Having his father at home would cure his mental illness?
There is a person close to the family that is saying that she had begun the process of committing him and that he was very angry about that.
That person believes that is what set him off.
My daughter adopted a kid like that and I can tell you that the fact that her husband was always there, and still is many years later, made zero difference to that kid.
There is no way he or anyone can know that, I have discussed this with my daughter and told her one day he may try and get angry. Will see. For now he has a very loving home and is well liked at school. Likes to do all the man stuff of hunting and fishing, so far so good.
I don’t think that not having a Dad at home is the primary reason in all cases when these boys rampage.
I kind of think in this case, it did play a role. This kid obviously had mental problems before his parents divorced. But the divorce did cause a separation, Mom and Dad in different cities. This kid may have felt abandonment by his Dad, and therefore latched on to his mother even stronger. I have heard reports that he was upset with her for the time she was spending as an aide at the school with little kids. Sounds crazy, but in his mind, if he knew she was trying to have him committed to an institution, he was being thrown away by his mother too. This person was antsocial, but he was far from stupid.
He was obviously a very disturbed person most of his life. Add his age and hormones, the video games, the lack of friends to talk to, and I can see a pressure cooker ready to explode.
This in no way justifies or removes his guilt for this tragic nightmare. He committed a terrible crime.
Of course, I am just musing, but something transpired to set him off. He reportedly had never committed a crime before this.