Does ADHD & Depression Make You a Killer Like Robert Hawkins?
In the aftermath following the tragedy in Nebraska, the media turns to mental illness for explanations again.
Two days ago the world was introduced to Robert A. Hawkins when he entered Von Maur's department store in Omaha, Nebraska and indiscriminately slaughtered eight of his fellow Americans and wounded five others before turning the automatic rifle on himself. Apparently, he had recently lost his job at McDonald's, broke up with his girlfriend, and was no longer living with his family - a tough time for anybody. Unlike some other mass-murderers, however, Hawkin's left behind a note explaining himself.
These are the words found in 19 year old Hawkins' suicide note. Somehow, though, the media is hurrying to explain another senseless killing spree with Depression, something I've covered before in the case of Cho Seung-Hui and the Virginia Tech slayings. Hawkins also wrote that he now wouldn't be a burden on his family anymore. Apparently, he wasn't concerned about being a burden on other people's families, but let's not quibble.
So where does the Depression angle come from? As of yesterday, Debora Maruca-Kovac, the mother who took Hawkins in after he was booted out of State care. Maruca-Kovac is a surgical nurse, and it is her word at the moment that Hawkins had untreated Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Depression. She also recalls seeing Hawkins with the AK-47 the night before the attack but thought nothing of it. One would think that troubled nineteen year olds with criminal pasts might make a person nervous when they started showing off an AK-47, but Ms. Maruca-Kovac is made of sterner stuff than I, apparently. This lack of observation somehow doesn't diminish her medical diagnosis in the eyes of the press, though. Then they reported this:
So now we have a troubled juvenile delinquent with a drinking problem who likes to casually use pot who was showing off an AK-47. Nope, nothing to worry about there. At least the media checked their sources. Let's not pile up on Ms. Maruca-Kovac, however. Apparently, Hawkins' parents knew he had the AK-47 but the dad was too busy vacationing in Thailand to worry about this poor, depressed boy.
Wait a minute! I'm unmedicated and suffer from Depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. I used to work at McDonald's when I was nineteen. Spooky! Also consider that I bought a $5 airgun on a whim two days ago because it was on sale. That could be indicative of classic AD/HD impulse buying or it could mean I'm going to go over the edge and shoot somebody in the eye in a fit of depressed rage. After all, I just recently discovered a logo I had designed was being abandoned, my family is messy, and I have a headache. Surely, that's good enough to help the media understand any rampage I may go on tonight. I admit, taking myself out with the tiny, orange pellets will be a bit of work, but it won't be my fault. I have Depression.
Who believes this hooey? Judging from the popularity of the story, a lot of people. Let me offer you an alternative viewpoint.
If you or a loved one suffer from Depression, I believe there is no reason to become alarmed. These young men may have had Depression, and even AD/HD, but that is not what caused them to murder. They planned out their activities. Hawkins even entered the department store and cased out the joint before returning with his weapon under his coat. They are nothing like you or the people you love. No, they wanted to add meaning to their insignificant lives by going out in a blaze of glory. I call them cowards. Their focus was to be on television, as if that was important.
If they wanted to go out with a splash they could have jumped in front of a moving bus while holding buckets of paint. Better yet, they could have chosen a cause and become involved. They could have turned to new media to make themselves famous. Podcasting and Youtube have opened up new media opportunities for anybody with a clever idea and a bit of gumption, where whining about Britney Spears (warning: f-bomb) and singing about "Chocolate Rain" get prime time coverage. Instead, they chose to punish the world for their hard luck by randomly shooting strangers who had no connection to them, and no protection from them. In my opinion, this had nothing to do with Depression and AD/HD. This was about feeling powerful. This was about self-importance and vanity.
The media is filled with humans, and as humans we like to understand WHY when terrible things happen. It's perfectly natural, but ignorance makes for dangerous knee-jerk reactions. Shortly after Cho's rampage, legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to ban gun ownership for those who had ADHD and Depression. The language was ultimately changed before the bill came to a vote, and those provisions were taken out of the bill, but it was still a scare for me. I never thought I'd see myself banned from doing anything simply because I have Depression and AD/HD. This is the danger of linking these afflictions to mass-murderers — ordinary citizens just trying to get by become labelled as potential killers.
To me, the issue is simple. Don't blame guns. Don't blame Depression. Blame the killers who were so cowardly they slaughtered strangers from a distance then took their own lives rather than face the consequences of their own actions. All for fifteen minutes of fame.
Update: Saturday, December 8, 2007 11:24:12 AM: I found an article detailing Hawkins' suicide note. I recommend reading it. There's no doubting he was a troubled young man, but I'll save my sympathy for the victims and their families. Especially when he writes "I just want to take a few peices (sic) of (expletive) with me." Unless Nebraska State's foster care program offers classes on mass-murder, I believe the blame for this incident lies squarely on Hawkins' shoulders.
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Two days ago the world was introduced to Robert A. Hawkins when he entered Von Maur's department store in Omaha, Nebraska and indiscriminately slaughtered eight of his fellow Americans and wounded five others before turning the automatic rifle on himself. Apparently, he had recently lost his job at McDonald's, broke up with his girlfriend, and was no longer living with his family - a tough time for anybody. Unlike some other mass-murderers, however, Hawkin's left behind a note explaining himself."Now I'll be famous"*
These are the words found in 19 year old Hawkins' suicide note. Somehow, though, the media is hurrying to explain another senseless killing spree with Depression, something I've covered before in the case of Cho Seung-Hui and the Virginia Tech slayings. Hawkins also wrote that he now wouldn't be a burden on his family anymore. Apparently, he wasn't concerned about being a burden on other people's families, but let's not quibble.
So where does the Depression angle come from? As of yesterday, Debora Maruca-Kovac, the mother who took Hawkins in after he was booted out of State care. Maruca-Kovac is a surgical nurse, and it is her word at the moment that Hawkins had untreated Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Depression. She also recalls seeing Hawkins with the AK-47 the night before the attack but thought nothing of it. One would think that troubled nineteen year olds with criminal pasts might make a person nervous when they started showing off an AK-47, but Ms. Maruca-Kovac is made of sterner stuff than I, apparently. This lack of observation somehow doesn't diminish her medical diagnosis in the eyes of the press, though. Then they reported this:
With Hawkins living in her home, Maruca-Kovac could see he had a drinking problem and was an occasional marijuana smoker. He enjoyed music and video games — "normal teenager stuff," she said.
So now we have a troubled juvenile delinquent with a drinking problem who likes to casually use pot who was showing off an AK-47. Nope, nothing to worry about there. At least the media checked their sources. Let's not pile up on Ms. Maruca-Kovac, however. Apparently, Hawkins' parents knew he had the AK-47 but the dad was too busy vacationing in Thailand to worry about this poor, depressed boy.
Wait a minute! I'm unmedicated and suffer from Depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. I used to work at McDonald's when I was nineteen. Spooky! Also consider that I bought a $5 airgun on a whim two days ago because it was on sale. That could be indicative of classic AD/HD impulse buying or it could mean I'm going to go over the edge and shoot somebody in the eye in a fit of depressed rage. After all, I just recently discovered a logo I had designed was being abandoned, my family is messy, and I have a headache. Surely, that's good enough to help the media understand any rampage I may go on tonight. I admit, taking myself out with the tiny, orange pellets will be a bit of work, but it won't be my fault. I have Depression.
Who believes this hooey? Judging from the popularity of the story, a lot of people. Let me offer you an alternative viewpoint.
If you or a loved one suffer from Depression, I believe there is no reason to become alarmed. These young men may have had Depression, and even AD/HD, but that is not what caused them to murder. They planned out their activities. Hawkins even entered the department store and cased out the joint before returning with his weapon under his coat. They are nothing like you or the people you love. No, they wanted to add meaning to their insignificant lives by going out in a blaze of glory. I call them cowards. Their focus was to be on television, as if that was important.
If they wanted to go out with a splash they could have jumped in front of a moving bus while holding buckets of paint. Better yet, they could have chosen a cause and become involved. They could have turned to new media to make themselves famous. Podcasting and Youtube have opened up new media opportunities for anybody with a clever idea and a bit of gumption, where whining about Britney Spears (warning: f-bomb) and singing about "Chocolate Rain" get prime time coverage. Instead, they chose to punish the world for their hard luck by randomly shooting strangers who had no connection to them, and no protection from them. In my opinion, this had nothing to do with Depression and AD/HD. This was about feeling powerful. This was about self-importance and vanity.
The media is filled with humans, and as humans we like to understand WHY when terrible things happen. It's perfectly natural, but ignorance makes for dangerous knee-jerk reactions. Shortly after Cho's rampage, legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to ban gun ownership for those who had ADHD and Depression. The language was ultimately changed before the bill came to a vote, and those provisions were taken out of the bill, but it was still a scare for me. I never thought I'd see myself banned from doing anything simply because I have Depression and AD/HD. This is the danger of linking these afflictions to mass-murderers — ordinary citizens just trying to get by become labelled as potential killers.
To me, the issue is simple. Don't blame guns. Don't blame Depression. Blame the killers who were so cowardly they slaughtered strangers from a distance then took their own lives rather than face the consequences of their own actions. All for fifteen minutes of fame.
Update: Saturday, December 8, 2007 11:24:12 AM: I found an article detailing Hawkins' suicide note. I recommend reading it. There's no doubting he was a troubled young man, but I'll save my sympathy for the victims and their families. Especially when he writes "I just want to take a few peices (sic) of (expletive) with me." Unless Nebraska State's foster care program offers classes on mass-murder, I believe the blame for this incident lies squarely on Hawkins' shoulders.
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Comments
Since this is an unfolding story I expect we will learn more of this young man's tragic but wasted life. Yet, even though the State may have been party to making his life Hell on Earth, and his parent's inability to provide a stable environment contributed to Hawkins' feeble state of mind, nobody made him steal an AK-47 rifle, load it, write a suicide note bragging about how famous he was now going to be, case a randomly picked, public location, then open fire on thirteen strangers, killing eight of them.
You'll have to forgive me if I have little sympathy for his plight. I just don't see the facts adding up to "it's not his fault." Thousands of children are dumped out of the system at 18. Thousands of children have divorced parents, Depression, AD/HD, and even, perish the thought, irritable bowel syndrome. How many of them deal with the plot life gave them and plow forward? The vast and great majority of them. Hawkins' solution to his difficult life is a modern and cowardly aberration born of the television age. He had no right to make his pain other's.
I should mention that I fell out of the cracks of my treatment many years ago. Nobody called me. Nobody checked to make sure I was alright. I was on my own with mental health problems such as acute anxiety, clinical depression, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, chronic motor tic disorder, insomnia, sleep apnea, plus bizarre food allergies. Add to that debts, crushing family responsibilities, and bad teeth and still I survived without shooting anybody.
Life stinks for some of us. We learn to get over it. I don't propose we hate the kid, but let's stop making excuses for him.
Thanks for commenting.
(I hope that's not you, Sandy. I came out with both barrels, um, nevermind that analogy.)
Slightly longer answer: Of course not.
Kids with ADHD are at higher risk than non-ADHD kids for becoming depressed. Yes, those things may have been one of many factors influencing this kid, e.g. making it hard for him to restrain his impulses; making him feel life is hopeless.
Just consider the many characteristics he has in common with other shooters: Mostly suburban. Access to weapons that (NRA notwithstanding) have no business in ordinary citizens' hands, much less a teenager's. (And a stunningly oblivious semi-parent figure who didn't get upset at seeing a kid with such a weapon). Greatly disaffected from family and school environment. No feelings of belonging to any larger community who cares much about him. And likely a lack of understanding that he won't be a witness to his own notoriety.
And I can't resist saying this: If every teen who is ADHD and has depression is a likely shooter, we'd be imprisoning even far more than the outrageous number of young adults that we do incarcerate. It's a lot cheaper to take good care of people before they get as far off track as this kid, than it is to pay the price later. Oh, but of course, that takes more of our money - that resource that isn't to be spent on things that don't directly and individually benefit those of us who pay the taxes.
P.S. I like your writing.
must say, it was one of the sorriest pieces of news to ever come out..if it werent for being in a place with news access or coming across ur blog, muah wud have been happily oblivious.
anyways.
its strange how ppl are always looking to blame someone else for their mistakes.
yes, sumtimes it IZ sumone else's fault. but surely, a person with a good heart wud find a way to 'dispose' of themselves before they ended up taking even one, other innocent life.
if he really had guts and wanted to go out in a so-called blaze of glory he coulda flown to a war-torn zone in some misbegotten place on earth and taken on some evil warlord before becoming another statistic.
instead, he CHOSE to prey on those who could not defend themselves and had in fact no inkling as to what he would do to THEM.
that, as Doug pointed out..is cowardice.
and u wud need to beat that opinion out of me with a crowbar. no kidding.
I'm too tired to elaborate further, but suffice it to say I enjoyed your writing and I'll be scouring your archives for further acquaintance with it.
There's no question that what he did was wrong, but it's clear that he had mental issues that played a large role in what he did. More research and interventions are needed in the areas of mental health to prevent things like this from happening. I believe that quite a few deviant behaviors can be explained by brain dysfunction.
Teresa ~ Thank you for commenting. I'm sure there's more to this story than I've summarized, but the gist of it is that the media loves hanging blame on Depression. As I pointed out with Cho's article, there is a big difference between psychotic depression and garden variety Depression. Such a big difference that explaining these horrendous events as a cause of Depression does more harm than good.
Joan ~ Thank you for taking time to leave us with your thoughts. Personally, I don't see a difference between explanation or excuse the way the media leaps onto Depression as the reason why. And although many variables may contribute to a person making a choice, I will point again to his "suicide" note as evidence that this boy knew what he was doing. He wanted glory.
I don't believe any amount of research and intervention can prevent people from being wicked if their minds are set. When I am tired, my brain is quite dysfunctional. My Chronic Motor Tic Disorder becomes violent at times, what with my back arching and my hands and legs flailing all over the place. Even then, though I cannot stop myself from ticking, I can exert force to prevent my hands from connecting with a loved one. And on the rare occasion when my hand does connect, I apologize profusely.
I don't have to apologize. I could claim it wasn't my fault. That my brain is merely dysfunctional. That I am disabled and this is beyond my control.
Or I can be decent and apologize for it.
I have seen many people ruin their lives because they sat back on their laurels and let their dysfunctional brains hurt the ones around them. They always had an excuse. "It's not my fault." "I can't help it." It was all crap, and they ended up alone because they pushed their loved ones away.
I have seen many other people be courteous to their loved ones and make a great effort to modify their behavior even though their brains have dysfunctions. They have healthy, happy lives with loved ones who support them. It seems to me this is the better path, even if it is more work.
Hawkins may not have had much support at home, but a lot of people have lousy parents. They rise above their situations and work to improve their lives - find new support groups and new families. Hawkins just wanted to be famous. I don't believe we should enable people's violent tendencies by excusing them because they've had a hard life. I guess this means I disagree with you on most of your points, but I am really glad you took time to make them. Hope to see you around the blog again sometime.
~Douglas
The psychobabble approach just leads to ...um...psycho....and babble.
Keep at it! You're absolutely right, and I think your blog is great - really balanced! We were lucky that meds never had to be used for our kids (at least so far), but I never ruled it out. I just said let's try some things.