Thousand Oaks Shooting: Psychopath or Mentally Unstable?

Earlier this month on November 7, a tragedy occurred in Southern California.  Patrons of the Borderline Bar & Grill of Thousand Oaks, California were faced with the horror of being a part of one of the deadliest mass shootings in America during 2018.  The gunman (male), who will remain unnamed in this post, killed twelve people with a single handgun in the Thousand Oaks bar.  Many of the victims were natives of the city or students at the nearby Pepperdine University.  As with all other mass-shootings in America, many questions arose about the gunman's mental health and possible motives.

According to an article by the Washington Post, the gunman has had a history of inappropriate behavior, possibly driven by mental illness.  Dominique Colell, the girls' head coach for track and field at his old high school, recounted her memories of the gunman yelling expletives at her whenever he ran past her.  During one encounter between the two, the gunman had been enraged and groped while the other students watched in horror.  Additionally, high school classmates of the shooter have described him as "a good kid with an explosive temper."  The gunman would regularly get into fights if he were provoked.  One day, the gunman had brought a gun to school. However, he did not get punished because no adults were able to witness this crime.

Four days after the tragedy, it is still unknown whether or not there had been a motive in the shooting.  It is now known that the gunman had served in the Marine Corps.  General Robert B. Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps, sent his condolences to the victims of the shooting and condemned the actions of the "ex-marine," which is considered an insult among veterans.

It is hard to determine whether or not the shooter was a psychopath, an individual who suffers from a lack of empathy and remorse and has egotistical traits.  One thing is for sure:  the killer was a disturbed individual, who was possibly motivated to commit this wicked act caused by his suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental sickness that many veterans often face when they return to civilian life.  But, it seems like the suspect had been suffering from mental problems far before he enlisted in the Marine Corps.  What has happened in Thousand Oaks is a tragedy, and the victims are in America's prayers.

Washington Post Article