Rage of the Random Actor Live Addendum
Chapter 20   
Schools and Random Actor Students


Errata (Unless otherwise noted, corrections are only in the first printing)
1. The paragraph on page 367 that begins the "College and University Incidents" section should read:
      In Chapter 1, I recount my 2002 meeting with officials at a major university who expressed disbelief that their statistically safe campus might have an incident. Their campus was one of 35 that I identified in August of 2002 as extremely at risk for an incident, and I informed senior staff at each of the assessment. Within weeks, incidents hit: the University of Arizona College of Nursing had the first mass campus shooting and a University of Texas at Arlington student was arrested for intent to become a suicide bomber. Both campuses and their communities had the attributes of the quadrant: small town or suburban atmosphere, state schools, military presence nearby, etc. This doesn’t mean that they were ineffective institutions, rather, like their K–12 counterparts, they were unprepared to identify the < traits. It’s a story that goes back to the first major incident in 1966.

Psych Ward Effect? . . . Random Actor slayings in February 2008 . . .
DK (Posted 02-15-2008) February 2-14, 2008 saw several Random Actor mass slayings. First, a suburbanite killed five at city hall in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, MO. On Feb 8, a Louisiana Tech nursing student killed 2 and herself, similar to the 2002 U. of Arizona at Tucson case detailed in Rage of the Random Actor. Then on Valentine's day, a grad student killed 6 and wounded over a dozen. I warned University officials before the slayings it was unlikely that school slayings would not occur because of the 75-100 threats per day. Today, it is now statistically safer to go to a K-12 school and avoid a Random Actor attack than a college or university; a reversal of the situation in 2002 when the first assistance was provided to higher education cases (more in Chapters 20 and 21 in Rage).


LOUISIANA TECH (3 DEAD) - FEB 8 2008
N. ILLINOIS U. MASS SHOOTINGS (6 DEAD, 16 iNJURED) - VALENTINE'S DAY 2008
DK (Posted 02-15-2008) Both of these cases were Random Actor cases. May have been Psych Ward Effect  as noted above (also see Rage Chapter 8)  . . . and like most cases both killers could have  probably been pre-identified. Both observed to be troubled before killing. Raw interview footage demonstrates again that students couldn't interpret behavior of what they observed and didn't see a threat.  Article LA Tech Case  Article N. Illinois U.
Stephen Kazmierczak,              
                             NIU Shooter, 27, grad student     Latina Williams, LA Tech shooter,
                                                                            23 nursing student

N. ILLINOIS U. SHOOTER FOLLOW-UP
Absolutely nothing remarkable about him that isn't consistent with other school shooter
Media first reportage plays up that he can't fit profile of school shooter
DK (Posted 02-17-2008) AP reports that shooter can't fit a profile "If there is such a thing as a profile of a mass murderer, Steven Kazmierczak didn't fit it: outstanding student, engaging, polite and industrious, with what looked like a bright future in the criminal justice field.". . . then AP releases story after story that details his observable traits of the Random Actor. See Articles below:
Article that says he can't fit a profile       Article that details Kazmierczak's Random Actor traits

Short List of actions that reveal his Random Actor traits from reports
High Fearful: prone to severe anxiety - needed medication; unstable relationships
High Unpredictable: Extremely unconventional criminal justice thesis; bizarre tatoos (see below)




VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING
NOTE: On 4-16-07 I posted the following before details were known about the shooter. Today, 04-17-07, it was confirmed that the shooter had the Random Actor profile and was from an affluent community. What is not yet confirmed is the at-risk family background of the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old senior majoring in English. More importantly, below is a dialogue that took place between the president of a major university and the chief of police as the events unfolded on April 16. It was on a statistically safe campus that is also considered high at risk for a Random Actor incident by a student.

    President: What do you think about this?
    Chief: The shooter is going to commit suicide, is affluent, and he has displayed very specific Random Actor behaviors that have been observed by others.
    President: How do you know this?
    Chief: I have been trained how to prevent and respond to Random Actor incidents.

DK (Posted 04-16-2007) Virginia Tech Shooting - Largest in US history (posted the day of the shooting)
  The Shooter: Follow the news reports and you will see that the shooter(s) has the Random Actor profile, comes from an at-risk background, and most likely is from a statistically safe community.
  The Campus: A statistically safe community and campus, the shooting occurred in a small town. Every mass school shooting occurs in statistically safe locales: either a suburb or small town as noted in the book. The campus represented the MANAGER quadrant: state school, technical disciplines, military presence, small town.
  Journal Article:  In January 2006, I wrote a journal article for the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement (chiefs of police of colleges and universities) after a keynote address to that organization in August 2005 in which the Random Actor threat was detailed and which campuses had the greatest likelihood of an attack. Today's tragic attack was straight out of the article.

DK (Posted 04-17-2007) RANDOM ACTOR PROFILE CONFIRMED Here is the first of many articles confirming the shooter's profile. Article   Here is another Article posted on 4-18-07

DK (Posted 04-17-2007) SHOOTER FROM UPSCALE AFFLUENT COMMUNITY CONFIRMED Article

DK (Posted 05-6-2007) The basic facts are now in and almost all square with the pattern of other Random Actor school attacks. (FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK, THE POSTINGS ON THIS LIVE ADDENDUM WILL NOT MAKE SENSE AND SHOULD ONLY BE QUOTED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BOOK.)
   1. Cho had the Random Actor profile
   2. There was a severe behavioral paper trail of his Random Actor actions that was recognizable by many
   3. He committed his attack on a campus that is in the middle of the MANAGER quadrant: state        campus, traditional environment, statistically safe small town, military presence on the campus.
   4. Regarding the at-risk family background, it appears that something did happen to him that ignited his paranoia at a young age - probably some type of sexual abuse - but whether what happened to him was from his immediate family has not yet been confirmed.
  Cho Seung-Hui
 

FINLAND MASS SCHOOL SHOOTER IN COUNTRY THAT HAS ONE OF HIGHEST SUICIDE RATES IN THE WORLD (11-7-2007)
Pekka-Eric Auvinen, 18-year-old student, kills 8 and commits suicide in small town in Finland. As noted in Rage of the Random Actor, in 1998 Finnish police were warned why Finland high at risk for student Random Actor incident, even though statistically safe. As noted in Rage of the Random Actor, Finland was also the site of the first college suicide bombing by a student who didn't have an issue or a cause. Shooting was in a statistically safe small town, displayed the Random Actor traits before the shootings, and took his life (Bunker Syndrome) He telegraphed his intent on a YouTube video he posted and corresponded through the Internet with Pennsylvania teen. Below Auvinen is seen in school picture and on his YouTube video. Like most cases, state officials talk of tighter gun laws but nothing on how to identify and provide intervention before there is an incident. Article   Article   Article

                                            
14-YEAR-OLD CLEVELAND STUDENT SHOOTS 4, KILLS SELF AT MAGNET SCHOOL (10-10-2007
A 14-year-old student, Asa Coon, obsessed with the gothic subculture, shot 2 students and 2 teachers. Here are factors regarding this case:
   1. It occurred at a magnet school, not an alternative education school for at-risk youths who have gotten into trouble as initially reported . . . rather a school for new creative pathways for instruction where 94% graduated. He was bright but too young for anger management classes according to school officials. Many "inner-city" youths attended, but not for behavioral problems, like the alternative education schools discussed in Rage of the Random Actor. While he was white, there is no indication that the attack was racially motivated.
   3. His Random Actor traits were plainly visible long before the attack, but students and educators didn't understand the significance and how to intervene. He was from a broken home, his brother, 19 had served time and was arrested the day before the attack, etc.
   4. He said something to the effect that he didn't believe in God and Marilyn Manson was his god.
   5. School District shut down for entire day, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
   6. Professionals and neighbors read his COMMUNICATION-TALK traits and didn't know how to work with his Random Actor PERFORMANCE-WALK traits. Court officer: "polite and well-mannered." Neighbor: "He was nice and liked to play around."  Article 5
   7. Another boy in a Philadelphia suburb was caught the next day with a "Columbine" type plot including grenades he made. Just another of the 75-100 threats a day in N. American schools. Article 6
Article 1     Article 2    Article 3  Article 4

  Asa Coon seen on security camera
 

DK (11-20-2006) In the small town of Edsdetten at Geschwister-Scholl junior high school at 09:30 on Monday, an 18-year-old teenager morning wearing a combat mask and clad in black opens fire and wounds 11. In very first media accounts, Random Actor traits are reported.  Spiegel Article

DK (10-2-2006) 3 US school shootings by adults and a youth - All apparently Random Actors. Adults in Colorado and Pennsylvania in Amish Country and a student in Wisconsin slay several in separate Random Actor incidents over last several days - all in small towns.  Amish School slaying article  Wisconsin principal slain  Colorado school slaying

Amish Case Observations: 1) Like many of these incidents, the media focus is on the wrong part of the perpetrators profile - their COMMUNICATION type. In the Amish case, the emphasis is on the fact that the killer sounded calm on the phone, which gives absolutely no indication whether or not Charles Carl Robert IV (32) would kill. Article  2) Also, pattern of his extreme Random Actor past behavior should have been noticed by someone  Front Page Dallas Morning News  3) The myth is that small towns in Pennsylvania should not have seen this kind of act coming. In fact, PA has had numerous Random Actor slayings and near misses in the last few years, as noted in Rage of the Random Actor, including the Red Lion Case. I have received many calls from across PA over the last few years by state school safety officials and law enforcement.  Article - No longer safe

DK (9-13-2006) Canadian School Shooting - 2 dead 19 wounded; PREDICTION: Like every other school case, killer attired in trench coat and mohawk will have predictable Random Actor profile, background profile, triggering stressors, and many noted he was escalating. In 2000, I provided one day of training at the first workshop in the world on how to identify Random Actor students and interview youth of "tender age." The locale: Chatham, Ontario Canada. Today's incident will no doubt tumble out like all other school incidents: Random Actor, middle class or above, educated, many saw him escalating. As of today, there is no report on who he is. As an exercise, track the media reports and see how many items detailed in the book are reported. Article

      

Students fleeing Dawson College, a Canadian Prep School for high school-aged students (09-13-06)

DK (9-14-2006) Montreal case continued  - Today, day after shooting, all the key markers similar to other Random Actor school shootings appear in media reports. The killer, Kimveer Gill (25), from Montreal suburb of Laval, had the Random Actor traits, showed high FEARFUL trait, educated, and from broken home. He also spiritualized his rage, common in most cases where Random Actors killed and detailed in Chapter 12. There is no mystery to these cases and if more laymen knew the traits and the 3-point intervention many of these incidents would be averted. Kimveer's blog on vampirefreaks.com website  Article - Random Actor traits are clear

Kimveer Gill on website. Note he spiritualizes his rage (a consistent Random Actor pattern in most Random cases as amplified in Chapter 12)

DK (8-7-2006) 40 year anniversary of Univ. of Texas mass shooting from the "Tower" On August 1, 1966, the first mass school shooting took place on a US campus. Charles Whitman, as noted in Chapter 20, not only was the first of the mass school shooters (although it didn't establish a trend), he was also the first mass shooter period.

Officer makes arrests using Random Actor Profile DK (4-24-2006) . . .

Up to 75-100 times a day suburban and small-town youths are found with bombs, weapons, and plots to take out their school (11-17-2007)

Columbine anniversary threats only tip of iceberg - teen and young adult arrested for terrorist plot  The number of school threats is at a LEVEL HIGHER THAN BEFORE Columbine and pre-9-11. Only a small number of these cases receive significant reportage in media outlets. These are not prank threats . . . rather authentic threats. It's now at the highest level in North American history. 

Incidents included a thwarted attack on Valentine's Day (kids in Lancaster, CA wanted to commit their own St. Valentine's Day Massacre; others plot attacks on April 20 anniversary of the Littleton, CO massacre at Columbine High School). Article - Columbine Anniversary threats
     In one case in Gulf Shores, Alabama where a mass shooting was to take place on the anniversary of Columbine, an officer uncovered a plot and said that the Random Actor profile in Rage of the Random Actor helped him bring closure to the case and make a total of 4 arrests. Article - Gulf Shores case - Anniversary of Columbine - Random Actor profile helped officer
     In Georgia, a teen and a young adult (who was an engineering student) were arrested for an alleged terrorist attack on the US.  Article - Teen and young adult arrested in terrorist plot
     Washington state, home of Microsoft and Boeing, always has a large number of threats, including three recent ones this past week.   Article - Washington state threats

Yahoo listings on 4-11-06 that had bomb or school in article (first page only of listings)


DK (2-11-06) Cape Cod Students plants bomb on campus Article

DK (12-15-05) Lancaster, CA - Students plot "St. Valentines" Massacre Article

DK (2-2-06): 10th anniversary of mass school shooting in Moses Lake, WA. It was one of a handful of isolated incidents before the Pearl, MS shooting that established a trend. The attached article reveals the same consistent themes in other shootings: Random Actor profile, small town, student not violent before the incident and was "off the radar," etc. AP Article

DK (12-03-2005): Number of school incidents with students found with bombs and plots alarming
As noted in the chapter, the number of potential school incidents appears to escalating, not decreasing. Click here for a sampling of 14-year-old cases that all appeared on Yahoo News on 12-03-05

DK (12-17-2005): Line between student-led "terrorist" incidents and juvenile mischief blurring
 As more and more students are charged and convicted of making "terrorist" threats against their schools, more will likely be charged under laws designed to protect against adult terrorists. Click here for article from the Detroit Free Press that counterpoints several cases.

DK(10-06-2005): First U.S. College Campus Suicide Bombing – Student Has Random Actor Profile
 The first suicide bombing on a US college campus occurred on October 1, 2005. Joel Hinrichs, 21, strapped with an explosive device, apparently committed suicide by detonating the device about 100 yards away from the Oklahoma University football stadium about 10 minutes before half time. Fans were told they couldn't exit the stadium at half-time and remained remarkably calm.
   Hinrichs, an engineering student from Colorado Springs, had both the RANDOM ACTOR traits and other common attributes identified in the text.
   1. (High FEARFUL) Suffered severe despondency. Hirichs's father said, "“He was a very intelligent, very private individual who somehow lost the confidence that his life would be a good one,” the elder Hinrichs said. “Obviously, every parent believes their son is a good kid, and I certainly believed that about mine.” (AP 10-02-05)
   2. (High UNPREDICTABLE) Described as "different," he was obsessed with guns and ammunition. It may never be known if he only decided to commit suicide or his device prematurely detonated before he could maneuver next to others. The nature of the act, though, was extremely UNPREDICTABLE.  How one student described him in the school paper.
   3. Parents were going through a divorce
   4. Affluent and educated
   5. Intellectually bright
OU as a campus represents the MANAGER quadrant:
   1. Small town environment
   2. State school
   3. Statistically safe
   4. Extremely traditional environment
 Should families send their kids to OU?
    That OU represents the MANAGER quadrant to the RANDOM ACTOR doesn't mean that families shouldn't send their students there as it is an outstanding educational institution. Rather, campuses that are regarded as the MANAGER quadrant by RANDOM ACTORS should have staff in strategic places (as listed in Chapter 21) who understand the RANDOM ACTOR traits and how to apply the three-point intervention. Like the U. of Arizona case, Hinrichs and Flores were both known by campus professionals to have problems, yet none could connect the dots regarding the significance of what they observed as it related to the RANDOM ACTOR traits and the threat potential.
Significance of this incident
   First, Oklahoma has now been the site of two unique incidents in US history. First, the OKC bombing which resulted in the greatest loss of life to date committed by an American. Second, the first suicide bombing by a U.S. college student on a U.S. campus. A third incident that was not unique but was one of the first mass high school shootings occurred in 1999 in Ft. Gibson. Oklahoma as a state clearly has the facade of the MANAGER quadrant. This doesn't mean that it is an undesirable place to live, statistically unsafe, etc., rather it must address reducing its vulnerability to Random Actor incidents.
Second OU incident involving student and bombs in 2 months
    This was the second major student-bomb incident in two months involving an OU student. In August, Charles Alfred Dreyling, a 24-year-old OU student, was arrested at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City with a pipe bomb in his carry-on bag. He was convicted and faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine