEK alone. Can the world get ANY more disgusting?

Where in the HELL are the GOOD stories? When are we going to demand less of this crap! I cannot stand it any longer. What about the little kid who raises $500,000 for charity? Or the kids who stick up for a bullied peer? Or the mistreated dog put into a loving home?

Quit plastering this evil BS all over the front page media! Why not just get a billboard in time square with America's murder statistics while you're at it.

I know every once in awhile some of those good stories are floating around, but hell, it is few and far between

The blame for this falls largely on the progressive, 'do whatever makes you feel good and blame someone else for it if it goes bad' mentality that people have been brainwashed with since the early 1960's.

Morals? We don't need no stinkin' morals! "My morals are just fine, because I said so"

This is called nihilism.

There was just so much wrong squeezed into this one comment, I had to respond...

@ Alchemist_8

reading these comments and seeing that some people can not express themselves with out using profanity shows how our movie and entertainment actually effects people.

Yes, because we all know that profanity started with the advent of the rated R film. I mean, who swore in the 20s, right?

Logical fallacy #1 (and there are too many to list, so I won't even bother after this one): cum hoc ergo propter hoc.

Growing up watching good wholesome shows like Leave It To Beaver, Ozzie & Harriet, The Donna Reed Show. They did not have sex and violence in them. They helped reinforce good morals.

Ah, the 50s...

-- When black folk had to sit at the back of the bus.

-- When domestic abuse was 'rarely' reported due to outdated ideas of gender roles and marital foundations.

-- When, shortly before, we dropped a few bombs to end a World War... an act that send America into the infamous "Red Scare"... all out of a sense of 'morality' and, of course, ethnocentricity.

-- When school shootings, heaven forbid, NEVER happened...
... except for these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#1950s

-- When Charles Starkweather and an accomplice killed 10 people in a murder spree (just one example).

-- When your idea of morality was appearing one way in public and another in private. One example: studies show that premarital sex has not deviated over the past 100 years, other than your normal sine wave-style curve. (Kinsey et al)

Have a look at the trends for other family matters here:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_family_revolution

-- Oh, and when the illusion of banality in families led to the greatest social REJECTION of those false lifestyle projections: the 1960s.

Then came Howard Stern using profanity on the air, but he got to say it was his 1st constitutional amendment of Freedom of speech. That is not freedom of speech. What about my freedom of not having to hear it.

You missed about 50 years. One has to wonder if you 'literally' missed those 50 years, or just got a bit lazy with your essay.

What we are doing here in expressing our comments is freedom of speech. Being able to publicly speak out against our elected officials (The Americans favorite past time). This is freedom of speech.

Why, yes it is. (Well, not our 'favorite' past time. I'd say that was eating, by looking at the waistlines of your average American... or baseball.)

And guess what? It started back when our founding fathers decided to speak up against THEIR leader: King George. Jefferson himself said, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

Your statement has ZERO historical basis from our own founders, let alone in respect to the very 'concept' of the FIrst Amendment.

The Movies show women being raped, and selling their bodies degrades women. But it sells the tickets and makes money for Hollywood.

Most movies (not all) in 'today's' era (unlike the 60s and 70s) show rape for what it is: a brutal attack. I cannot think of a film that depicts rape without consequence -- but I'm open to being corrected, as I tend not to watch these films for any reason.

Also, do you think they would make 'any' movie if there was no audience for it? Remember, people are the ones buying the tickets.

One more point -- you should consider that rape dates back to the dawn of history. Even Abraham and Joshua were both commanded to "take virgins for plunder" (look it up). Yahweh's version of justice for rape was (a) death to the WOMAN and the man if it happened in the city (see, she obviously didn't protest enough, so it was really adultery) or forcing the woman to marry her rapist. Again, look it up.

If you think OUR society hasn't improved over the past several thousand years, then there's no hope for you. If on the other hand you think (as it appears) that society was 'just fine' in the 50s, then you need to do your homework. Rapes were largely unreported -- and we know this because 20-30 years later so many women came forward, discussing incest and rape issues with counselors. They all feared "messing with the climate" I suppose. Everything was made to look pretty, even when 'reality' lurked under those suits that every man wore... all the time... even at night while at home reading a newspaper.

Oh yeah and the assault rifle's hmmm.. Look back to the late 70's The gangs had Mack 10 machine pistols that were fully automatic, they had Uzis which were fully automatic. These were and are non legal weapons. Weapons that John Q. Public could not get a hold of but the criminals could.

So how is Mr. Law abiding John Q. Public going to be able to protect himself and his family against gangs, that do not obey the law and that have fully automatic weapons, assault rifles with large capacity magazines. Were only taking the guns, ammunition, and large capacity magazines away from the good guy and now we are going to be victimized even more.

1. No one sane is suggesting that we get rid of guns. Personally I believe the guns are just an adjunct of the problem, and certainly NOT the cause of it. Statistically, murder rates by firearms are MUCH lower in countries with stricter gun control, but that may not be the case here.

2. Gangs existed in the 1950s, too... or did you forget?

3. I personally own a gun (9mm Glock) and I'm trained to use it. However, it would do me LITTLE if any good if your hypothetical "gang group", packing automatic rifles, decided to attack me or my family.

The reality is simple: there has been and there will always be disturbed, violent people in the world. There's no safe place, but there never has been.

The only degree of safety we can possibly hope for is more education in the areas of science, reason, mental disorders, and early warning signs/prevention.

(Oh, and in my personal opinion, it would help if most religions took the back door out of history. That would put a major dent in world violence, but even that would not cure the problem.)

Alchemist you DO know that one of the dirties tings said on syndicated TV first was on Leave it to Beaver, right?? "Dad you ain't gonna hit the beaver are ya"? and "Ward I'm worried about the beaver"!

"What the hell are we doing wrong?"

That's easy 2 answer. We R not allowed 2 discipline our children. 'Tommy, stop that or U will get a time-out.' Ooooo, real scary.

No child has ever died from an open-hand swat on the backside.........but it MAY HAVE prevented someone else from dying-at a brats hands.

Rob68, you need to grow up! Oh, and please go back to reading class. You apparently missed that part of school.
I never mentioned YOU PERSONALLY. Go read my post again. Oh wait, here, let me do it for you so you don't miss it again.

How many of you swear children who watch their parents fight when they are growing up, learn it as a way of how real life is? If they hear you curse, don't they curse too?

Please...do show me where "Bob68" shows up in that sentence. You don't see it? Then I rest my case!
Simply by seeing your attack, I can pretty well assume you are one of the "pampered breed" I spoke of.

It's "people like you" that are used to getting your way and if others don't agree with YOU, then they are wrong.
Do not condemn MY opinion just because you think YOU are the only important one on this message board.

K? (sarcasm)

Nothing but a lousy little creep who had to indulge his ignorance. The Halloween remake is not near as good as the original. I saw it when it first came out and thought how they had made a suspenseful movie without foul language and excessive blood and gore. The movie had it's moments but was more suspense and surprise really. Blaming ignorance on movies and cartoons is just a sorry excuse. When i grew up we growed up watching the Daniel Boone tv series,looney tunes,Batman tv series and Tarzan. We played Daniel Boone but we never shot at or knife fought each other for real and never wondered what it would be like. Tarzan was a great hero but we knew better than to go somewhere and jump in a Lion cage. Movies,tv and games are just excuses for stupid people who are just rotten to begin with and for the people who just can't accept that some people are just bad from the start. He was stupid enough to to think,oh,that's me. I could do that. He should get life with no parole if he doesn't get the death penalty. Damn selfish little jerk.

The United States has been fighting Wars and Military Actions, rightly or wrongly, for almost continually since 1775. Wars and rumors of wars, since the United States came into being, check Wikipedia, US military actions. After two hundred years this violence has permeated every facet of our society. The movies, the music, the super violent and bloody video games. Some of these young boys watch so much virtual violence that they can't tell the difference, between real violence and virtual violence, so they can shoot their families down and think nothing of it. They can go to a grade school and shoot to pieces 7 and 8 year old little kids and think they have done a good thing. Maybe watching a violent movie a few times with no harm, but if they watch it many many times, maybe their reality blurs. It seems, from a very violent society, all of our collective chickens are coming home to roost.

That kid is a huge a$$hole.

Dumbfarmboy... let's say your name was Joe and my name was John.

If Joe was asking John questions, then John (me) would respond and we could possibly exchange ideas and learn from one another.

Unfortunately, you don't know or understand the civility of "Joe and John" as you are FAR TOO BLINDED by Liberal and Conservative. You don't want to exchange ideas, you want to call people an idiot.

When Joe asks John questions, John would love to answer. When Joe HAS to pretend he's a disgruntled Sean Hannity to frame his argument, John is smart enough to walk away. I'm also smart enough to understand that there are valid points made by both conservatives and liberals. I would never, ever, ever call someone an idiot due to a set of beliefs that I don't subscribe to. Different strokes for different folks is an asset, not a detriment.

Good day to you, sir. Sorry I wasn't available to play but apparently, you aren't either.

Drop the partisan hack crap and become a PERSON.

Won't someone please think of the children? We must ban guns, movies, video games, and anything violent on tv!!! Think of the children. If we can save just one life, then it is worth it. We must act now. No discussion or debate...Obama must use executive orders. We can't wait on those do nothing Republicans. Movies, tv, and video games must go and must go now before more children turn into deranged killers.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN.!!!! HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE MUST DIE BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING?!!!!

Alchemist you need to take your highblood pressure meds...Calm down...

I still disagree with you...Chldren can learn from their parents negatively or positively...Guess what...Children learn language from school, friends and yes sometimes TV and movies...But that does NOT mean that kids learn violence from TV or movies....Not sure where I got personal with you, but you obviously learned to get defensive and get personal with people who don't agree with you...Did you learn that growing up or from TV and movies??

Yes Paws....You do know you can leave the country if you don't like what's playing, right??

This is not a liberal or conservative issue. This is about how our so-called "free press" keeps focusing on the violent behavior of a few sick freaks in a nation of over a quarter billion people. Yes their crimes are horrific, but when all is said and done these crimes don't warrant the sort of attention or panic we've witnessed. Take time to do the math and you'll realize that your chances of being murdered by some lunatic in your family or by some random stranger roughly equals your possibility of being hit by lighting or winning the lottery. The reason why stories like these keep turning up in our news is that they're filled with blood, gore and melodrama-- sure audience grabbers and ratings boosters. They are also a useful tool for those who want more censorship (i.e., video games and tv are sending our kids off on killing sprees and giving them a bad sense of fashion) or more useless gun laws (get the assault weapons off the street and the other 100 million guns will magically disappear). Some tragedies can't be stopped. Fortunately, many more can be avoided---through prudent action, like ending the "War on Drugs" which turns our inner cities into gang infested killing arcades; better policing and security for public venues; and background checks for all firearms customers and dealers. Concerning this latest tragedy, however, we should remind ourselves that this deranged young killer is under legal counsel: So it's possible the statements he's made are part of a "diminished capacity" defense. You know-- the twinkie made me do it narrative. This might be an effective courtroom tactic but we can't afford to buy into the dangerous nonsense that underlies it. We can't allow the press and a self-serving legal/political establishment to persuade us to give up on the concept of individual responsibility. If we do, we'll lose the very foundation of our personal freedom and we as a nation will find ourselves being treated less like citizens and more like inmates.

This little monster should have his ankles and hands cuffed 24/7 and paraded around to schools across the country every single day for the rest of his life to tell his story. We need more than just laws restricting what types weapons we have access to. Similar tactics were used to make big changes in our culture, such as educating students to wear seatbelts by scaring the crap out of them with "Red Asphalt" in conjunction passing seatbelt laws.

Sorry Alchemist....That was meant for ConwayTwatter

Ok. I gotta ask:

"This little monster should have his ankles and hands cuffed 24/7 and paraded around to schools across the country every single day for the rest of his life to tell his story."

So, U take his 15 minutes and turn it into a lifetime...............where is the deterrent?

???

It's called education by example, it is currently done all over this country with ex-Gang members or drunk drivers that have killed people, and it is effective. Turn him into a pathetic being with nothing more to value than existence itself. Show kids that there are consequences for their actions no matter how old or young you are, it has worked several times in the past. If you think killing him or letting him rot in a cell will help curb this type of violence in the future, then so be it, whatever he gets he deserves.

I grew up in an era where there weren't DVD players or even VHS players in the home as well as a large library of R rated movies, nor were their violent video games in homes. There also weren't so many teenagers and young adults in the news killing their families or shooting groups of other people and students at school, malls or theaters. These movies and games are made for adults who's minds have matured, not for kids growing up who are easily influenced by what they see and especially if they watch these movies and play these games over and over again and again cementing what they see in their brains. I've seen things watching my niece's kids grow up. I remember staying over for some holiday when her two daughters were around 11 and 12, they were in the room watching a movie with everyone and in that movie was an explicit sex scene. Knowing that they probably got to watch movies like that often, it wasn't a surprise when they both got pregnant at 16. If you allow the TV to become the educator of your children, you should expect them to turn out to be what they watch.

Interesting idea riverboy21, you are right it has been effective with gang members and drunk drivers. My son came to me after a drunk driver who had served time for manslaughter spoke at his school, and he made me promise never to drink and drive or get in a car with someone who has. He was very concerned about it and I have no doubts that he will make sure he never drives drunk either.

To me it sounds like U don't say-3994780 is more focused on revenge and punishing Evans than preventing these types of trajedies in the future.

"it has worked several times in the past."

Columbine, the theater in Colorado, Sandy Hook, this story.....

When's it gonna work in the present? (I'm not trying 2 pick a fight with U; I'm really curious. Ok? Please understand that.)

"more focused on revenge and punishing"

Revenge? Really? I don't know these people.

I understand, I'm not getting defensive. You are misunderstanding something though. They are educating children and teens on matters of gang membership and drunk driving, so how would those two prevent Colombine, Aurora, or Sandy Hook? They currently are not sending the people who commit these crimes into schools to educate students on what actually happens and the regrets surrounding these crimes, that is why I posted the idea. Obviously if the person is proud of what they did, which Evans isn't according to the article, then don't put them in front of children to "brag." This type of education has worked several times in the past, with seat belts, youth in gangs, and drunk driving. Why not educate the youth on what happens surroundingthese crimes, they get a taste of fantasy from media so let's counter it with a taste of reality. Maybe if they started doing this 30 years ago some of those shootings you mentioned wouldn't have occurred, but they aren't doing it. Look what GrizGirl typed above, this type of education works on children and teens. It's going to "work in the present" only after the education begins, I never stated that it already has.

Just wanted 2 make sure I wasn't misinterpreted. Often peeps become really upset when asked questions.

"They are educating children and teens on matters of gang membership and drunk driving, so how would those two prevent Colombine, Aurora, or Sandy Hook?"

Sorry but U were the 1 who mentioned anti-gang & anti-drunk driving talks on a thread concerning a teen killing with a gun. That's Y I mentioned the events that I did. If he was taken around 2 talk about this, wouldn't it make sense that gun violence is what we're trying 2 stop? And not gangs or DD?

Harold of the Rocks

Dumbfarmboy... let's say your name was Joe and my name was John.

If Joe was asking John questions, then John (me) would respond and we could possibly exchange ideas and learn from one another.

Unfortunately, you don't know or understand the civility of "Joe and John" as you are FAR TOO BLINDED by Liberal and Conservative. You don't want to exchange ideas, you want to call people an idiot.

When Joe asks John questions, John would love to answer. When Joe HAS to pretend he's a disgruntled Sean Hannity to frame his argument, John is smart enough to walk away. I'm also smart enough to understand that there are valid points made by both conservatives and liberals. I would never, ever, ever call someone an idiot due to a set of beliefs that I don't subscribe to. Different strokes for different folks is an asset, not a detriment.

Good day to you, sir. Sorry I wasn't available to play but apparently, you aren't either.

Drop the partisan hack crap and become a PERSON.

#1.135

And you are an idiot, or at least, based on your own words, I can conclude you are an idiot. Right? Are you an idiot?

How can you conclude that he would not have committed the crimes "If the gun were not available."?

Ok, you got me. It wasn't quite fair of me frame my argument as I did. I was merely trying to drive home the point of making conclusions based on conjecture. Perhaps you are correct. Perhaps the absence of a gun could have made the difference. We will never know. Nor will we know if the absence of a gun would have made no difference at all.

And I did not actually call you an idiot, now did I? It was an argument of conjecture. Please do try to pay attention to the details.

And as far as an exchange of ideas goes, if you have any, post them. Did I, or did I not pose several questions in my post? Hey, if someone can come up with a good way of keeping guns or other dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who would use them against us, I am all ears.

The trouble is, so many of those ideas encumber those of us who are law abiding citizens, which gives the advantage to the criminals.

Sorry but U were the 1 who mentioned anti-gang & anti-drunk driving talks on a thread concerning a teen killing with a gun. That's Y I mentioned the events that I did. If he was taken around 2 talk about this, wouldn't it make sense that gun violence is what we're trying 2 stop? And not gangs or DD?

What I did was mention that there should be some education to prevent these tragedies such as there is for keeping youth out of gangs and from drunk driving, you misunderstood and asked me how does educating kids on drunk driving and gangs prevent shootings presently. I never said those two prevent shootings, I said the style of education that those two use are very effective, and something new should be done to educate kids on this subject. Your last 2 sentences are exactly what I already suggested in my posts, go back and read them because you are misunderstanding them.

I just want to know who Joe and John are....

Yes, we R misunderstanding each other. Lemme C if I can B clearer:

U (not U personally) have a teen shooter. Instead of putting him in jail (or a nut ward) U "parade" him in front of impressionable young peeps, who may or may not B unbalanced themselves, and if they ARE unbalanced they MAY C it as "Ooooo. I can shoot somebody & instead of going 2 jail, I'll get 2 travel the country & talk 2 others about what I did." Thus taking the "15 minutes" & turning it into a lifetime. I don't C that as a deterrent. It might work with gangs or drunk driving, but I don't C it working-on this issue-with impressionable young peeps who MAY already B unstable. That's all I'm saying.

You could replace shooter with drunk driver or gang member in your post and have the same argument, but the sciense shows this type education does work. I never said don't send him to prison, I think he should be locked up for life, and since he is already regretful, remorseful, and saying that killing is nothing like he thought it would be "I know now though that I'm done with killing. It's the most dreadful and terrifying thing I will ever experience. And what happened last night will haunt me forever." he is a candidate for education. He is not the Aurora shooter who has no remorse and nothing could be done to stop someone like that. It isn't 15 minutes of fame, it is 15 minutes of shame. Evans has not said one thing to glorify these killings, I guess the difference we are having here is that I see education as a plus, even for unstable kids, and science is on my side. Those who are thinking that killing might be cool, could learn something from this kid's mistakes, but you feel it's better if they just remain the same thinking killing might be cool and they should try it for themselves?

"Those who are thinking that killing might be cool, could learn something from this kid's mistakes"

They could; It's possible.

"you feel it's better if they just remain the same thinking killing might be cool and they should try it for themselves?"

No, I don't think that's better. Again, I'm just saying that IF the teen is unbalanced or unstable they COULD misinterpret what the speaker is there for & C it as the "15 minutes" thing. Education is an important factor however I'm just not sure that this method would work with this issue with kids that R unstable/unbalanced.

Thanks 4 the discussion. maybe our paths will cross again. I gotta go. C U!

Take care man!

Believe me, I've been inside the mind of Jake Evans since he was 3 years old and --let me tell you-- I know exactly & certainly what thoughts were in Jake's mind and what emotions were in Jake's heart in the years leading up to this, in the days leading up to this, and in the days thereafter when he gave his statements to the police. And here's what he was thinking & feeling: it is exactly as all the posters here have confidently claimed. Clearly & certainly!

This kid watched a movie about a soulless individual who went around with a knife and killed people, never having any kind of emotional reaction. He figured he could do the same and the result would be the same.

Then he actually did it and found out that he is not an emotionless, soulless person.

Now he knows that the very act of killing a person rips out a little piece of your soul and consigns what is left to hell, forever.

Pity whatever family and friends this family may have.

Ok Rob68...whatever you say. (see? Just like I said before, "people like you" always need someone to say you're right, Rob68, anytime, every time.) When you get stuff handed to you on a silver platter, you spend all your days trying to convince yourself that you are the bomb! (smoke bomb, maybe).

Ok, I'll start taking blood pressure medications (but I have perfect blood pressure, thank you), when you start taking your passive-agressiveness pills.

In thinking about the shootings that have been in the news lately and all the chatter about them. I thought about what could possibly explain the motive for such actions. Be it a mass shooting or one on a street corner or a self inflicted gun shot. Aside from just saying these acts are the work of "crazy people" or blaming parents or the lack of parents, lack of morals,media,movies,video games,music or even access to guns. The question still remains what is behind all of this.

Science suggests that a males brain doesn't fully develop until he is in his 20's. The hormones, with brain development, coupled with some form of PTSD could explain their actions, as all of these functions raise chemicals within the body causing a rush, much like the "adrenalin junkies" that chases highs threw natural extended actions. There is also the other side where there is little or no activity thus causing depression, anxiety, isolation & low self esteem. There can also be any combination of both, but how do we know?

Accessing male youth for the type of activity or lack of activity could be a key factor in trying to determine who would be more vulnerable to violent behaviour, along with medical assessment to see if there is a chemical imbalance in the body if warranted.

We have long placed an emphasis on physical fitness with our youth, it is now time to couple that with the mental fitness of our youth. We need urge our teachers, medical/mental health experts and social workers to come up with some sort of assessment tool. We can no longer get by with the " Well, I made it threw fine & so will he" attitude.

Jessica and Steve, Whatever...

I love films that depict gratuitous violence, where the main characters are picked off one by one, each death scene more despicable than the one before. I love serial killer films, zombie films, all type of horror.

But, I especially love foreign films, particularly Asian horror films...the gorier the better. In fact, my avatar is of one of my favorite films, "Battle Royale", which takes place in a dystopian Japan, where they elect a 9th grade class to participate in the 'games'. The games take place in isolated area where the children KILL each other off, until ONE of them is left standing. It's an awesome film.

It's not the films or the content, or video games (Grand Thief Auto), books (Turner Diaries Or Catcher In the Rye, ring a bell), or even parents. For pete sake, when I was a teen back in the 80's, everything that kids did wrong was blamed on Heavy Metal or Hip Hop, most of us made it out alive and have successful careers and families.

Some people, including kids, are just nuts.

By the way, I'm a nurse, for the record.

Angela LD

I said:

Aside from just saying these acts are the work of "crazy people" or blaming parents or the lack of parents, lack of morals,media,movies,video games,music or even access to guns. The question still remains what is behind all of this.

Does that clear things up for you?

As a nurse then you might get a better picture of what I am trying to say here.

"it is now time to couple that with the mental fitness of our youth. We need urge our teachers, medical/mental health experts and social workers to come up with some sort of assessment tool. We can no longer get by with the " Well, I made it threw fine & so will he" attitude."

Steve you make it sound as if these people are treatable and their behavior or brain functioning can be altered. I in no way mean this to be judgemental of you or people of alternative lifestyle, but for years people who don't understand homosexuality have felt that it is a behavior and can be changed with counseling. A gay person (tell me if I am wrong) would most likely disagree and say that they were born gay and it is hard wired in them...it's not something that can be changed through counseling. Perhaps the urge to murder, maim, or injure people is hard wired into some people...so if that is the case what do we do to them? Or for them? just a question from an observer.

You have some major issues Conway...You really do...But hey we all learn from what we experience...I just hope your learning wasn't from violent movies..I mean, according to you, we all act according to what we see and watch, right??

I actually feel sorry for you...You can't seem to discuss anything with anyone that doesn't agree with you...You feel the need to attack people who don't...Methinks you should practice what you preach?? Naw..It's easier to whine and cry yourself through life isn't it??

And crap on a silver platter is still crap...

Ah Steve, my post was mostly aimed at Jessica, but some of what you wrote is baloney as well, but anyway...

I think it has to do with a total lack of personal responsibility. Our culture today is all about 'it's the other persons fault because I did, said, feel, whatever and not me'... Personal accountability is taught, not ingrained. As a 45 year old, I've seen the way we raise our young change and as a feminist it kills me to say that it starts with making divorce way too easy. Don't want your spouse any longer? Well, dump them, no problem, kids too. Dads (and when growing up I had two friends who's Moms) walked away, never to see their kids again or pay child support.

Or the fact that no one disciplines any longer. Can't smack their hands when they are going to touch fire or pull a pan from the stove. Don't take them to the wood shed when Johnny tells lies, steals or becomes the class bully. In fact, the schools treat the bullies like THEY are the victims.

Everyone tells kids that they are spechul snowflakes (yes special is spelled just so special :) They are the 'best'. Everyone loves them. The schools give awards to kids for anything nowadays. When they get older the find out that they are not so 'spechul', after all...

My sons school(s) now forces the kids to wear uniforms, because they don't want to make the poor gang bangers feel bad because my kids Mom can afford to buy him decent clothes.

I don't want to say its parents, because it's not, it's our society for accepting that PC bull crap that is running rife ruining our society. Life isn't fair and no one hands you (unless your a welfare leach) anything. This guys sister picked on him, so what? Boo Hoo? I picked on my brother, we use to beat the stuffing (and yes caused bruises and plenty of black eyes etc. ) out of each other. We never dreamed of killing each other. We are grown adults now, and very different people, but you know what, I know (as he does too) that we ALWAYS have each others back, ALWAYS. This kid must not of have even friends, because everyone has someone they can count or look up to in their lives, the ones that don't, those are the ones we need to watch out for.

Robbie boy, you are the one with issues. Take a chill pill. And do NOT feel sorry for me! I don't need or want your pity! I'm just fine, thank you.

And would you look at my posts any differently if you knew I was a 5'7" 125 pound busty model, instead of the man you think I am due to my name?

Just wondering....and betting you wouldn't talk your junk, if you knew who you were telling your trash to.

Just remember...YOU singled ME out...not the other way around...so make like the wind and BLOW!

Jack-999683

No offense taken good point. That is why I suggested testing mental & physical. We would not known gays are hard wired the way we are if it hadn't been for the tests. looking at the behaviour is one thing, and if there is no reason other than the fact that these boys are hard wired this way, why does it not occur in girls as homosexuality occurs in both sexes? This seems to me to be a male issue.

Angela LD

Thank you for clearing that up.

I use to work with adolescents in a recovery unit. There we administered MMPI's to both girls and boys to try and help us determine if there was any mental disorder that needed to be addressed along side of addiction issues. I think we have the basic tool available to help at least collect data and see where the problem might lay.

FYI: For those of you that would jump at the chance that I'm saying this only happens with males and not females, I know it has happened in females but very very rarely. (ie Manic Monday, sung by the Bangles, about a girl that used the excuse that she did it because it was Monday).

No you need pity Conway..You needa s much as you can get...You are truly a sad, sad person...

And nope...If you are a hateful person it doesn't matter if you're a 6'4 guy or a 5'7 125lb "busty model"...An ass is an ass...Being an ass knows no bounds...I singled you out?? Think hings are all about you huh?? Sweety/Dude I commented on your post like I have others...YOU just didn't like that someone disagreed with you and you took it personal...But hey insecure people will always project that on others...Hence your anger...Hope you can ger past this and your day gets much, much better....And remember...You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still smells ike crap...

As I said before, if ya'll believe it's the movies and video games, explain why Jack the Ripper did what he did and others from back in the day. What video game did he play? What movies did he watch? Why can't this idiot take responsibility for his actions?

No kidding, valhallaarwen. I love it when people blame things like tv and taking God out of school on these things...but when I bring up famous examples of people committing violence before the invention of tv or bring up school shootings that happened before prayer was taken out of school (including one involving a bomb that killed around 30 people in the early 1900's), they either have nothing to say or will ignore my examples.

would we be shocked to find out that this kid has been on mind altering medications his entire life? that is how most people, but especially rich people, raise their kids after all. all of these "crazed shooters" have been on anti-depressant type medications like Zoloft and Prozak, which have been clinically proven to cause psychotic hallucinations and violent tendencies in a certain percentage of people who take them. let's talk about that. let's talk about how many more times responsible gun users save themselves or their friends or family because they had a gun when they needed it to ward off some crazed a-hole like this one.

Checkmate

i agree completely. as if no human ever killed another human before television was invented. the notion that tv is to blame could not be more asinine or ignorant. this was not the first time this kid thought about killing, why else would he already possess a .22 pistol that he stole BEFORE HE EVEN WATCHED THE MOVIE?

USE YOUR HEADS! THINK!

Sometims I believe some children need to be let wild for a while in their life , instead of boxing them in with harsh discipline ,or constantly pound them with question like" WHY can't you be like your sisters " ( in this case being the only boy in the family) . We have a situation in our family that the boy committed suicide due to the pressure from all siblings , he was the only "differed ", now family wish he will be alive and DO NOTHING with his life instead of grieving and trips to the grave .Family took him to another state due to the shame for imperfection ,to finish college and there where he committed life end .Now family only talks good about him ,and endless suffering for father .We have to have compassion with every life let live among us on this earth .We are not created equal .Condolences to the rest of the family it's unimaginable sufferance ,may God console you and give hope and peace .......

bambi, are you on drugs or is English your second language? You're excusing a double murder, including matricide, because this homicidal monster was the only boy in the family? Wow.

bambi,thats true.being demanding of perfection in someone is wrong.but not being involved either is just as bad.parenting comes with it responsibility in bringing them up right but still giving them room to express themselves.my parents never understood my love of horror movies but didnt try to stop me either.they gave me room but not too much room to be me.they hope for the best but its not the most important thing.being happy and some what content with who you are is what mattered to them.

Garbage In, Garbage Out

This problem is present, and will be until America stops removing faith from our existence!! I know that bleeding heart, anti-God liberals will get pissed about this statement but its TRUE!! Whether your a believer or not, the 10 commandments exist to give people a platform of life to live by. Without these basic building blocks of morals, we will continue to fall as a society! Its complete bs to say that this punk was insane! He wasn't raised right and evil made its way into his thoughts and his life. As usual, now society will punish him for his crimes (which he should be), chalk him up as "insane", and not address the real issue that caused this! I'm not a "bible thumper" but I am a Christian and truly believe that evil is growing in our country (if you dont believe, check the news!!) and the only way it can be controlled is with one key element, Faith and raising kids with knowledge of the commandments!! Remember, the biggest joke that Satan plays on man, is to convince people he and his followers don't exist!!;)

I have to admit, this story had me going "Wow"!! This is a kind of crazy you can't fix. Too bad he is likely too young for the death penalty. He deserves to know just what his sister in particular went through...having her whole like in front of her and having it snatched away for a totally senseless reason.

What twerp!

JoeB

You HAD a GREAT post going until you decided to show your true RACIST GOP colors and BLAME Obama for this.

What does Obama have to do with this?

Absolutely NOTHING!!!!! DUMB righties!!

Sorry Jamie. Faith is just as irrelevant as Hollywood when it comes to dealing with nut jobs.

A homicidaly crazy movie buff says the movie Halloween influenced him to commit murder.

A homicidaly crazy religious nut says God told him to do it, speaking through the mouth of his neighbor's dog.

The problem has nothing to do with either religion or Hollywood. The problem has to do with lack of funding for mental health care.

Jamie

How many people have Christians killed in the name of God? Yeah, let's not go there

No kidding... look at all the violence that has historically and continues to come from religion or racial animosity.

Okay we are expecting some whack jobs from time to time but why must we pass a NEW LAW everytime another whack job does something ehacky?

@culheath, Useless Troll, there was nothing Religious or Racial mention in the article. There should be a law against your kind. You are no better mentally than this kid. Instead of stirring up the mix yourself, you throw out BS and get other people to do it for you. Who's the sick one here?

Oh my, did I upset you with the truth again?

he watched the movie THREE TIMES and he obviously "related" to the kid killer in the film. He didn't wonder what it would be like to kill the neighbor or the neighbors cat or his best friend. He wondered what it would be like to kill his mother and sister. If a kid loves his family then they would NEVER think about what it would be like to kill them. Families need to start behaving like families. I suspect that so many of them don't know how to.

Rockyroad, what law has anyone suggested (that actually has the power to enact laws) based on this incident?

Yes it's called mental issues .......no matter how much you guys want to deny the horror movies, having an effect on some children with mental instability .They do and I have not watched the movie ,but I cannot believe that actually someone, movie producer will not have that in mind. Children with insufficiency on mental judgement will post a movie with 10 year old ......? going on killing spree .Question to movie defenders ,what was the movie purpose , besides MONEY scrutiny for young minds and lots of pain in some ones life .Stop telling you watched ,your children did ,thank God it did not have any effect on you or your children .Not everyone coming in this world is perfect ,until that we have to be contributors to a non violent world or we'll pay the consequences .How come g-pa did not realise the gun is missing .

To listen to deniers of the effects of violent movies, you'd think there was maybe, one violent movie/rap/game in circulation, when there is a steady diet available...every day...coming into homes, theaters, TV, IPads, IPods, ITunes...whatever. and available at the click of a mouse. Impressionable young kids's minds are becoming more and more immune to seeing the images, etc. Many already mentally unstable, or just angry that something isn't going their way. They want to "pay back" the mom or dad or teacher or schoolmate who they perceive has done them wrong, ruffled their feathers. They want to emulate their celebrity heroes, perhaps gain fame same as they have, and seek to possess what they see as the POWER to exact revenge.. It all looks so easy in the movie or the video game. The cool celebrities are awarded with millions, mansions, fame, fans, for writing, directing and/or performing in these fantasies, answers to all their problems, of young impressionable and sick minds. Day in and day out. Addicting, robbing rationality and invading the minds of the most vulnerable and suggestable.

Where's Senator Frankenstein with laws to take our 1st Amendment away? It's Hollywood's Directors, Actors, & writers fault.

6 neutered dogs is a hater.....

Lee - I dont think it's the directors, actors or writers fault - but I have to question their mental state to want to be part of something so horrific.

explain to me how watching people being killed, in a fictional setting, is ENTERTAINMENT?

i must not be sick enough to really understand.

Aggie, many parts of the world watch the same bloody films and play the same violent video games, yet have no where near the same amount of violence (especially GUN) that the US has. Explain that. I'm tired of boneheads wanting to create a new rule or law for every psycho who commits a violent act. Some people are just defective. The idea should be to teach parents how to parent better.

rb, I can explain that. other countries have a strong sense of religion and fear of reprocussions in the afterlife. here we are pulling away from religion and accountability in our life and after our death.

No good answers, lots of theory. Several people mentioned perhaps no religion in his lilfe. But the kid in New Mexico was a faithful member and very active in some mega-church there, but he killed his whole family. Reason there? Who knows. This kid says he was inspired by a horror movie, maybe so, kids are said to be impressionable. Heaven knows I can't understand why anyone wants to watch that kind of ugly, gory stuff and I would not have any of it in my house when my kids were growing up. Some say it is because kids these days lack disipline and/or are spoiled and raised with an "it's all about me" attitude. Maybe so., we all have seen that. Maybe it is one of the drugs so popluarly given to kids these days. Maybe it is all of the above. What is true is that this kind of thing seems to be happening more and more often. My theory is his family knew that this kid had mental issues but thought they could handle him, which has been true in several local tragedies where I personally heard the details of boys shooting people. The quirky, odd kid who seems a little off somehow. Funny, it's all boys.

For all you people who blame movies for the violence that is going on today, why don't you tell me where people got their ideas to commit violent acts long before movies, videogames or any type of media was available? You act like there were never any people young or old committing violent acts before now. The history of mankind is filled with violent acts committed by people of all ages. If someone has the propensity to kill, they don't need a movie or a videogame to cause them to do it. If a person does not have the propensity to kill, a movie or a videogame will not cause them to do it. There are more people that watch violent movies and play violent videogames that have never even thought of acting out the things that they see than there are people who want to claim that as the reason they committed a violent act. The person who commits the violent act is not a victim of Hollywood or the media or the videogame industry as some like to claim. It is called personal responsibility and it is about time that we got back to that concept instead of blaming anything and everything for the evil things that people do.

rbjko1...It isn't as cut and dry as saying it's all because of GUNS. You can't blame the killings on an inanimate object. And you can't discount what is influencing kids, especially, to commit murderous rampages or do a drive-by, or kill someone in an alley, anywhere. It's the mind and the brain of the person holding that object and squeezing the trigger. And kids in other countries don't have such a steady diet of it as American kids. Don't kid youself that other countries that watch the same type of violent images are much safer than our country. How about the M.E. countries where any type of that entertainment is forbidden...especially Western entertainment. Just how NON-violent are those people? It is what is in the heads of the offenders. It just isn't as simple as saying it's GUNS..period. What about knives, hammers, clubs, bare hands, neck ties, rope, panty hose, electrical cords...and probably many more inanimate objects that become weapons IN THE HANDS OF A PERSON! AS they say, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." I'm not trying to save MY guns. I don't own a gun. It's just common sense, and especially when kids say they watched or listened to something violent and were "inspired" to exact revenge on whomever they think has done them wrong...real or imagined.

DonnaP...I don't know how old you are, but there were NOT nearly the amount nor the gore and explicitness in movies in the past. And video games were nonexistent. And going back to the times BEFORE any movies?? There were still killings, but certainly not the epidemic proportions of this day and age. And Yes, there are many who see the movies, play the violent games and never think about killing anyone. But those who are not mentally stable, or very young impressionable kids with no moral or parental boundaries..ARE influenced by those violent games and images.

Not saying there should be NO horror, cop movies, chase scenes, super hero movies, even depicting some shooting.... but when you put a joy stick in the HANDS of unstable impressionable kids and the whole object of the is to KILL, shoot, , blow up, off as many characters as they can, that IS a problem. They see it as fun and a winner if they leave the most victims annihilated, in some violent way, shape or form.

CONTROLLING and toning down those type of things is a good and better place start.

It is unsettling to think that Jake Evans might have been suffering mental illness or spiritual illness, because then we're left guessing wildly at what factors might have contributed to his state-- perhaps he was repeatedly bullied by peers or teachers or parents or siblings or religious "leaders", perhaps he was sexually abused early or recently in life, perhaps his genetic inheritance was corrupted by parental drug/alcohol use or by toxic chemicals in his environment, perhaps at a young impressionable age he saw a loved one killed (perhaps even a beloved pet) or perhaps he saw one of his parents beaten heavily by the other parent, perhaps at age 4 he had seen/heard the carnage of the Twin Towers falling or of some CSI re-enactment of a gruesome crime or perhaps by seeing the movie "Schindler's List". It is humanly difficult, though not impossible, to conceive of the possibility --if indeed Jake had been very heavily affected in some such way-- that God's love might, as I suppose we should hope, embrace Jake in heaven (presumably also embracing Jake's deceased mother & sister). I doubt that we have enough reliable historical data to judge whether such sad happenings are more present today than they were 50 years ago.

I also should say that, while he may be embraced into Heaven by God, it does mean that we should necessarily shy away from convicting & executing him here on Earth. If keeping someone in prison for a length of years consumes funds that, were they invested in public health care or education or job training, could have prevented a half-dozen deaths over the course of what would have otherwise been 50 imprisoned years of Jake Evans' life-- perhaps in such case, ethics would bind us to execute Jake as soon as possible, not with vengeance but with sorrow & humility.

Thank you Math plus, by getting me to think back to early, possibly traumatic influences, you reminded me of when I was four and Mom took me to see The Bridge On The River Qwai. I'm gonna go now, and check Netflix, to watch it again.;)

People killed each other long long before movies and video games even existed, and in much larger numbers and much more brutally in the past than the present. There is an agenda behind this

Maybe if you keep thinking that way long enough you can hatch a plan to get into where ever he ends up being held and you can kill him for his murderous ways.

I am wondering how the innocent people will be punished for this crazy teenager?

Just like the whacko kid in Newtown is cause to punish an entire nation?

Personally I think a good shot in the arm (Execution) is EXACTLY what will cure this kid from killing anyone else.

He should be on the fast track to the "good shot in the arm"!!!

Wow, one more example that guns don't kill, but people kill. How would an "assault weapon", is there a "defense weapon", have prevented this madness?

Yes Mitko, but if there had been no gun...?? . He was struggling with the idea of using a knife. With a gun it is so much less personal, even easy. Just stand a few feet away and pull a trigger. He stole that gun for some reason, perhaps putting a plan into motion.

On the one hand the film industry tells us that movies do not influence peoples behavior, then advertisers spend billions trying to influence people on what to purchase. Either films can influence people or they cannot, which is it?

Strong logic, Dan-282760. Absolutely agree.

Agree Dan...Another example of contradictions: The media industry and/or the government, also took all commercials/ads for tobacco products off TV and in movie reviews are required to mention "cigarette smoking" as a warning. The reason being that those ads and images in movies, etc. "influence" kids to start smoking. Violence in the media DOESN'T influence kids, but ads for tobacco products DOES influence kids. Like you say, which is it?

Ban nut jobs.

Ban young males

@takenaka and all the other "ban guns" people- had this boy been allowed to purchase this gun from a legal dealer (illegally), I may say that gun sellers or dealers must adhere to every letter of the law or be charged with the same crime as the murderer or attempted murderer....that is not the case here.

This boy stole a gun from his Grandfather first, we know nothing but the caliber, it could have been passed down from the Great-Grandfather - many soldiers have weapons taken from the enemy, my Grandfather did when he fought in WW II.

This "I watched Halloween," and decided to kill my family, had he watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre would he have legally bought a chainsaw?

He killed his family but it would be interesting to see how long he was interrogated - with no parent or lawyer - I have to agree with Annie (post below this), he is a sociopath - this killing was not about the weapon but about the thrill of the kill.

As for him having emotion - skilled sociopaths can act emotion perfectly.

The article said he used a 22 revolver he stole from his grandfather.

...which is a gun.

I call BS. No one owns a 22 revolver.

Ban affluent suburbs.

Ban inner cities.

AirThief? WHAT????????????

Takenaka...did you even read the article? It said the kid first contemplated killing them with a knife. So suppose he had carried out his original plans and used a knife. What would you say then?

Are you aware a man in China went into an elementary school and killed over 20 kids with knife?

AirTheif - I own many 22 revolvers. There is a difference though, they aren't accessible to anyone but myself. It's called a gun safe.

Takenaka

Why do you always post the exact same thing on every article? Your point has been made. Can't you come up with anything else to add to the conversation? Please? A "ban" on handguns will never work because there are too many of them out there and you know this!

Ban young males

There we go, the moronic statement of the day. Yeah, that makes sense, ya git!

So which amendment should we repeal first, the 1st or 2nd?

Ban murder!

hs321

You are misinformed about Chinese case, which you mention about. No one died.

he had plenty of emotion... he didnt kill small animals, there was no jeffy dahmer... there was a kid who felt picked on, small and useless, who took a movie as a reason and a tool to do harm. then used it as an excuse.

i was beat on a regular basis till i was almost 17, as well mentally abused. i have held a job all my life, have 3 good and decent kids WITH morals. you looked at the photo for the article, and drew your own conclusions... deranged pshyco kid... hope you do not have a carreer in the pshyco-therapy buisness, if you do we are in for trouble. reading this from even his statement, you are so far off, you missed it.

he was angry at his sister for picking on him, his mother for not defending him. yet problem, unlike mikey meyers, he didnt use a knife in some derranged manner methodically, he stole his gramp's gun. at first perhaps as something to mess around with. then after seeing the movie, he did his crime. it could have been any movie, but for him (if true) was that one. about a kid who at 19 yrs old, did nothing but stare at a wall and then decides well time to get to work, with what one would imagine a blank stare on his face, and as in the statement, emotionless. bringing out the "i have no feelings left" "i am alone in myself" "poor me".

about a kid who at 19 yrs old, did nothing but stare at a wall....

ooops typo :)

NM: exactly. Personal responsibility. and not letting yourself fall into the victim mentality, has led to you having a good life. Lack of it led this kid to blame a movie for providing a blueprint to satisfy his own sick desire to kill.

Ban thinking. LOL

bring back public hanging at the jails ,little @!$%#s will stop if they know theres a rope waiting for them

Yeee Haaaaw!

Bring back the death penalty. Country wide. Get rid of these 10-15-20yr appeal processes. If there is absolutely positively NO Doubt that it IS the killer Give him/her an appeal for mercy 6mos after sentencing, then stick the needle into them.

A more stringent application of the death penalty and LIFE SENTENCES without parole for other acts of murder other than self defense might make these people think.

Wow Annie, quite a diagnosis.

Janine, you seem to like killing people - a lot. From whence cometh your intense need for revenge?

Why do people keep claiming the kid was abused and neglected? So his sister "picked on him." What siblings don't squabble? He must have had some kind of relationship with her since at one point he asked her to watch a movie with him. My brother used to torment the hell out of me. I never thought of killing him, although I did plan—and execute—revenge on a fairly regular basis. Then we grew up. Now we laugh about it.

And where did you get that the mother was abusive? I may have missed it.

Maybe the problem was that she didn't kick his butt when he first started acting out, so he never understood there are real and painful consequences until it was too late.

Back when kids routinely got their butts blistered for misbehaving, there was a lot less of this sort of thing happening.

Annie...the kid said he didn't want his mother and sister to suffer when he killed them.

Justice not revenge, execute the killer as he did his victim.

hs321 -- Oh, I see; I stand corrected: he's a caring sociopath then? He just wants to kill his mother and sister, and not necessarily have them suffer. (As opposed, hs321, to those who are criminally insane and want their victims to suffer, but not kill them?) It's always astounding to read comments that lack such critical thinking.

Give him fair trial and a fair hanging. My condolences to his surviving family, if any. No amount of "gun control" or any other law would have prevented this. And just as in the case of Sandy Hook, the crime was committed with a stolen fire arm. Humans have been killing each other for fun and profit since long before guns were invented. Until you can fix that, we will see these kind of things happen.

Seriously... What difference does it make if he was picked on? I am tired of people acting like these psychopaths are victims. Sibliings pick on each other. It has been happening since the beginning of time, and is simply part of human nature. NEWSFLASH TO THE LIBS... CRIMINALS are not VICTIMS. Victims don't murder innocent people.

bring back public hanging at the jails ,little @!$%#s will stop if they know theres a rope waiting for them

Countries as advanced as Iran still have public hangings. Just the other day two 20-somethings were hanged for a stabbing/robbery that did not cause a death. An eye for an eye? More like an eye for a hangnail. You would like Iran... you should move there.

Bring back the death penalty. f there is absolutely positively NO Doubt that it IS the killer Give him/her an appeal for mercy 6mos after sentencing, then stick the needle into them.

1976?

Justice not revenge, execute the killer as he did his victim.

Give him fair trial and a fair hanging.

The United States Supreme Court outlawed capital punishment for crimes committed by people under 18. I guess they wanted to separate us from the "Irans" and "North Koreas" of the world.

Common sense should dictate to ANYONE that a 17 year old's brain is not developed. Calls to execute a kid, even a kid whose a MONSTER, seem over the top to me. Apparently the Supreme Court agrees.

JoeMike..it's not that I like to kill people,,but I do believe in Justice. An eye for an eye. If someone kills another, they deserve the same in retribution.

The death penalty may not be a deterrent but it will stop THAT person from everkilling again.

Our liberal courts let these murders out after 10-15yrs to do it again.

We forget the Victims. They deserve Justice.

Thewoman who kept a bunch of people chained up in her basement, some of whom died there, so she could collect their disability payments, got out after only eight years after killing her husband.

The whole of our culture is like that, not just ill-raised kids. The greed, the materialism, the blatant injustice of the justice system, allowing a permanent war machine to provide profit, the obvious environmental destruction, the celebration of willful ignorance and brutality of prisons...it's all of a piece and it is no wonder that some of the children and adults reflect it.

You have mental issues please contact Dr Phil.

Whoa Culheath! What kind of movies have you been watching!!

When you say "War Machine" are you talking about Marvel comics?

6dogs

Uh huh, I'll be sure to ask him why you are clutching your guns so tightly or maybe just so stiffly crossing your arms in front of you.

Rockyroad-531554,

Whoa Culheath! What kind of movies have you been watching!!

Django, Life of Pi

When you say "War Machine" are you talking about Marvel comics?

Try the American military/industrial complex.

If you raise a child who has sociopathic propensities, God help you. Literally. This guy sounds to me like an empty shell who needed a strong guiding father figure.

I congratulate NM for your ability to weather abuse throughout your childhood. This story doesn't seem to hint at any known abuse from this boy's family. - My guess is that he had sociopathic tendencies and unfortunately, the movie (and probably others as well) had undue influence on this particular kid.

It is interesting that he did not commit the murders while his dad was at home. He was probably a sociopathic weakling and coward who felt totally empty and once again, needed a strong guiding father figure to spend a lot of time with him doing manly things and helping him to become a man, etc.

Some boys just can't grow up on their own... they need help. Does this surprise anyone? I think many of us are tuned into the internet and other media and tuned out from our families. Maybe all this speculation of mine is wrong, maybe he was just a weird duck, but I wonder if things could have been different...

The American Educational Industrial Complex is far outpacing the Military Industrial Complex, Exhorbitant property taxes to fund public school systems, College and Universities costing $50k $100K and more for a single year, Lifelong debt for an education that many times provides little use to the person who is paying for it.

And no, I am not against getting an education, I am against an educational system that feeds at the public trough, The more government student loans and grants a school gets the higher the education costs rise.

Just like Obama blaming Bush.

Le sigh.

Rockyroad let's not forget blaming the Republicans for Obama's failures.

VikVega, We don't need any laws for hollywood we need to go back to accountability. People need to be held accountable for there OWN actions. What they do is not someone elses fault. I don't want to hear your father beat you or mom paid more attention to your sister. NO hiding behind insanity laws YOU did YOU own it.

Vik: An earlier poster has some wise words for you and your repub/tparty: "Unfortunate that some people can't distinguish fiction from reality."

:

Be careful what you say "VikVega".

The ego manic just might pass more executive laws banning movies above "G" rating next.

*For our own protection of course*

I don't think AllenWeaver understands sarcasm.

Our parents and thier parents had it right, somewhere along the way someone messed it up.

why o .............. someone? Good hearted "progressives" leave devastation and destruction, and its always someone elses fault that can be fixed by the all powerful and all knowing wizard.

dr spock in all his wisdom started this "don't hit your kids,it's not right" crap. kids are told early now to tell the teacher or an officer if mommy or daddy hit you. bleeding hearts are the whole problem, in EVERYTHING that's going on now. they are to blame for this no accountability society that's creeping up on us now,these kids(that were never disciplined are now having babies,think it'll get better? bleeding heart liberals are a PLAQUE to society! and yes i was hit....can't recall ever getting hit for NO reason,i hold 0 bad feelings for my father,it was his job to TEACH ME RESPECT.

There are two avenues to respect; fear and love.

I'll let you decide which is preferred by too many conservatives.

And no they not at all the same thing...on one hand there is Attila the Hun, Stalin and present day neo-cons and on the other Ghandi, MLK and Jesus.

Which world view would you say more closely resembles our society?

culheath ... there is one more avenue, life is not either/or, and love is not raising a human with no hardship and constant instant gratification. No "conservative" would use fear. Teaching a child there are consequences for your actions, that there is failure in life but that is a tool to be better, that as long as you do the best you are capable there is gratification in self-respect and respect of and for others. That anything that happens in your life is the result of an action or inaction you personally made at some point ..... that leaves very little that is "someone elses fault". The "conservative" way has worked for thousands upon thousands of years in civilization after civilization. The "Progressive" way has a track record of failure just as long.

I dont recall any of the three examples you use suggesting allowing a child to NOT learn those lessons. Nor a "conservative" suggesting they were not examples on self-respect and respect for others.

Careful what you say to culheath.

He does not live in reality judging from his post.

i guess i got the love side you are talking about cul,my father loved me so much he didn't put blinders on me,he showed me there are consequences in this world, without abuse as you call it. your grasp of reality makes me wonder...are you a therapist?

Dennis,

culheath ... there is one more avenue, life is not either/or, and love is not raising a human with no hardship and constant instant gratification. No "conservative" would use fear. Teaching a child there are consequences for your actions, that there is failure in life but that is a tool to be better, that as long as you do the best you are capable there is gratification in self-respect and respect of and for others.

Agreed.

The "conservative" way has worked for thousands upon thousands of years in civilization after civilization. The "Progressive" way has a track record of failure just as long.

Would you say that our sense of social justice in modern America is better than that of Rome or Middle Ages Europe or do you think our evolution throughout history to a more progressive society is at the basis of our ills? Do you suppose it was the liberals of Salem who burnt those witches or the liberals of the middle ages that came up with the idea of the Inquisition?

@!$%#_you

i guess i got the love side you are talking about cul,my father loved me so much he didn't put blinders on me,he showed me there are consequences in this world, without abuse as you call it. your grasp of reality makes me wonder...are you a therapist?

Nope...just love provoking you conservative into thinking about things other than your punishment cliches.

rome was pretty conservative,right? and what is wrong with teaching a child they can't just go out into the world saying or doing what they want? do you think they might not run into "the wrong person"? i have a feeling that my upbringing has alot to do with the fact that i am respectful of others and do not think i can just do anything i want to my fellow man,but keep up the good work.

@!$%#_you

rome was pretty conservative,right?

Yeah...very, very conservative, fascist even...they brought us the violent spectacles of the Colosseum and roadways lined with the rotting corpses of crucified criminals and plumbing and empire at the end of a sword.

and what is wrong with teaching a child they can't just go out into the world saying or doing what they want?

Absolutely nothing.

Love does not preclude discipline.

Discipline does not require violence, mostly just consistency, mutual respect and a rational purpose.

You can't beat self-discipline and you can't beat it into anyone either.

Culheath .... What does religious excesses or any other example you used have to do with "conservative" or "liberal". Thats the mistake of the left today, a lack of understanding of what a political conservatives is ... if they knew they would probably not be liberals. Try reading "The Federalist Papers" by Hamilton, Madison and Jay, it may educate you and make you angry at the idiocy you have been fed. I would suggest Reading "After America" by Mark Steyn as well ... I KNOW you will be irrate at the simplistic lunacy you currently take as gospel.

@_you ... well said.

there is a difference from a swat on the butt and a beating,no? a little heads up that's not nice is considered a beating? were you beat as a child cul? talking about it will help.

Dennis-387683

Culheath .... What does religious excesses or any other example you used have to do with "conservative" or "liberal". Thats the mistake of the left today, a lack of understanding of what a political conservatives is ... if they knew they would probably not be liberals.

Just so you know, I've studied the federalist papers and other political, religious and philosophical documents for around 50 years now. I know exactly what the difference between conservative and liberal ideation is and I have no doubt that any singular and insular view of the world is subject to being inherently wrong. Even as a raging progressive, or liberal if you like, I recognize conservative elements in myself depending on the subject at hand. What I rebuke in religious thought is unexamined dogma and it's desire for political control. Spiritual pursuits are fine, organized philosophy aimed at acquiring power is not.

However, regarding the overall thrust of history and human societal evolution, we are where we are today because of liberal advancements, not conservative ones. Progressives are for progress in all spheres and their tendency to invention has yielded both social and material advantage, whereas conservatives serve to balance that headlong rush into the future by attempting to preserve traditions and the wisdom learned by our past endeavors. The US did not come into being through conservatism, it is an inherently liberal idea that sprang from the social and political strides of the Enlightenment period.

"Our parents and thier parents had it right, somewhere along the way someone messed it up."

It got messed up when the Government took away our rights to be parents.

It got messed up when the Government took away our rights to be parents.

I remember when that bill passed! It was the "We're taking away your right to be parents" law. It must've been Jimmy Carter that signed it, right?

When I was young I learned how to respect authority, my mother and father at first in the home and the rest of the world in the process.

If I stepped out of line at home I got the oak board!

I am none the worse for wear and am appalled by the insolent nature of children today with parents being forced to coddle by progressive ideas that do not work.

Unfortunately, the 'oak board' comes far too late to correct these types of sociopaths and in the form of the 'clank' of a jail cell door. This is why I got the oak board, it is far more lenient than a jail sentence. I am glad I got the oak board too! It kept me in line so I didn't get the 'clank', oak board of the law.

We need to discipline our children differently, and not in the 'progressive' coddling fashion either. Give the most stubborn children the oak board, lest they get nuked with a jail cell 'oak board' because their parents wouldn't!

No, he's going to jail for the rest of his life. But it's not a jail like the ones you see on TV or the ones that actual ex-cons talk about. Nope, he'll go to the special "Democrats" jail.

In the "Democrats" jail, all prisoners who committed murder get out in 5 years. During their stay, they will be served surf and turf 3 times a week. With 5 executive golf courses at the prison, there's always fresh greens and manicured fairways, paid for by the taxpayers! For those who don't golf, well, there's 24/7 unrestricted internet access in every cell. Each cell has a 60" Samsung on the wall with all the Premium channels. Taxpayers pay for the pay-per-view broadcasts.

Yep... just ask any conservative and they'll tell you that this is what American jail is like. They're not only sure of it, they are also sure that "liberals" are responsible for it.

And besides, was going to kill them with a knife to start with.

Typical. Found what you liked in the article and then stopped before the REST of the facts got in the way of your point. He changed his mind KNOWING he couldn't cause them the pain a slow death from stabbing would incur. So he went and used the GUN he stole so the killing would be MUCH, MUCH easier, quicker, and cleaner.

No, the gun didn't kill these people but without it, they're probably both alive and this tragedy doesn't happen... THE KID PRACTICALLY ADMITTED THAT....

I thought to myself that if I were to kill my mom and Mallory, I wouldn't want them to feel anything, so I decided to kill them both with the .22 revolver I stole from my Grandpa

And of course we know that that will solve the problem of future killings because capital punishment is such a great deterrent and in no way mirrors and celebrates the very act you want to punish.

It is the only "deterrent" that is 100% effective ..... the criminal and individual who is a danger to society never harms another human again. All irrelevent anyway, society has a responsibility to protect its members, when an individual has proven they can not be trusted to life among others even once, the responsible and humane course of action is permanently remove that danger. Teach your cjildren that there are consequences for your actions, either good consequences for good actions and bad consequences for bad actions ... and the most horrible consequences for the ultimate of bad actions.

It's not 100% effective at all...that's like swatting one cockroach and thinking that the food you leave out on the counter is not the real problem. There's always more cockroaches.

It is the only "deterrent" that is 100% effective

Uhh, no. If that were true, states that have the death penalty would have zero murders. It is not a deterrent at all, it is simply a punishment.

AirThief

It is the only "deterrent" that is 100% effective

Uhh, no. If that were true, states that have the death penalty would have zero murders. It is not a deterrent at all, it is simply a punishment.

Thank you...and not only a punishment, but a punishment that advertizes that killing is a plausible solution to problems.

Will the circle be unbroken...

It may be a punishment and deterrent if they used it instead of letting the prosecuted ones live for years on death row and then even sometimes never see it happen to them and they die of natural causes. If they gave them one year only until the penalty was handed down it may be more affective.

Talk to the Hand

It may be a punishment and deterrent if they used it instead of letting the prosecuted ones live for years on death row and then even sometimes never see it happen to them and they die of natural causes. If they gave them one year only until the penalty was handed down it may be more affective.

If everyone who was convicted was actually guilty... your impatient quick fix, take 'em out back and shoot 'em idea might be plausible, though it still would advertize that violence is a reasonable solution to a much larger problem.

Uhh, no. If that were true, states that have the death penalty would have zero murders. It is not a deterrent at all, it is simply a punishment.

States that have and use the death penalty do have zero murders committed by the individuals they execute. Executed criminals have a Zero repeat offense rate. It works 100%

When asked about the death penalty and whether or not it prevented future crime, a panel of convicted criminals came out with the statement that made the most sense about preventing future murders! The answer they gave was "At least one potential murderer will no longer be able to commit one!"

For culhealt and his progressive themes, recidivism of crime is more previlent then an actual first time offense! Thus more crimes are commited by people who have been convicted of prior crimes then first time offenders! So to execute people convicted of crimes will prevent more crimes because you are eliminating the people who are carreer criminals!

And yes it is better to take a convicted murderer out and shot them straight away then to give them all the comforts of home, or better till they die of old age!

And all progressives should agree with my point straight away, for that would fall under their aurgument that aborting a human life would be much better than that poor person having to live a bad life is worse than it being murdered by the federal government!

As for nut jobs who commit these murders over and over again! First these movies and games that make killing fun - they are a Major problem with dehumanizing murder! Second the progressives will not let these lunitics be put away because it is against human rights, although murdering the innocents is okay! Look at Conn. where six months before Newtown the dems and the ACLU blocked a bill that made it easier to put these type people in mental wards - that sure helped with the problem of mass murder!

Third and last this gun grab is always in the wings with the liberal and progressives, because control of the masses, by taking away the right to defend themselves makes is easier to stuff whatever else the lefties want to stuff down our throats. We have proven ad nauseam that gun grabbing does not stop or slow these murders. But we ALL know that is not the point of the gun grabbers!

As for the assault gun ban and the max ten rounds. The assualt weapon is on a weapon that has no other feature than a pistol grip! A semi-automatic shotgun shoots the same way but puts holes of about an inch and a half versus less than a third of an inch. But the ten round clip is the actual sneekarsed attempt at gun control as a large amount of pistols have that capacity and of course the gun grabbers want to have a way to sleeeeeezily ban these pistols too!

Welcome to America!

We Americans, we're so full of ourselves that we actually think we're a civilized society. That kind of crazy "liberal" thinking prompted the Supreme Court to outlaw capital punishment for those who commit crimes when they're 17 or less.

We can't execute children? How crazy is that! Why, other civilized countries like Iran, Myanmar, Syria, and North Korea... they execute children! They're civilized societies, right?

Cant do that. It would be considered "cruel and unusual" to expect him to have consequences for ending anothers life just to see how it felt. The "progressive" agenda is more like life in prison ..... that will keep society safe for at least 10-15 years before he is released.

I have to agree with you Dennis. We need capitol punishment. The one thing it does is make sure that person will not murder again and that is a pretty good deterrent.

I tend to agree. The people that use his crime as an example to ban guns obviously failed to read where he had a knife in his hand and wanted to kill them that way until he decided he didn't want them to suffer. May as well ban rated R movies while we are at it too. What this kid did he did on his own, he thought about it for a good long while and weighed the pro's and con's, that to me is a cold blooded killer, he has no place in society and has no right to be given a lighter penalty because of his age. Letting someone who did what he did get just life in prison, with the possibility of parole because you know some lawyer is going to try to get him a lighter sentence, is just a slap on the wrist. It does nothing to deter anyone from committing murder like facing their OWN death could. As far as I'm concerned if you take a life by force, you should forfeit your own in most circumstances.

Dennis... the 2005 Supreme Court is not something anyone would call progressive, especially with 5 staunch conservatives that were in the Court during that time.

That said, the "CONSERVATIVE" agenda that the Supreme Court found compelling is stated in their ruling below (Roper v Simmons):

When ruling that juvenile offenders cannot with reliability be classified as among the worst offenders, the Court found significant that juveniles are vulnerable to influence, and susceptible to immature and irresponsible behavior. In light of juveniles’ diminished culpability, neither retribution nor deterrence provides adequate justification for imposing the death penalty.

Lyrica... the kid admitted he couldn't kill them with a knife. He rejected the knife due to the suffering. He wasn't going to use it, so you can't say

"he had a knife and wanted to kill them that way"

INCORRECT. He had a knife and then realized he COULDN'T kill them that way. THAT'S what happened. So he turned to a gun, which he knew was a clean, quick, sanitary way to kill. If he didn't have the gun, HE STILL PUTS THE KNIFE DOWN.

Lyrica... the kid admitted he couldn't kill them with a knife. He rejected the knife due to the suffering. He wasn't going to use it, so you can't say

"he had a knife and wanted to kill them that way"

Actually I can. As I clearly said "he had the knife in his hand and wanted to kill them that way UNTIL he decided he didn't want them to suffer." He had the knife in his hand. He thought he didn't want Mallory to suffer but then thought about all the times she was mean; it was only after a little bit he changed his plan. He CHANGED his plan from using the knife to using a gun so they wouldn't suffer. So yes, I can say he wanted to kill them that way at one point, he was even trying to build himself up to it, and then he decided against it for a gun.

"Grow up and take responsiblity for your crime."

Not allowed in a welfare Nanny-State.

Dennis-387683

"Grow up and take responsiblity for your crime."

Not allowed in a welfare Nanny-State.

Tell that to the 100,000 innocent Iraqis killed over non-existent weapons of mass destruction and wrongly blamed for 9/11...or even the interned Japanese during WWII...Germans weren't interred...how come?

I mean, Christ, conservatives won't even take blame for Bush or Cheney's crimes...talk about selective demands for responsibility. Pfft.

iraqis would not have died? no weapons o' mass destruction? tell that to my friend who was 50km from the mustard gas he was using. how about obamas war? his overthrowing of egypt and libya gave the taliban access to africa,which they are marching through as we speak. how about the people dying there? and i will never "take the blame" for someone elses' actions,sorry. what about obamas war cul?

I'll let you do the research for yourself but there are several people (even on this board from time to time) that were there and saw the chemical weapons and others first hand. Where do you think Syria got all those chemical weapons we are so intent on them not using? They were more than likely moved there from Iraq since the world gave Iraqis so much notice we were going to look for them. Hussein wasn't stupid.

@!$%#_you

&

Talk to the Hand,

Seriously? Neither of you can see the irresponsibility and speculative rationalizing you are showing in those comments?

I see Culheath conveniently forgot to mention the innocent Iraqis that were killed when Bill Clinton bombed the sh!t out of Iraq in 1998 or the innocent civilians that were killed when Obama bombed Libya or how about all the drones being used to kill people who have not been charged,tried or convicted of anything yet, People like Culheath are the same type of people that think that waterboarding is turture yet using drones is humane.

If I had to chose between waterboarding and a drone I would take the waterboarding anyday.

"speculating" come on cul, we're not going to be able to blame obama for backing the libian rebels who in turn started flying taliban flags on public buildings? or the "arab spring" in egypt? how about those rebs in syria?(probably backed by the taliban too,notice my use of too as the libian rebels were and backed by our saint president) are you going to deny the africans help too? obama started this chain and the french are the first in mali? damn right with the "waterboarding" there lost,ANYDAY.

LostInThePineBarrens:

You have an EXCELLENT point.

Cul, you come off as someone who thinks he is superior, but in reality, you're just looking at the other side screaming "FOUL!", but not looking to see what your own side is doing...

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS ON AN ARTICLE ABOUT A BOY WHO MURDERED HIS FAMILY? Seriously, why are you turning everything on here into a rant about conservatives?

I would think more people would think about killing others if they had to watch the Waterboy.

Speculating yeah. You're making connections where there's zero proof for it and even if you can correlate the flags, etc, you can't claim Obama's policies are the cause. That's the speculation part.

I can blame Bush and Cheney directly because they advertized exactly what they were doing. Do I agree with every foreign policy of Obama's? Nope. Nothing's that simple.

Culheath- Do you seriously think before you post? Do you think that because you did your research (through liberal sources mostly no doubt) that yours is the only "opinion" the that matters? I'm sure most everyone on this board has rooted beliefs and ideals from one party or the other. When we read a story such as this we tend to read our side of the story into/out of it. You can no more blame Bush for anything currently on Obama's plate than we can blame Clinton for 9/11 which took more than 5 years to plan...not to mention he had OBL in his sights on at least 3 occasions but refused to pull the trigger. If that were true than Bush would have been blaming Clinton for 9/11 and the two subsequent wars...Bush had many flaws but continuously blaming his predecessor for the country's current problems was never one of them.

Not allowed in a welfare Nanny-State.

You conservatives crack me up with your cliches. You pass "mandatory minimum" laws that fill our prisons - both violent felons and non-violent drug offenders end up in prisons for DECADES. Our prisons are FULL of people who are going to be in prison for long, long, periods of time thanks to mandatory minimums. I don't mind it at all for the violent felons, but it's somewhat crazy to incarcerate teens for decades because they got caught smoking weed in a field behind some school. Guess what kid, that field is school property and whether you know it or not, you are in a "drug free school zone". Weed in a drug free school zone? Sorry, that carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison!

You conservatives love to paint the picture that all murderers only spend 3-5 years in prison, and all the prisons offer golf, video games, and gourmet meals.

Bottom line: Males who commit murder GO TO JAIL for long periods of time in the USA. Now, if it were a female we were talking about... that's a different story.

jack-1792739

I would think more people would think about killing others if they had to watch the Waterboy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know all Adam Sandler 'films' have that effect on me :)

Ban movies, ban guns, ban video games, ban everything except the 'me first and to hell with you' mentality of far too many of today's youths.

David, Yeah it's grand pa's fault? What the F-is the matter with people like you?

David ...... And he would have been better off using a knife as he intended? Maybe it WAS locked away and he knew where the key was. The only effective way to prevent misuse is lock away the mentally disturbed young male. Cant do that of course, the ACLU figures that is not PC. Of course then he ACLU has the issue of mentally disturbed turned out in the streets and why is there no way to keep them safe ..... boggles the mind the rationality of the left.

Dennis: Play the blame game much?

I have to admit that has to be the most sane reasoning I have ever heard

from a responsible gun owner. I have numerous friends that either own guns or have owns guns.

None of them have ever felt the need to have them for protection.

Most of them are married and have children. All of the guns are securely locked up.

I have not one problem with gun ownership. I choose not to own them.

Kids so not just watch a movie or play a video game and all of a sudden decide to kill someone.

If they are taught the difference between Reality and fantasy. There might be less problems

Since nothing was mentioned about a Father. I am curious what the family situation is ?

Since the Divorce rate in this Country is roughly 50 % maybe one of these learned Mental health professionals do a study on the effects of divorce has on young boys. They would rather blame everything

on ADHD and fill them up with pills. I guess there is less profit in finding out Real answers ?

E-girl .... not placing blame, trying to point out the best intentions and good heart has consequences. You probably do not remember the time period when all the mentally ill had to be released onto the streets from facilities for the mentally ill by the thousands. It was an actual case and of course the consequences where not what the good-hearted just KNEW was better ..... it never is.

right jon,that's ALL these "professionals" do. they tried to medicate my daughter, right off the bat,when ALL she needed was structure AND discipline at her moms. witch doctors overmedicating our youth instead of breaking the "bad news" that life is NOT fair,these kids are growing up wanting everything in their lives to be "easy" and are not taught coping skills,just dope them up if they get out of line.

Dennis-387683

E-girl .... not placing blame, trying to point out the best intentions and good heart has consequences. You probably do not remember the time period when all the mentally ill had to be released onto the streets from facilities for the mentally ill by the thousands. It was an actual case and of course the consequences where not what the good-hearted just KNEW was better ..... it never is.

Not when you've got all these wallet worshiping conservatives refusing to pay for putting those released into individual homes with individual treatments instead of just warehousing them into abusive for profit warehouses and pushing their "personal responsibility cures everything" world view...even onto those incapable of it.

The problem was not the release of mental patients from the well-documented horrors of asylums , it was the release of them onto the streets with zero support afterward. "God damned mental defects, why don't they get a job like everybody else. Why should I have to spend my hard earned...blah blah blah"

Cain: Am I my brother's keeper?

Cain: Am I my brother's keeper?

I am my brothers keeper but I am not your brothers keeper, yes it may be a hardship for a family that has a family member that needs some type of mental help but it is not the responsibility of the state or federal government to provide mental or even medical help to everyone, When my father died and my mother could no longer take care of herself we took care of her just like my parents had taken care of their parents when they needed it. I have no problem taking care of my brothers or sisters or parents or grandparents but I am not responsible to take care of yours. That is your job.

haha-cul wallet worshiping? my "conservative" azz is broke! but you know what? i have taken in three different people this year(poorer then me) and fed them to help them get back on their feet. and don't give 2 @!$%#s about not having any now and do it ALL over again,wallet worshiping,ha

Cul:

"Not when you've got all these wallet worshiping conservatives"

For the record, I consider myself a Libertarian, but I have to ask, how much money have you donated to organizations that help the mentally ill? How much time have you volunteered to help people? How many things have you personally sacrificed, so that you could have the money to donate to good causes?

Do you know which states give the most to charity? RED.

"When I think of the time she hurt my feelings." Nut-up. F**ckin' P**y! They're all p**ies!

Now do you see that when someone is sick, they are just sick. Don't hear all of the animal comments you give black people when they commit a crime. This is sad and we need help as a whole country on finding mental homes to have people commited to when there family knows there is a problem.

Jessicalc

Cul:

"Not when you've got all these wallet worshiping conservatives"

For the record, I consider myself a Libertarian, but I have to ask, how much money have you donated to organizations that help the mentally ill? How much time have you volunteered to help people? How many things have you personally sacrificed, so that you could have the money to donate to good causes?

Funny you should ask. It's what I do. My whole life is about donating and helping people. Volunteer is my middle name because I realized along time ago if I want to live in a better world, it's up to me to make that better world.

LostInThePineBarrens

Cain: Am I my brother's keeper?

I am my brothers keeper but I am not your brothers keeper,

we're all in the same boat, it just depends how big you make the sea...

@!$%#_you

haha-cul wallet worshiping? my "conservative" azz is broke! but you know what? i have taken in three different people this year(poorer then me) and fed them to help them get back on their feet. and don't give 2 @!$%#s about not having any now and do it ALL over again,wallet worshiping,ha

Good for you, man...I voted that post up for sure.

LostInThePineBarrens

Cain: Am I my brother's keeper?

I am my brothers keeper but I am not your brothers keeper,

Culheath

we're all in the same boat, it just depends how big you make the sea...

At what point do I get to decide to throw the life preserver to my family member and not have it taken by my government and given to yours(not yours literally but you know what I mean). I give to my local charities and I donate time to my local shelters, I am not a church going person but I(we ,meaning my family) support our local churches and charities as much as we can.

Now...where did the rest of that post go...was it deleted by someone...Moderators?

Dennis.. keep saying he intended to use a knife, even though he flat out said he couldn't do it with a knife.

I realize your point is thin and you have to rely on how you want the story to be, rather than what it actually is.

While I don't believe Grandpa was to blame, I do believe he was negligent to the point where a death occurred due to his negligence. I personally wish his negligence was deemed a criminal act and he had to stand trial for it.

A person would have to be mentally ill to want to live in a society of constant surveillance and the Nanny checking to see if you good little sheep .. maybe issue a little blue pill to all citizen to keep them in a stupor? England has the most cameras focused on the citizen than anywhere in the world, a recent article pointed out there are so many stabbings on school campuses a parent can now outfit their children with a trendy Kevlar lined jacket.

"in the middle of what could be called a global mental health epidemic"

Not the whole world, just the part that doesnt realise all cultures are NOT the same and you can not project your views and interpretations on members with different customs and world views.... in other words the PC west, the rest of the world is perfectly happy taking advantage of the simple-minded "progressive".

All that aside, ever wonder why as the world gets more "progressive" mental cases and violence increase? Nawwww couldnt be cause and effect.

funny dennis,we have to stop sparing the rod people,laura- don't be advocating that MORE kids see these witch doctors that only prescribe drugs to children! these idiots should be held accountable(the ones medicating the mass shooters) for their role in the shootings.

maybe issue a little blue pill to all citizen to keep them in a stupor?

That's how Russia did it. Only in liquid form. Vodka!!!

Laura, well said! I agree. We can continue to do the nothing we are already doing and let things go until the next horrible event; which we know is just a matter of time. I said in my earlier post it is obvious that something is broken but we are waiting for the next generation to fix it because we don't want to be inconvenienced ... not even for a day, for the well being of our society. Sadly, it always boils down to money.

this person is a killer, digusting. he killed his mother - the woman who he should have respected and loved. He killed his sister - cuz she hurt his feelings. This young man needs to be punished. Mental Health too bad quit with the bs and punish this man has he should be punished - death row. We don't need to spend our tax dollars on losers like these in prison. This isn't about a movie or gun or a knife. This is about a killer who is looking at eternity in hell.

Wow this dude is sick as @!$%#. I mean it's one thing to be curious...but to kill your own family ..? Disgusting. This is why I hate Hollywood, they glamorize things that don't need to be glamorized. And dumb kids like this, are the reason why this world is so @!$%#ed up, blaming everything on Music and movies and TV shows. This kid honestly should have killed himself.

The little turd just wanted to see what it felt like to kill someone--- he doesn't want to tell people what a thrill he got from- the little turd deserves the death penalty but of course he won't get it.

I am from California and never liked Diane Feinstien.

I wouldn't give two cents for anyone in Congress now from either party.

Why does everything have to be political ?

All politics does is divide people and nothing ever gets solved.

The only way problems ever get solved is working together to find the root of the problem.

We have done that John, and we have found the root of the problem is republicans.

Who is this we you speak of, Do you have a frog in your pocket, This last election was won by less than 4% of the vote and not everyone voted, Are you saying that because you think you are smarter than us we should just lay down and obey you.

THERE IS NOT EXCUSES FOR VIOLENCE!!! PERIOD. I am a great fan of scary movies and I am not a PSYCHO!, however; I do recognized there are Serious mental illness, disorders and behavioral problems that if they are not treated or attended on time can cause such as terrible disaster sand tragedies in the family and the community. I am a parent, and I understand the importance to be aware of your children/teens needs/problems and to get help immediately.

Lost - I seem to read in your post that you are the only one who could possibly be right.

Poor Grandpa...Having a bout of dimentia, Reading something into my post that is not there, Are you feeling paranoid, I responded to an individual who seemed to think that Republicans were the sole reason our government is dysfunctional and your response was to read something into my post that is not there. Blind party loyalty like you are routing for your favorite sports team is a big reason our government is so messed up.