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What is the psychology of people who idiolize mass shooters, sees them as heroes and replicate their acts? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Im not fully grasping how the mind of those "copycats" works. People who are obsessed with Columbine for example, and want to do a mass shooting. That is their thought process? Is there some study I can read exploring what's on their minds?

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Most are in desperate situations and are truly hurting. So they see someone do that and they tend to think “that would teach the people I view as hurting me a lesson”. They then commit the act and realize it was absolutely not what they wanted and a stark realization of what they did and what their life will become dawns on them. And so they commit suicide.

This is not a blanket statement, but in general this appears to be what’s going on

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I agree with most of what you said, but I think the decision to end their lives is often premeditated, not a sudden decision where they realize they fucked up. It’s why some will leave notes or manifestos behind.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Some for sure. That’s why this isn’t a generalization, but after hearing some psychiatric interviews with ones who were caught they often said it wasn’t what they wanted and they knew their life was over and they were really scared

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

So they see someone do that and they tend to think “that would teach the people I view as hurting me a lesson”.

I'd bet that works because it seems to be is a culture of solving problems with people you don't like by shooting said people.

Damn, that could perfectly be a short description of the US foreign policy.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Only the foreign policy?...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Well, I'm not from the US, I can only attest what I see and suffer myself.