He was crazy. She was not.
So the questions are, how do we know when someone is crazy, and what do we sane people do to prevent these disasters? That’s all I’m trying to say.
In the future, perhaps there will be some response among the parents and professionals in detecting danger and preventing all this heartbreak. It’s too easy for us to think of the objects, the guns, and if we’re liberal we want to make them all disappear, and if we’re conservative we say let the teachers have them. The human solution is the real one, but takes longer, and takes more thought.
If a guy won’t take no for an answer, it shouldn’t take more than a few days to get him on our “S” list. If he can’t “get it” within a week, it’s time to talk to parents. If he’s showing evidence of being wigged out or dressing in strange ways or revealing evidence of being a participant in dark arts, or making borderline violent comments, I’d get the school and possibly police involved.
Four months?
Kids are savvy enough to know who is fringe. Just ask them.