When the fanatical become dangerous

Photo by Ashley Rogers

Cries went unheard as gunman unleashed his wrath on California town

With shooting massacres steadily becoming a frequent, negative staple on our society, many are asking why. What has lead us down this long path of elementary school, movie theater, and military base deaths? Some citizens are quick to return blame to the NRA and are zealous in the efforts to create more gun control laws. This provides a viable base on which logical thinkers can stand, but is there more to be perceived here? Are we missing the tightly wound veil that has covered our eyes to the true cause of these occurrences? Could mental illness or the lack of focus thereof be the true assailant here or are we just going in circles, reaching for some dark, phantom to blame?

Regardless of the focus of our anger, the sad facts still remain. In Santa Barbara, California six people were killed and seven others wounded as a male person of interest splattered bullets out of his car with a semi-automatic handgun this past weekend. Gunfire encircled the town of Isla Vista  as police fired shots into the car to stop the man. The gunman was subsequently found dead with a gunshot wound to the head at the end of the rampage. However, police are unsure if the wound was self-inflicted or due to a result of  the rapid fire.

Perhaps the most significant inquiry to be investigated is what caused this, "polite young man", as the police referred to him, to complete such a heinous crime. Social media could hold the key to a violent madman's rage.  The person of interest connected to the shooting went on a tirade on YouTube just before the act.

"You girls have ever been attracted to me,,,,, But I will punish you all for it.  It's an injustice, a crime". The man stated this just hours before arriving at Isla Vista to incite his murderous desires. So, who dropped the ball? Reports have surfaced that the parents of the person of interest tried to report their son. Many blame this occurrence on the disregard of mental illness within our society and the lack of effort to seek help for mentally ill individuals. However, what happens when the police just won't listen? His parents told police previously that they felt their son was a danger to himself and the world around him. The police investigation climaxed with the police finding nothing wrong and labeling the man of interest as a "polite man".

Still, the victims of this tragedy and their families hold a polar view  of this individual. Students striving to make a difference in their world--our world, were forced to succumb to the hands of a very troubled man. Besides the gunman, there is no one person to blame here. Perhaps, the answer lies somewhere deep in the society that we call home. Perhaps, we must look to the future for a collective effort that must be taken to create a safer environment for the land that we all call home.

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