Why do killers often choose schools to go on killing sprees?

SLIDESHOW: School Shootings

• Lord Emperor of Dune 2012/07/22 03:01:57
  

  Because little kids don't have guns and most states have disarmed their teachers. That's what you get when you disarm the good guys. You get emboldened bad guys.

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• Kat ♪ 2012/04/10 01:28:08
  

  1. Large group of unarmed victims / hostages.
  2. Very few if any armed people close by to protect them.
  3. Some schools even take away cell phones, so some have no communications either.
  4. Responders have to be very careful not to hit school students or staff, gunman doesn't care, making their job harder
  5. It's a pretty easy crowd to terrorize since most have no training in self defense and even if they did, he's armed.
  6. Most are cowards looking for an easy mark.
  
  some have been to the school and feel they've been mistreated, some are making a political statement, some are just lunatics looking for their 15 minutes of fame, even if it kills them. Many variables.

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• J 2012/04/05 21:00:45
  

  +3

  Trick question?
  Umm, because they know they won't be shot at.

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• Marcus Clark 2012/04/05 00:30:06
  

  +2

  Two reasons.
  First and foremost, there are plenty of easy targets with little to no resistance. There is an extremely low chance of the shooter finding someone else who is armed.
  Second, school shootings make big headlines.

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• hasher 2012/04/04 23:27:09
  

  +3

  a bunch of unarmed people easy target, lots of people in one location,makes headlines the killer gets attention. most serial killers or killers like that want attention and this is a great way for them to get it.

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• wolfcall 2012/04/04 10:03:02
  

  +2

  its not just random killers look deeper at what happened before it goes down its always a kid that is being bullied and having a bad home life that is why bullying needs to be stoped you never know when someone will snap it dont make it right that they do this at all kids are not like adults they dont have there mind straight when they want to do something like this all they see is i will show them they will wish they never pissed me off

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• jay 2012/04/03 23:21:46
  

  +4

  The answer is simple. The reason is because criminals prefer unarmed victims. Since students are often not allowed to carry guns on most campuses so the odds are they wont be running into someone with a gun.

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• Captain-Morgan 2012/04/03 21:28:34
  

  +4

  It's because they are in a "GUN FREE ZONES." and they know no one will or can respond to stop them before doing the most damage in killings and injury's to people..

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• Old Nellie Bones 2012/04/03 16:29:11
  

  +4

  I have heard a report that He could not speak english very well and got given crap and taunted for that.Ironic being that it is a Christian School.This in no way justifies him killing people.Just saying how ironic the hypocracy is.

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• wulfsong 2012/04/03 15:14:15
  

  +1

  Really crazy gunmen...if you're going to target someone, why not go after corporate america and leave the kids alone!!!

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• JenSemPa 2012/04/03 13:39:24
  

  +2

  In this particular case, the shooter had some sort of problem with that school.
  
  It doesn't help that colleges usually have thousands of people around, few if any of whom are ever armed.

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• freakoutnow... cuz mom's here 2012/04/03 05:39:30
  

  +2

  1) School and Work are two significant places of major stress, bad experiences, and bullying behavior. In the case of school shooting most are/were a student at that school and they have negative feelings towards the school and take it out everyone there. 2) It's an easy target. Large amounts of people in a small area. Very few people who can defend themselves. Plus many schools keep outsiders out with rediculous security fearing a threat when most of these shootings are done by the STUDENTS themselves! 3) Thier symbolism makes them targets in the same manner that government buildings and churches are also.

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• Bibliophilic 2012/04/03 05:36:14
  

  +2

  Because schools are a good place for breeding mental instability.

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• thecutesttentacle 2012/04/03 04:45:12
  

  +2

  well, there are many people to kill.

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• veteran 2012/04/03 04:31:46
  

  +6

  They know for the most part, Primary and Secondary schools in the U.S. are "Gun Free Zones" where carrying a firearm, even with a license, is a felony.....which means their chances of running into someone equipped to defend themselves or others is practically nil. Thanks a lot, idiotic state and Federal representatives!

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• Redneck 2012/04/03 03:49:15
  

  +5

  Theirs is usually the only weapon

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• hari 2012/04/03 03:34:21
  

  +1

  Schools / Church and such places felt to be pious and honoured by society . There are social virus which has infected system of civic society . Needed to be cured with suitable means

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• ray-bird78 2012/04/03 03:28:29
  

  +2

  Because that's a place of low security with lots of people

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• Pablo 2012/04/03 03:08:00
  

  +4

  Its apparent.....many targets, open spaces, lots of places to shoot from, and all are young adults with little or no experience of life or death situations. And, oh, yea, there are no weapons on the students, thanks to the freakin' laws handed down for no protection.
  Rarely does anybody attack someone who is equally or better matched.
  Pablo

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• Redneck to Pablo 2012/04/03 03:50:44
  

  +8

  never heard of a shooting at a gun show or a police convention.

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• Sew to Redneck 2012/04/03 16:12:58
  

  +3

  wonder why?

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• Nanjing03 to Pablo 2012/04/03 13:00:49
  

  +4

  Ironically too, there are a couple of million armed forces veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other deployments around the world during the 11 year long Global War on Terror who will be taking advantage of some very generous VA Educational Benifits when they return to college. These people -- legally armed -- would be an asset during a Virginia Tech -type scenerio.

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• Pablo to Nanjing03 2012/04/06 01:50:41
  

  +3

  ...and perhaps when Obama decides to cancel out the Supreme Court or disobey its rulings. You had this also after WW II, with millions of men coming home, looking for work and a life. Yea, I understand the current WH administration has called all us veterans "terrorists", because we were taught military fundimentals.

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• Cricket 2012/04/03 03:01:36 (edited)
  

  +2

  These people are ticking time bombs and there's almost always some signs or red flags of them being mentally unbalanced yet many professionals, law enforcement, faculty, whatever that is, often times allows them to slip through the cracks in which there they fester more.

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• Nanjing03 to Cricket 2012/04/03 12:54:57
  

  +3

  A case in point was Jared Loughner before he shot up a congresswoman, a federal judge and numerous others. Loughner was already well known to the police for threatening behavior toward others and ongoing marijuana use and possession which we now know exacerbated his [now] diagnosed schizophrenia. Unfortunately, the usual solution is to do nothing concerning mental health and simply beat the drums for more worthless gun control.

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• Cricket to Nanjing03 2012/04/03 15:38:35 (edited)
  

  +2

  Same here, they saw some signs about him and ignored them.
  
  

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• Pablo to Cricket 2012/04/06 01:52:47
  

  +2

  Welll, recently the air line pilot who went bonkers. The Major in the Fort Hood massacare slipped thru the holes, although it may have been the fact that he was a muslim and there were those who were afraid to target this terrorist. Nevertheless, there are always people slipping thru the cracks. Look at 1600.....

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• BIG BAD JOHN R. 2012/04/03 02:54:39
  

  +3

  Easy targets and their is no one to fight back. The attackers are cowards preying on the young and none prepared. Schools are wide open and a easy target.

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• Red_Horse 2012/04/03 02:45:29 (edited)
• Dickens 2012/04/03 02:44:52
  

  +1

  ..I suspect because young people are the easiest victims...

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• firebird 2012/04/03 02:23:28
  

  +1

  Because they are depraved cowards ! They love hurting the innocents the most because it gives them a grand feeling of power and control...... Sorry a** cowards. They need to be tortured to death instead of life in prison instead a quick semi painless death...

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• crewzer1 2012/04/03 02:20:49
  

  +1

  Cuz schools are where the bullies are, that they want to Kill...

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• addie 2012/04/03 02:17:02
  

  +1

  Because children are awful!

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• DuncanONeil 2012/04/03 02:14:28
  

  +3

  Because they are gun free zones!

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• RocPaperScizors 2012/04/03 02:02:14
  

  +3

  Religion and/or bullying.

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• Heisenberg to RocPape... 2012/04/03 10:44:00
  

  ???
  
  Religion?
  
  Aren't all kids bullied at some point?

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• bob 2012/04/03 01:53:49
  

  +1

  to make the most impact they can,

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• Nanjing03 2012/04/03 01:47:27
  

  +7

  Schools and universities are strict "gun free zones" where a shooter knows that he can reign terror and death without any armed response from his intended victims. The Virginia Tech shooter took the time needed to chain the first floor doors shut in VT's three story Norris Hall, and over a period of almost 20 long and agonizing minutes, calmly walked from classroom to classroom and floor to floor and delighted in the looks of helpless terror in his victims before he shot them.
  
  
  How many hunt club cookouts and 2:00 am donut shops get shot up? Not many because armed assault will be met will an armed counter-assault.

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• cupcakes 2012/04/03 01:47:15
  

  LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

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• Bill in Niantic 2012/04/03 01:25:58
  

  +4

  Easy defenseless targets---by law.

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