Posted on 02/21/2008 8:47:38 AM PST by Deo volente
CHICAGO - Police think the graduate student who shot and killed five students last week at Northern Illinois University took steps to thwart investigators trying to figure out why he did it.
In addition to removing the hard drive from his laptop computer, Steven Kazmierczak also removed the SIM card - a key computer chip - from his cell phone, a police source said.
Police also said his former girlfriend gave a different account to police than she did in an interview with CNN about Kazmierczak's final weeks.
The result is police still do not have a theory as to why Kazmierczak opened fire on the crowded lecture hall.
"That's the one thing I want to know more than anything is motive," Northern Illinois University Police Chief Donald Grady said yesterday. "We don't have anything to know or even begin to assume a motive yet."
Among the other unanswered questions are why Kazmierczak targeted that particular building and class, and why he carried out the massacre on Valentine's Day, Grady said. There were no clues in the note or package he sent his former girlfriend shortly before the attack.
"He didn't tell people what he was going to do," he said. "And he took steps to thwart any investigation."
Kazmierczak's computer has been turned over to the FBI, said Joe Cullen, DeKalb County first assistant state's attorney. Authorities also plan to get a search warrant for Kazmierczak's cell phone, Cullen said.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
I would be curious as to what was contained on the Hard drive though.
Squidly has it right in that there is no plausible reason nor logical causation for such acts. It is human nature to grasp for explanation of these human tragedies.
The usual suspects are always firearms, SSRI's (Prozac, Zoloft) or video games or violence on TV. All this is predictable every time some bastard walks in and starts killing innocent people. They do "walk" in so let's blame it on legs. It makes as much sense as blaming firearms or SSRI's. Who is going to walk in and start shooting innocent people. Well, people with legs, with a firearm who are far from mentally well.
Guns, legs or SSRI's do not drive this insanity they merely follow it. I think in this particular case he had stopped taking his meds. I think it is more that those who would be taking an anti-depressant, would be more likely to be in a mental state to commit such an act and far less likely that the AD is causing them to commit that act.
Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Oswald, Ghengis Khan and a great many others never knew what an SSRI was, nor did those know who were murdered in places like schools, colleges, restaurants, churches and malls. There just simply aren't any concrete answers and the only thing close to a solution is to have citizens armed so they can meet these madmen on equal terms and preserve innocent life.
Recall CNN, for a good 2 weeks following 9/11, insisting on referring to the attackers as the “alleged hijackers”. Made about as much sense as Mohammed Atta’s will that he left behind as he headed off to fly a a fully fueled jet into a skyscraper; among its insane directives was that when his body was being prepared for burial, it must not be handled by women — like he seriously thought that 1) there would be a body left, and 2) people in charge of the attack site would give a d*mn what his instructions were.
“Guns, legs or SSRI’s do not drive this insanity they merely follow it. “
Apparently SSRI’s don’t just follow it, they amplify it. I believe that every single mass shooting since Columbine has been by people who were taking some sort of SSRI.
That’s the problem. Some of the reports say that the SSRI’s actually compound the insanity by taking away what normal restraints are still left in those people. And once the restraints are gone, they are much more likely to act out in a violent way.
SSRI’s probably should not be used in the general population, if they should be used at all. They are very powerful drugs and affect some people more than others. Perhaps there is a way they can screen for susceptible individuals before prescribing them.
Cho took an antidepressant for one year but had not been on meds for about 7 years before he killed 32 people. Meds had nothing to do with that one.
I make no excuses for the killer I just think we place too much responsibility on psych drugs to do the babysitting that institutions used to do. I know we can’t identify all the crazies out there. But when one is identified, they should never be allowed to leave the loop. In fact, there is no excuse for giving them the leeway to cause harm.
I think we agree there to some extent. All I am saying is I see SSRI’s as just being there to be blamed in most cases. Most SSRI’s are prescribed for things like anxiety, panic attacks, GAD, and Clinical Depression.
You are speaking of far more powerful drugs than SSRI’s and I agree with you there to a point. There are lots of drugs and other things that up serotonin levels even chocolate and sunlight. I do agree that there are far too many “magic pill” treatments of individuals taking place in this country as well as the world. I think a freeper (can’t recall the name) was close when they said, “We teach kids they came from pond scum and that life in the womb is merely a blob of tissue and are surprised when they then exhibit no respect for life.”
Or when prescribed the doc to notify atf so, when he applies for a firearm, the flags go up.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/kazmierczak.jpg
NIU Killer Steven Kazmierczak:
Was Arabic-Speaking, HAMAS-fan a Muslim Convert?
I thought he had been on meds much more recently than that but I could be mistaken.
“I thought he had been on meds much more recently than that but I could be mistaken.”
Some very early reports mentioned something about police finding meds in his dorm room but that was quickly discounted. That’s probably what you were thinking of. The exhaustive state report says the last time he had antidepressants was in 9th grade.
Marc Falkoff teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, the federal courts, and lawyering skills
NIU Law Professor to Participate in Nationwide Teach-In [Thursday, October 5] on Guantanamo Bay Professor Marc D. Falkoff, counsel for 17 Yemeni men at Guantánamo Bay, to read poetry written by Guantánamo Bay detainees
As one of the first American citizens to travel to the camp and meet directly with the detainees, Falkoff has heard firsthand their stories of torture, abuse, disrespect, and other “disturbing” incidents.
Falkoff said, "Our job as educators and students is to cut through the military and administration’s misrepresentations and their ‘Orwellian’ language to learn the truth of what is really going on at these detention camps.”
If I understand correctly, Falkoff went back to NIU at 4:00 PM to give a talk which PRE-EMPTED the simulcast of the teach-in. My questions: what was the viewpoint of the speakers whom Falkoff pre-empted? Did Falkoff pre-empt someone who disagreed with him?
“The exhaustive state report says the last time he had antidepressants was in 9th grade.”
Thanks for the update.
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