Arizona Rep. Giffords' shooter called very disturbed.

[davidbfpo]

The spectre of individual or loner direct action has been around for a long time, often called the 'Lone Wolves' or Lone Attackers by analysts.

See this recent commentary:http://raffaellopantucci.com/2010/12...one-attackers/

What motivates such people remains elusive; much of the commentary I've seen concentrates on the internet's role in radicalisation and preachers of hatred.

The comments by the local Sheriff no doubt will echo around for awhile:

We have become the capital, the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

Link to Sheriff's press conference:http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2...g+For+Arizona)

[Presley Cannady]

What motivates such people remains elusive; much of the commentary I've seen concentrates on the internet's role in radicalisation and preachers of hatred.

Raises the question, is it useful to consider "lone wolf" assassins a class of criminal apart? Do we entertain such categorical notions when considering other kinds of criminals, even narrowed down to just murderers?

The comments by the local Sheriff no doubt will echo around for awhile:

Link to Sheriff's press conference:http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2...g+For+Arizona)

They've been echoing for longer than that, along with the typical appeals to the ephemeral roots of homeland violence in:
1. video games,
2. heavy metal and gangsta rap, and
3. pot.

Your mileage may vary in how useful these "observations" are.

[davidbfpo]

Presley commented / asked:

Raises the question, is it useful to consider "lone wolf" assassins a class of criminal apart? Do we entertain such categorical notions when considering other kinds of criminals, even narrowed down to just murderers?

With murders and sex crimes notably we do - in the UK - and have borrowed the adjective from the FBI IIRC of 'serial murderers' etc. It is a fact that some criminal suspects specialise in their targeting, such as bogus callers on the elderly. There is a clear difficulty in defining and establishing predictability and the political need, notably with terrorism, to pre-empt such behaviour.

[J Wolfsberger]

The writing and You Tube posts are more typical of someone with schizophrenia than with any specific political leanings. Whatever "radicalized" him was a product of his own mental condition, and had no connection to the external world beyond seizing on certain terms that he took out of context and fit into his delusions. There isn't anything useful to be learned from trying to fit this mentally disturbed spree killer into the category of terrorist.

[slapout9]

The writing and You Tube posts are more typical of someone with schizophrenia than with any specific political leanings. Whatever "radicalized" him was a product of his own mental condition, and had no connection to the external world beyond seizing on certain terms that he took out of context and fit into his delusions. There isn't anything useful to be learned from trying to fit this mentally disturbed spree killer into the category of terrorist.

Jay, that it is part of what is used to determine the threat level of a possible assassin.

[bourbon]

I don’t believe he was the intended target, but the chief federal judge in Arizona killed in the attack. Federal judge’s can receive a lot of death threats, but only 6 (including this one) have been murdered in US history; last one was in 1989.


Trivia Question:
The father of which movie and sitcom star, was an organized crime affiliated hit-man who shot and killed US District Judge John Wood (aka: "Maximum John") in 1979?