Elliot Rodger - the UCSB Mass Shooting

[DammitJanet]

I am posting this here not to cause another big argument about gun control but maybe this poor young man's family may find us by googling his name.

I heard on TV yesterday about the mass shooting. It was a horrible tragedy for all involved. I listened so closely to the news about his 140 page manifesto and his rants on Youtube. This was a very troubled young man however he was also a very intelligent person too. I can see how he was able to fool anyone who tried to get him help.

Right now from what I can see people are trying to blame the parents for not getting him the help he needed but we all know how incredibly difficult that can be, especially once the person becomes an adult. Its so hard even if they are a child. I dont know what the answers are but I do know we have to do something different. I do believe this young man's family believed he had a problem because they sent the police to check on him in April. Most likely their simple fears werent enough to get him 5150'd.

Oddly this boy sounded much like my mother with his delusional, black and white thinking. He lived in a world he built up in his mind that didnt much resemble the real world.

 

[witzend]

The sad part is that Elliot and so many other people who so desperately know that the way to put it off is to just say, "Nah, I'm fine. I've just been a little sad (upset/angry/lonely...) lately. I'm not going to do anything to anyone."

 

[busywend]

This is especially troubling as people who knew him well were begging for someone in power to step in. Nobody listened. Very sad. They tried though and that is all they could do.

sent from mobile phone

 

[Annie2007]

I truly believe the mental health system is broken. I have begged every hospital my son had been in to not let him out until he was on the right medication and responding well. The longest they kept him was 2 weeks. They basically told me once he hits the curb outside the hospital, they don't care. He has been court ordered to go to mental health center, but never followed up. I have written the judges and never got any help. Even the police have said, he will hurt someone or get killed himself. No help.


Sent using ConductDisorders mobile app

 

[DammitJanet]

That is what is so really wrong. I heard yesterday that this young man sent his family and/or friend copies of his manifesto and links to the youtube videos. They were out frantically looking for him while he was involved in this mass shooting. I cannot imagine being in their shoes. Or actually maybe I can sorta. I really worried about something like this.

What is so sad is that this was really a good looking young man who could have had a nice life.

 

[witzend]

Janet, I think we can imagine being in their shoes all too well.

 

[BusynMember]

I think the scariest part of this is that I hadn't even heard about it. Granted, I've taken a rest from watching the news, but I can't entirely avoid it, especially while in the car where I often listen to NPR and I hadn't even heard there had been another school shooting. I guess our society is getting used to it.

Sad.

 

[Childofmine]

Yesterday on Facebook a friend of mine posted that this happened because the young man didn't know Jesus Christ.

What? I am a Christian and that comment is ridiculous.

I did post, very calmly, that I think it's primarily because he was mentally ill.

And further, the whole problem centers around money. It would cost a lot to truly provide the type of care that so many mentally ill people need, including my own son, who is a drug addict.

I have heard professionals say that nine months of rehab, with a combination of 90 days inpatient and six months intensive outpatient, has proven to have a major impact on repeat addicts. Who is going to pay for that? That is the real issue and that is why so many mentally ill people do not get help.

I don't know the answer. This continues to happen and we all wring our hands and say how awful it is and nothing changes.

I can only imagine the terrible grief and pain of his parents and family members.

 

[DammitJanet]

I think it would take even longer than the 90 days myself but then again I dont really know. I do know that I have tried quitting cigarettes before and it is so hard. One of the major problems with people who are adults is that no one can force them into rehab. Its hard to force them if they are under 18.

For some reason the talking heads seem to think that this guy may make a difference because he was so obviously mentally ill. I dont know. I hope his actions do have some small lasting impact at least.

 

[Kathy813]

I have read that the parents were desperately seeking help but there was nothing they could do since he was legally an adult. They had asked the police to do a welfare check about a month before this happened and the police said that Elliot was a "nice, timid" young man and never entered the apartment.

He later wrote that had the police entered his apartment they would have found the weapons and "ruined his plan."

He also sent his parents a copy of his manifesto right before the shooting and the parents again desperately called the police in an effort to stop him.

I feel so bad for them and the parents of the victims. The father of one of them is speaking out forcefully about the need to stop this kind of thing. No one even seems to care anymore.

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont think its that we dont care, I think its that no one knows how to make the changes. The people who can make changes simply have no clue what people in the trenches are up against and they dont seem to be able to ask the right questions. All people want to do when something like this happens is yell and point fingers which solves nothing and just buries the real issues at hand.