Muoz 1

Lauryn Muoz

English II

17 May 2017

The Patterns Discovered After a School Shooting and how They Connect

While most school shooters leave behind clues to what lead them to shoot in the first

place, both bullying and depression play a factor that lead up to the shootings before they even

begin.While America is the most susceptible country to have gun violence issues but many laws

and riots have been on the up-rise because of the need to change the way people are able to

purchase guns in the first place and secondly, to start up anti-bullying programs in schools

nationwide. Because it made people fear that there was a connection between bullying and

school massacres or suicide, Columbine changed the way many people treat bullying. (Bentley)

Tyler Browne was bullied by countless of people because of how they found him weird and

antisocial and once his mother died, he became even more bullied and made fun of.

But its not just bullying that can make a teen want to ever bare an automattic, depression

is a natural thing that occurs within most teens making them feel empty and overwhelmed with

life itself. Its understandable that you dont want to tell other people that you have been

struggling with depression. But know that depression can affect your relationships with family

and friends, and how you perform at school. (National Institute of Mental Health) A majority of

teens go through a phase of sadness. The feeling of being overwhelmed by school, family, drama,

maybe even a partner can make teens feel awkward and cowardly to talk about. Tyler actually

did have a girlfriend, Claire,

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but they broke up because of the way he started acting. He would have outrages, yell and ball his

fists that soon Claire had enough of it and told him to get lost.

Most school shooters claimed or left evidence behind indicating that they were victims of

severe and long-term bullying. The majority of bullying victims experienced feelings of

humiliation, which resulted in thoughts of suicide or revenge (Lee, 2013). Tyler was rigorously

bullied after the death of his mother and coming home to both an abusive and drunk of a dad

didnt give Tyler the help and outlet he needed to feel loved and open up to. Tylers choice to

shoot up the school was an act of revenge, his first victims was everyone that ever picked on him

or caused him pain.

Ive learned that school shootings are a very serious and hard thing to talk about and that

both bullying and depression play a huge factor that leads up to them. No one should ever feel

lonely or empty, anti-bullying programs are happening nationwide which can provide people of

all ages to have their own outlet to seek help and have someone to be able to open up to.
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Works Cited

Alexander, J. (2003). Bullies, bigmouths, and so-called friends. London, UK: Hodders

Childrens Books

Bullying and rampage school shootings | The New Bullying

http://news.jrn.msu.edu/bullying/2012/04/02/bullying-and-rampage-school-shootings/

In school shootings, patterns and warning signs

Katherine Newman - http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/17/opinion/newman-school-shooters/

Koch, K. (2012). Gun violence in America. Retrieved from http://news.harvard.edu/

gazette/story/2012/12/looking-for-lessons-in-newtown/

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2010). Facts on childrens mental health in

America. Retrieved from http://www2.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=

federal_and_state_policy_legislation&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDis

play.cfm&ContentID=43804