Why is the media hammering on the fact that the VT gunman was a "loner"?

Question

I'm a loner in some aspects and I would never go out and kill anyone in cold blood. I'm aware this individual had other issues he was suffering from such as derpession, but the fact that he was "quiet" or anti-social has nothing to do with murdering people.

Answer 1

It's a warning - Evolution at its finest. Loners may start out as rebellious, independent, and/or seeking. If the reasonable self isolation continues long enough w/out finding similar ideological support/identification with others... That same isolation can become/lead to a different kind of "loner". An "unreasonable" self isolation that is then lost having not "identified" with similar groups which would normally sway a loner to a group mentality which would prevent more extreme and what a group of peers would consider "outrageous" actions for that peer group, hence, mediate the actions of the individual.

Quiet and antisocial, are actually, well known groups of people within society. Often, extremely healthy for society. That is not the definition of "loner" in its worst case sense. In the sense which the news uses the term, a loner is: A person who has no association with family, friends, peers - on any level. Who has ceased to question having not found acceptable answers to match or mesh with anything associated with them adequately and begin to create a universe wherein no rules exist. Literally. A complete disassociation with everything begins that becomes a necessity.

For instance, you are asking this question. That precludes you from this very specific category of psychotic individual. It is not that the individual has chosen to be isolated. It is that the individual has become mentally incapable of associating with others over time, normally due to a uniquely traumatic (to them) event which over-rides associating reason with events to future events. Given time, even this, will be overcome by slow association. Not given time; a seemingly minor (but, immensely traumatic event to the person) can/will trigger a series of disastrous events. The cause and effect has no connection at that critical juncture. Reason is not possible, nor in effect.

I'd give the short answer - just not my style.

Answer 2

you are right that quiet and anti-social don't have anything to do with mudering people, but quiet and anti-social plus his depression, attitude, his writings, among other things, leads to the fact that there were definately warning signs.

It's a physcology thing. There are forensic physchologists out there that can take a look at a crime scene and tell you everything about the assailiant, down to things like whether he was a bed wetter.

From what's been told already, his actions and reactions to people was definately not normal. Not everyone that is a loner is dangerous, but those that are loners with other disturbing warning signs have the potential to be dangerous.

I don't think they are doing it to stereotype. I think they are trying to inform people of different things you need to be aware of that could lead to a similar tragedy, and that it's ok if you see these things, to report them to the proper people.

They are not saying pick apart the loners. They are saying if they are a loner, and show signs of depression, and agression, or anger, don't ignore it.

Answer 3

I know what you mean I'm a loner too. I've been a loner ever since high school and even now I don't have any friends. And it's wrong for people to start looking at loners like they are up to something bad. It's a choice to be alone. This guy went out of his way to avoid people which is normal for a loner to do. I go out of my way to avoid people too and that doesn't mean I'm a some kind of a killer. I think he killed people because he was very angry. Not so much the idea of him being alone cause he was used to that. It was him being angry and full of hate that made him snap.

Answer 4

The media can only report what they know. At least that's what they should be doing. They didn't say all loners are murderers, nor did they say all muderers are loners. All they said was this particular guy was a loner. This, i would guess, would make obtaining addional information dufficult since he was a loner. Add to this the fact that he took his own life, it's quite possible the full story will never be known.

Answer 5

because when events like this happen "being a loner" is one of the characteristics that always seems to play a factor,but in this case he was more than a loner. I read that the guy who shared a room with him for a year knew pretty much nothing about him. There is a difference between being a loner in some aspects,and being a loner in all aspects.

Answer 6

Well truthfully from what I have seen of school shootings it’s often the loner/ quite kids. Obviously not all people who are anit-social, loners, quite would do this. I can be quite and a loner at times and I certainly would never do anything like this. But from the past it has been these people who have done things like this. Not to say a very popular, outgoing person couldn’t commit some crime like this. They certainly could but as of yet there have been more cases where it’s the loner/quite person.

Answer 7

I wondered myself too. I am too a loner most of the time but I cant kill even an ant. It seems that media needs some words to focus on, who knows maybe its a tendency in our society to blame the more lonely people and promote football player types.
I am also a quiet guy but only because I like to think about what I say.
The difference between us, loners and this guy is that he was mentally disturbed. He had really big issues. He lost contact with reality and couldnt make the difference between right and wrong. Many people are shy but , as his dorm collegues said on tv, they cant compare him with anybody else.
I think you are right, they should find other words to describe him.

Answer 8

Most maniacs, before they strike or before they kill themselves, all leave behind clues as to what compels them to do such evil things. This young man wrote chilling and ackward skits and plays. His professors took note of the tone of his writings as a threat, and referred him to a school counselor. What happened after that hasn't come to light yet. This killer had many more issues than just being a loner. Most leave behind clues in journals and diaries or suicide notes. I'm sure more news will come out in a few days about his motives. By the way, many mass murderers have social issues--loners, compulsive, paranoid, low self-esteem, bent up frustrations, and so forth. Since he was a loner doesn't mean that was his only character "flaw".

Answer 9

Because the U.S.A. media is very cynical and sick in some ways. We see very biased views of news through the media in the U.S.A. simply because they all have advertisers to answer to.

Have you noticed how you hardly ever see anything bad reported about the pharmaceutical industry, compared to how much they advertise? Their products can kill hundreds of thousands a year. Or the fast food industry? Do you really know what's in that food???? They had been using and McDonald's still uses partially hydrogenated oils in their "food" for years, even though it has been proven to be bad for your heart. This industry knew these oils were bad for your heart from the beginning.

Answer 10

For your information, the following people are also loners:
1)me 2) Abraham Lincoln (Mr. Lincoln suffered from depression throughout his adult life), 3)Einstein, 4)Newton (Very often, Newton would not speak a word for several weeks. He locked himself up for 3 months. One day, when he walked out of his house, he introduced to the world his findings---the theory of gravity---the cornerstone of modern physics.)

Edit: Did you mean VT or TV ? Btw, both on TV movies and the campus shooting in Virginia, shooters like that are always quiet guys.