Ohio gunman's ex-classmates decry missed chances to stop him

AP via Yahoo ^ | August 5th, 2019 | MICHAEL BIESECKER and JULIE CARR SMYTH

[Mariner]

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — High school classmates of the gunman who killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, say he was suspended years ago for compiling a "hit list" and a "rape list," and questioned how he could have been allowed to buy the military-style weapon used in this weekend's attack.

The accounts emerged after police said there was nothing in the background of 24-year-old Connor Betts that would have prevented him from purchasing an AR 15-style rifle with an extended ammunition magazine that he used to open fire outside a crowded bar early Sunday. Police on patrol in the entertainment district fatally shot him less than a minute later.

The former classmates told The Associated Press that Betts was suspended during their junior year at suburban Bellbrook High School after a hit list was found scrawled in a school bathroom. That followed an earlier suspension after Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault, according to two of the classmates, a man and a woman who are both now 24 and spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern they might face harassment.

"There was a kill list and a rape list, and my name was on the rape list," said the female classmate.

A former cheerleader, the woman said she didn't really know Betts and was surprised when a police officer called her cellphone during her freshman year to tell her that her name was included on a list of potential targets.

"The officer said he wouldn't be at school for a while," she said. "But after some time passed he was back, walking the halls. They didn't give us any warning that he was returning to school."

...classmate, who was on the track team with Betts, said Betts routinely threatened violence...

[Mariner]

As we have seen far too many times, everyone KNEW he was nuts.

And worse, they knew he was dangerous.

He should have been institutionalized.

Alas, we don't have much legal mechanism for that. Not one that respects liberty.

But somebody musta had the opportunity to put this mad dog down before this happened. They should have taken it.

[rfp1234]

No, violent conservative Christians are the problem. Metal-head satanists and Antifabaggers are fine law-abiding, loving people </s>.

[Skywise]

Continuing the disinformation campaign that he was a leftist antifa supporter.

[MichaelCorleone]

Any information if Mr. Betts was on or recently stopped taking any mind altering or so-called psychotropic medicine?

Just another piece of the puzzle.

Understand your point here, but I will bet that for every one that everyone thinks is nuts and dangerous and really is, there are ten that everyone thinks the same thing buy in reality is harmless.

Red flags and snitches are a very slippery slope.

[robowombat]

There are many poorly socialized young white men. That i not new. When I was in HS aside from worrying about the occasional T Rex there were guy would wrote and said stupid sht such as this. Without the internet it didn't get spread around as much and if found out by the administration generally got a week or two suspension and a thrashing from dad. Now what jerks once fantasized about is too often acted out. Different times , I suppose. Although my HS gained brief national notoriety when the sons of a couple who were teachers tried to murder both of them. The husband, who was an amiable beer alchoholicd was shot to death, the wife, who hated students and in turn was truly loathed by the student body got away with an ice pick stuck in her short thick neck. Everyone I knew in my year class was sorry the outcome wasn't reversed.

[Tench_Coxe]

You know, as a strong 2nd amendment person, I do support some sort of red flag for this situation--as in he should have been evaluated by a psychologist and if found to be "off", had a notation in the NICS database that indicated he was prohibited from purchasing a firearm-which would carry over past the age of 18. As an adult, he would have to get cleared by a psychologist to have the ability to purchase restored.
There would also need to be stringent penalties for any skullduggery on the Left to attempt to use such a thing as a vehicle to circumvent the second amendment.
Such legislation should also have harsh penalties for people making false claims to punish a gun owner out of spite.

[funfan]

So has anyone come forward on behalf of the El Paso killer?
No friends, acquaintances?

[blueunicorn6]

Yep.

How in the world is a sporting goods salesman going to know as much about this jackass as his friends and family do?

We, as a society, trust that good people will do something about a mad dog.

Especially if that mad dog is theirs and in their yard.

Take care of your mad dogs. Don’t leave it to other people to take care of them.

“He’s my son and I love him!”

Do you love what he did?

Is it better now that somebody had to kill him?

[yesthatjallen]

Liberals assured us if we stopped referring to young criminals as criminals they wouldn't become criminals.

Labeling them criminals is what made them criminals.

Did they get that wrong? Do we need a new theory to explain young criminals becoming adult criminals?

[arrogantsob]

You would have someone’s 2d amendment rights be determined by a psychologist/psychiatrist? What a great idea!!!

No one who does not praise transgenderism will be allowed arms nor global warming deniers (skeptics are clearly dangerous.)

[lightman]

Add to the blame list:

1) HIPPA

2) Sealing juvenile records and offering a clean slate at 18.

[reformedliberal]

We, as a society, trust that good people will do something about a mad dog.

Especially if that mad dog is theirs and in their yard.

Take care of your mad dogs. Don’t leave it to other people to take care of them.
__________________________________________________
We have had to execute a dog that was untrustworthy and showed no signs of being rehabilitated.

We kept him away from other people as long as possible. He was fine within the family and we loved him and he loved us. But, then, he got more of a sense of his own power and jerked my large, strong husband off his feet, slammed him into structures, and injured him without once responding to commands to stop and stay. Or showing a bit of remorse.

He was a big guy in his prime and finally, he bit another human for no reason except he could. Our duty to the community and our own sense of self-preservation made the outcome clear. He could not be trusted. He could never be trained outside of a very few behaviors that suited him at the time.

It hurt. We miss his gentle, loving side. But he had a strong primitive streak and we could no longer stay in denial. My husband took responsibility and, in my eyes, was a hero.

It will affect him for the rest of his life. But no one else will be that dog’s victim. It would have been far worse to do nothing, let him wreak havoc and still be put down by someone else after the fact.

I’ve thought of that often during the past weeks.

[palmer]

As an adult, he would have to get cleared by a psychologist to have the ability to purchase restored.

I like red flag laws in some cases. But due process cannot be left up to a psychologist. Due process must be your lawyer making the case to a judge.

[Tench_Coxe]

"I like red flag laws in some cases. But due process cannot be left up to a psychologist. Due process must be your lawyer making the case to a judge."

I agree. But as long as we're not institutionalizing obvious nutcases, steps have to be taken. But I want a process that is chained down to prevent abuse. I'd almost throw something in there about politicians who try and capitalize on tragedies (I'm looking at you Irish Bob)

I'm not even bothering to respond to the other poster, because it's an unserious response.

[rintintin]

He should have been institutionalized

If it’s ok to institutionalize nutcases like this, why the opposition to taking their guns away, and to background checks - and flag laws- that keep them from buying guns?

[rintintin]

“You would have someone’s 2d amendment rights be determined by a psychologist/psychiatrist?”

Would you not allow psychiatrists to have violently crazy people institutionalized?

[Seaplaner]

Any information if Mr. Betts was on or recently stopped taking any mind altering or so-called psychotropic medicine?

Always, my same question. Along with was a comprehensive drug analysis performed from a blood draw immediately following arrest or collection of the remains?

.

[wgmalabama]

So wrong on so many levels. Cry rape and nothing happens to false accusers. Red flag will be no difference.

Try enforcing existing laws. That alone will solve many issues.

[vette6387]

“The officer said he wouldn’t be at school for a while,” she said. “But after some time passed he was back, walking the halls. They didn’t give us any warning that he was returning to school.”

JUST LIKE PARKLAND! It’s long past time to make schools accountable, or force them to have the police take reports on anyone suspended or expelled from school and all the reasons for the action. And make it a felony for any school official to try and cover up any students suspension or expulsion.

[vette6387]

Does he have parents? And where are they?