The vast majority of mass killings end in contemporaneous offender suicides, so how valid are independent variables ascribed for study? Some here have mentioned the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, but the BAU built its reputation on interviews with living, caught serial killers, not dead murderers motivated by whatever. In fact, the BAU will not even attempt to compose a "profile" of a perpetrator unless a victim has been found and the cause and manner of death established.

We are in danger of engaging in dime store psychology and specious political posturing about incomprehensible atrocities reported to us by an irresponsible media. Has anyone explained Adolph Hitler convincingly yet? Read the history of Ancient Rome. I have no clue why this knucklehead slaughtered nearly two dozen children, nor does anyone here or in the press. Some people are evil, others just freaking crazy, and no refereed studies of their corpses will answer why.