Once again a socially isolated young man lives out a violent suicide fantasy by attacking an institution equated with authority, belonging and hope for the future. We can all point to his apparent fascination with 'Goth' culture and violent video games and say they created this monster when in reality he was more likely drawn to these things because of what they appear to represent - the legitimization of social marginalization as a defining characteristic of self image and the normalization of acts of extreme violence. These assumptions about both 'Goth' culture and the effects of violent video games and the use of these assumptions as a central theme in our examination of this kind of violent act ignores the real roots of this kind of pathology.
We have already examined the forces at work within our society which allow these individuals to become so disturbed that this type of event results. We know the precursors to these acts and this young man had displayed many. There was reportedly no attempt to hide his violent fantasies. He made daily posts filled with violence and hatred on a blog that also contained photos of himself posing with weapons- apparently a strong warning sign of the serious potential of violence.
The real examination of these events should center on the societal indifference that is at the foundation of our failure to act based on our knowlege of signs of this kind of pathology. The specifics of this case are important only in that they will teach us more about the need for us all to use the knowlege we have to apprehend of these individuals before they can do harm.
[INDENT]As a final note... the quick and descisive actions of two montreal police officers saved many young lives. The courage of the two men is an example for all of us. The other thank-you is to the montreal police for the change in policy regarding this kind of operation. After Marc Lepine's murderous rampage 17 years ago, during which the police, according to the practice of the time, simply put up a perimeter and waited for SWAT to arrive, procedure was changed and training implemented that would prepare all uniformed officers to "pinpoint and neutralize" individuals presenting an imminent threat to human life. Well done!

This must be a misprint. I read on AllForums that this only happens in the United States.

'Work sucks … School sucks … Life sucks … What else can I say?' he wrote. 'Metal and Goth kick ass. Life is like a video game, you gotta die sometime.'


What a loser...

I bet his last words were "My cheat codes aren't working"
/stolen from fark

This must be a misprint. I read on AllForums that this only happens in the United States.

Yah, I remember reading that too. And Michael Moore sorta implied it in Bowling for Columbine. Regardless of what part of the world you live in, Maniacs are going to be there.

For once, googs, I agree with you. I hope, for once, that the perpetrator is blamed rather than if the criminal couldn't get a gun, or didn't have such a trashy childhood or if his mother had just loved him or whatever excuse it is.....

Dammit.