The PsychologyThe Psychologyof of

Spree KillingSpree Killing

Craig JacksonCraig JacksonProf. Occ Health PsychologyProf. Occ Health Psychology

Birmingham City UniversityBirmingham City University

““Going Postal”Going Postal”

Unfortunate term - misleading

Incidents from 1983 onwards

Involving USPS workers

Shot / killed colleagues, managers, police, public

1986 – 1997 23 spree kill incidents 48 murdered

Three incidents elsewhere:Australia (1926, 1987)Canada (1934)

Not all “Postal killings” are “Spree killings”

Notable IncidentsNotable Incidents

Edmond, Oklahoma: 1986Patrick Sherrill PT letter carrier facing dismissal due to troubled work history14 employees shot and killed & 6 wounded

Ridgewood, New Jersey: 1991Joseph Harris shot and killed four people1 yr after being firedIncluded former boss & 2 USPS employees

Royal Oak, Michigan: 1991Thomas McIlvane killed 5 people, including himselfUsed a rifle in Royal Oak's post officeWas fired from the USPS for "insubordination" Had been previously suspended for getting into altercations with postal customers on his route.

Notable IncidentsNotable Incidents

Double eventMay 6th 1993

Two shootings took place on the same day, a few hours apart

At a post office in Dearborn, Michigan Lawrence Jasion wounded three and killed two (including himself)

In California, Mark Hilburn killed his mother, then shot two postal workers dead

Goleta, California: 2006Jennifer SanMarco - SanMarco Former postal employee, retired due to previous mental health problems. Killed 6 postal employees (and a further non-related victim at her old apartment block) Committing suicide at a large postal processing facilityUsed handgun. Victim selection racially biased – “The Racist Press”

Notable IncidentsNotable Incidents

Baker City, Oregon: 2006Grant Gallaher, 41 yrs old. current employee of eighteen years, ran over his supervisor then shot him several times.

Gallaher reportedly was on a new route for three weeks and had felt pressured by a week-long work-time study and an extra twenty minutes added to his new route

Sacramento, California: 2009A post office clerk threatened to kill a customer, and the branch had to be closed for the day.

Going Postal Mythology?Going Postal Mythology?

Interventions 1993 USPS creates 85 “Workplace Environment Analysts” to cope with Violence prevention and environmental improvement. All fired in Feb 2009 due to cutbacks.

Epidemiology2.1 homicides per 100,000 retail workers1.7 homicides per 100,000 public admin workers0.2 homicides per 100,000 USPS workers

USPS employs 0.75% of civilian labour force

13% of employee-directed homicides occurred at USPS facilities by (former) staff (NIOSH)

UK “Spree Killing” hides subtle differencesUK “Spree Killing” hides subtle differences

Ryan Sartin Hamilton Bird Moat

Year 1987 1989 1996 2010 2010Day Sat Sun Wed Wed SatDuration 8 hrs 2hrs 20mins 4 hrs 7daysKilled Yes No Yes Yes YesSuicide Yes NA Yes Yes ?Dead 16 1 17 13 1Injured 15 14 13 11 2Victims All Adult All Adult AdultTargeted No No Yes Some AllIndiscriminate Yes Yes Yes Yes NoMobile Yes Yes No Yes YesSchool Yes No Yes No NoShootist Yes No Yes Yes NoLegal firearms Yes No Yes Yes No“Normal” No No No Yes Yes/NoFamily Yes No No Yes NoPolice on scene Yes Yes No No YesCommunications No No Yes No Yes

Military Spree KillingsMilitary Spree Killings

Since 1995 there have been 6 recordedspree killings in the US Military

Fort Hood massacre in 2009 most memorable

Major Nidal Malik Hasan was a US Army Psychiatrist

Killed 13 and injured 30 others

With more qualifications, career progression and life chances than most spree killers, he does not fit the typical pattern of spree killers - he was not under undue stress at the time of the killings

There is some suggestion of some sub-standard aspects to his clinical work and possible Islamic radicalisation prior to the killings.

Schools & CollegesSchools & Colleges

The place that features most in spree killings is that of educational establishments, sometimes schools, but mostly university colleges.

Since Charles Whitman took refuge in an observation tower and killed 16, and injured 31 at the University of Texas in 1963, there have been numerous spree killers who engage in their sprees entirely on the premises:

Hamilton, Lepine, Cho, Klebold and Harris, or Kretschmer , or who kill elsewhere who then seem to migrate to their former alma mater, such as Weise, Whitman, or Ryan.

Whether their former schools represent safety or security for them in a siege situation is unknown – after all who can’t recall the layout of their former school - but it is clear that schools and colleges play an important role for a sizeable percentage of spree killers.

Serial Murder or Spree MurderSerial Murder or Spree Murder

Mass murderThe killing of several people at one location.

Spree murderThe killing of several people at different locations over a period of days.

These killers typically commit suicide or are killed by the police.

Two types of mass murderersThose who chose specific targets who the killers believe to have caused them stress.

Those who attack targets having no personal connection with the killer butbelong to groups the killer dislikes.

Serial Murder or Spree MurderSerial Murder or Spree Murder

Spree killers move from victim to victim in fairly rapid succession.

Spree killing is rare, but spree-killing teams are even rarer and are typically composed of a dominant leader and submissive (lover?).

Spree and mass murderers have increased steadily in the United States since the middle of the 20th Century.

How can anyone feel so abruptly angry that they suddenly and so completely lose all touch with reality to the extent of killing such a large group of total strangers?  A very real difficulty for forensic specialists attempting to research the subject, is that most killers end up unavailable for proper study.

Either because the authorities had to shoot them, or the perpetrators end up taking their own lives.

Serial Murder or Spree MurderSerial Murder or Spree Murder

Not as widely researched as serial killing

Very uncommon, although they do appear to becoming more common

Spree killers generally have not come to the attention of the police previously

Some incident / incidents build up in their life that they feel they need to take action against, and that they are able to access a suitable weapon

PLUS

Need the creation of an offending space:

(1) Firearms (2) Trigger event(s) (3) Victims (4) Autonomy

Giannangelo's Diathesis / Stress Model

Biological Predisposition (low arousal levels, possible prefrontal cortex damage, etc) Environmental Trauma/Stress

Predisposition Self-esteem and self- control problems Sexual dysfunction

Maladaptive coping skills Retreat into fantasy world

Dissociative process

Kill!

Home-Based SpreeHome-Based Spree

San Diego, California: Jan 1979Brenda Spencer 16yrs old

History of petty theft, truancy, drug useChristmas 1978 father gave her .22 semi-automatic rifle

Grover Cleveland Elementary SchoolOpened fire on pupils from bedroom windowFired 30 roundsKilled 2, injured 9 (8 pupils, 1 police)Barricaded into bedroomEventually surrendered

Tried as adult – double murder and assault with deadly weapon25 years to life sentenceFailed parole 4 timesEligible in 2019

The UK’s Unknown SpreeThe UK’s Unknown Spree

Robert Sartin22yrs old. Social security admin worker

Monkseaton, Tyneside

April 30th 1989Took fathers shotgun20 mins spreeKilled 1 (Ken Mackintosh);14 woundedDressed in blackCartridges in bandolierDrove off to seasideArrested by undercover officer

1 Murder & 17 attempted murdersInsanity plea. Subsequent Sz diagnosisDetained indefinitely at Ashworth Special Hospital

HungerfordHungerford

Michael Ryan 27 yrs Unemployed casual labourer

Legal ownership of shotguns, handguns & semi-automaticsNo criminal recordNo mental illness

Loner. Fantasists. Military “fanatic”Withdrew after death of father aged 25Lost occasional labouring jobs. Lived with motherJoined the Tunnel Rifle & Pistol Club Told people he had a gun shop, a fiancé, was ex SAS

Started at 12 noon Sat August 19th 1987Savernake ForestSusan Godfrey 35 picnic mum. 2 kids spared

Hungerford narrative #1Hungerford narrative #1

Susan Godfrey 35 killed picnic mum. 2 kids sparedRefuelled carKakoub Dean shot at petrol station owner. Gun jammedDrove home to no.4 South ViewFamily dogs Killed Re-supplied / re-armedCar failed to startShot car 4 timesReturned into house – started petrol fireTook 2 rifles and handgun and left on footRoland & Sheila Mason killedWounded eye-witness neighbourWitness sees Ryan warn some children to leave the areaMoves up and down the same streetDorothy Smith swore at him to shut up and stopRyan leaves by footpathLisa Mildenhall (14) shot 4 times but survives

Hungerford narrative #2Hungerford narrative #2

Ken Clements killedPolice air support spots himSouth View cordoned offPC Roger Bereton shot 4 times killedShot another car injured occupants (mum and daughter) Abdul Khan shot 3 time – survivedShot at Ambulance teamIvor Jackson shot 4 times (survived) played deadIvor’s driver shot died in crashDorothy Ryan arrived on sceneDorothy shot 2 times (leg and stomach) shot twice more in back (dead)TFU called (40 miles away)Ryan moved on across school play groundElderly neighbour shot at (survived)Francis Butler (dog walker) shot 3 times deadAbandoned M1 carbine (left with berretta and ak47)Shoots at boy on bike (misses)Marcus Barnard shot killed

Hungerford narrative #3Hungerford narrative #3

Ryan ditches AK47 then picks it up again

Shoots and wounds 2 more

Shoots at car – killing male driver, wounding female passenger

Shoots at 2 people in a van. Van crashes into pole. Eric Vardy driver killed

Sandra Hill (20) shot killed driving past

Went to no. 60 Priory Rd – broke in

Shot killed Victor Gibbs and Myrtle Gibbs

Used their house to shoot out to road

Shot a passing car killing driver Ian Playle

Left no. 60 Priory Rd and headed to former school John o’Gaunt

On way shot & killed George Noon (67)

Pointed at neighbour and said “bang” then moved on

Fired at houses as he passed

TFU surround school

Ryan throws AK47 with “white flag” from 3rd floor window

Hungerford narrative #4Hungerford narrative #4

At first he was belligerent, refused to give his nameEventually he seemed willing to talk  They kept up an exchange for over an hour  Helpfully, Ryan let them know where he had dropped his rifle, with a magazineLamented his mother's death, as well as his shooting of the dogsHe asked that they give his dog a proper burialHe kept asking if his mother had died, but TFU would not confirm this.  "I won't come out until I know“   "I did not mean to kill her. It was a mistake.“Throws berretta magazine from windowClaims 1 round left in chamber“I wish I had stayed in bed”“If only my car would’ve started”6:45 muffled shot from berretta3 hours later police find body in school classroomCremated 3rd Sept

Hungerford VictimsHungerford Victims

Susan Godfrey, 35 – shot and diedKakoub Dean – shot at (missed & firearm malfunction)Roland Mason – shot and diedSheila Mason – shot and diedMarjorie Jackson – shot and survivedLisa Mildenhall, 14 – shot and survivedKenneth Clements – shot and diedPC Roger Brereton – shot and diedLinda Chapman – shot and survivedAlison Chapman – shot and survivedAbdul Rahman Khan, 84 – shot and diedAlan Lepetit – shot and survivedHazel Haslett – windscreen shot, glass injury and survivedIvor Jackson – shot and survivedGeorge White – shot and diedDorothy Ryan, 61 – shot and died

Hungerford VictimsHungerford Victims

Betty Tolladay, 71 – shot and survivedFrancis Butler, 26 – shot and diedMarcus Bernard, 30 – shot and diedMan – shot and survivedDouglas Wainwright – shot and diedKathleen Wainwright, 62 – shot and survivedWoman driver – shot and survivedJohn Storms, 49 – shot and survivedEric Vardy – shot and diedSandra Hill, 22 - shot and diedVictor Gibbs, 66 - shot and diedMyrtle Gibbs - shot and diedMan from 62 Priory Road – shot and survivedWoman from 71 Priory Road – shot and survivedIan Playle, 34 – shot and diedGeorge Noon, 67 – shot and survived

Hungerford MotivesHungerford Motives

Attempt raped / assault of Susan Godfrey?Did “stalk” peopleWore camouflage etc.Petrol station shot?

Inability to cope with what he had (tried) to do to Godfrey?

Legacy that spree killing is form of pent up rage and anger – not always true

The Hungerford Report led to the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, which banned the ownership of semi-automatic centre-fire rifles and restricted the use of shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than two rounds

HungerfordHungerford

Gregory Moffat, childhood specialist

Claimed that victims of bullying are generally small, weak, lack confidence and are loners.

Inability to defend themselves against their bullies means that shame, guilt, anger, hate and the need for revenge builds inside them.

This powerful mix of emotions is often later expressed in an inappropriately violent response.

This seemed to fit the “profile” of Michael Ryan

Dunblane Dunblane

Thomas W HamiltonUnemployed former shopkeeper 43yrs old13th March 1996

8.15 am Thomas Hamilton was seen by a neighbour to be scraping ice off his van outside his home at 7 Kent Road, Stirling. They had a chat. Later he drove off in the van in the direction of Dunblane

9.30 am he parked the van beside a telegraph pole in the lower car park of Dunblane Primary School

He took out a pair of pliers and to cut the telephone wires at the foot of the telegraph pole. These did not serve the school but a number of adjoining houses

Crossed the car park, carrying weapons, ammunition and other equipment2 Brownings, 2 Magnums, 743 rounds.

DunblaneDunblane

Entered the school by way of a door on its north west side which was next to the toilets beside the gym

The school day had started at 9 am for all primary classes. Morning assemblies were held in the school's Assembly Hall which was situated between the dining area and the gymnasium.

The school had 640 pupils, making it one of the largest primary schools in Scotland. The Assembly Hall was not large enough to accommodate the whole school at one time.

Hamilton fired 2 rounds at the stage in the Assembly hallHamilton fired 2 rounds at the stage in the Assembly hall

Entered Gym – wearing black, woolly hat and ear defendersEntered Gym – wearing black, woolly hat and ear defendersFired indiscriminately into groups of teachers and childrenFired indiscriminately into groups of teachers and children

Some teachers and children hid in store cupboard nearbySome teachers and children hid in store cupboard nearby

DunblaneDunblane

Hamilton walked around the inside of the gym, then outside the fire escape and fired at passing strangers

Re-entered the gym and continued shooting then immediately shot himself.

Took less than 5 minutes. Fired 109 times.

1 teacher and 16 children dead

3 teachers and 10 children injured and survived

Dunblane Motives and HistoryDunblane Motives and History

Withdrawal of his warrant as a Scout leader in 1974

Undying resentment against the Scouts

Hamilton claimed they undermined his work with various boys clubs which he ran from the 1970s onwards The way he ran those clubs, and in particular his insistence that the boys should wear brief swimming trunks which he provided caused complaints from parents

Led to his coming into contention with a number of local authorities which owned the school premises where his clubs met

Dunblane Motives and HistoryDunblane Motives and History

His summer camps in 1988 and 1991 and his residential sports training course in 1992 were investigated by the police, but he was never prosecuted

Hamilton countered these complaints and investigations with complaints of his own against the police and local authority officials

In 1995 Central Regional Council was still endeavouring to find ways of making it more difficult for him to obtain the let of their premises

Allegations as to his conduct with firearms, and in particular showing them to others and an occasion on which he is said to have threatened Mrs Doreen Hagger with a gun

In 1996 his clubs were then in decline

He was in serious financial difficulties

Dunblane Motives and HistoryDunblane Motives and History

His mood was low and he was deeply resentful of those who had claimed that he was a pervert and had discouraged boys from attending his clubs After a gap of about 8 years his interest in firearms was resurgent

There is evidence which points to his making preparations for what he did, a) questions which he put to a boy about the layout and timing of

events at the school.b) questioning of a retired police officer about the time which the

police would take to respond to an incident.

Hamilton was not mentally ill but had a paranoid personality with a desire to control others in which his firearms were the focus of his fantasies.

The violence which he used would not have been predictable.

His previous conduct showed indications of paedophilia.

Copycat PhenomenonCopycat Phenomenon

Martin Bryant, 28 yrs old

April 1996, Tasmania

Port Arthur Tourist Site

35 dead – 35 wounded

Shot on the road, Broad Arrow cafe, car park, tool booth, service station, then kidnapped a couple, held man hostage then killed him

Captured by police

Claimed he “wanted to beat Hamilton’s record”

Hungerford occurred 10 days after the “Hoddle St” killings in Melbourne

Cumbria SpreeCumbria Spree

Derrick Bird, 52 yrsTaxi Driver2nd June 2010

Killed 12, Injured 11

Targeted Killings in LamplughDavid Bird brotherKevin Commons – family solicitor

Shot taxi drivers in Whitehaven, then drove through Egremont, Gosforth, Seascale

Shooting from vehicle

Targeted those could get close to e.g. shotgun range

Committed suicide at Boot before any stand off or siege

Cumbria Motives Cumbria Motives

Bird angered by taxi colleagues

Angered by Brother and family will

Previous conviction for theft (suspended)

3 of dead were former Sellafield staff

Inland Revenue investigation (£60K stashed in accounts)

Thai girlfriend / sex tourist background

Sent money to Thailand – dumped by text

Northumbria Manhunt Northumbria Manhunt

Raoul Moat, 37yrs old. PT Bouncer

Recently released from Durham Prison

2 days after release, shot 3 people with sawn off shotgunex-girlfriend Sam StobbartChris BrownPC David Rathband

Six days on the run and UK’s biggest manhunt

Moat wrote to police - said would not attack civilians – “Not like Bird”

Left recordings to say would shoot civilians due to “experts slagging him off”

Moat recognised by police and contained in the open at Rothbury

6 hours of negotiation, Moat shot himself in the early hours

Northumbria Manhunt Northumbria Manhunt

Narcissistic

Manipulative

CompensationNon-lethal cartridgeWarning marks

Controlling

Body augmentation through anabolic androgenic steroids

Obsessed with leaving the legacy of an avenger

“Cops harassing some young mum”

Role of MediaRole of Media

Moat case: ongoing TV

24 hours to fill

Influenced investigation

Influenced crime

TV swamping communities

TV infamy influencing killers

APA letter to NBC and CBS

ThoughtsThoughts

Spree killing as a form of social protest Akin to slave revoltsReaganomics

Engaged in by powerless who cannot cope

“Randomness” is questionable

Not “crazed” or out of control – some elements of planning and calmness

Many types of spree roamingstationarydrivingmono-locationmission-driven

Gravitate towards helpless

Gravitate towards siege-friendly locations

Narcissistic InjuryNarcissistic Injury

‘Narcissistic injury’ is a term used to describe spree killers

They are particularly emotionally wounded by their failures in life.

These humiliations stand in stark contrast to how well they believe they should be doing, given their conviction they are in fact superior to others.

Or at the very least they should be doing better than they are.

How to explain this predicament? Well, maybe there is a conspiracy.

Paranoia

Family Annihilation vs Protest KillersFamily Annihilation vs Protest Killers

Spree killers may wipe out families as they feel the future is bleak

Workplace killers making a social protest

Killing the organization or group they hate

ColleaguesSuccessful peopleCommunitySociety

e.g. Mark Lepine (25 yrs old) killed 14 women and injured 15 people at a college in Montreal in 1989, left a suicide note claiming this was a protest against feminism.

Failure and a Formula to Explode Failure and a Formula to Explode

In non-familial mass killings there is a repeated pattern of failures in life

Especially in work, and in personal life

Combined with diminishing ability to cope with the resulting stress

Add a chronic tendency to blame others for disappointments

Acute triggers provoke the actual decision to kill and die

Precipitants often found in rampage killings have been sudden unemployment or relationship breakdown, such as the ending of a marriage So a deep sense of frustration, failure, and disappointment in someone who sees themselves as the victim, combined with blaming others for their own problems, mixed in with mounting pessimism that their difficulties cannot be solved, leads to suicidal and homicidal feelings entwined.

PredictabilityPredictability

A total of 98 USA spree killing incidents took place from 1949 to 1999

90% occurred in the period 1980–1999

Suggests a dramatic increase in spree killings

Spree killings are much more likely to occur on week days compared to other kinds of homicide which are more often perpetrated at week-ends???

Perhaps access to groups of weaker victims – schools co-workers - is more obtainable Mon-Fri

Preparation for SeminarsPreparation for Seminars

Raoul Moat Case

Familiarise yourself with;

Prior eventsThe killingsManhuntMoat’s lifeMedia roleDeathFacebook outragePolice conductFuneralPolice investigation

ReferencesReferences

Ames M. Going Postal: Rage, Murder, and Rebellion: From Reagan's Workplaces to Clinton's Columbine and Beyond, Washington. Soft Skull Press 2011.

Foster, Howard.  "Ryan Boasted that He was Never without a Gun." The Times, Sept. 25, 1987.

Hilliard, Brian.  "The Hungerford Massacre," Police Review, Oct. 9, 1987.Lane, Brian, and Wilfred Gregg. The Encyclopedia of Mass Murder.  New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004.

Jackson CA. in Howard V. Raoul Moat: His short life and bloody death. London. Blake Publishing; 2010

Jackson CA. Psychosocial Hazards - violence. In Smedley, J et al. (eds) Oxford Handbook of Occupational Health. Oxford. Oxford University Press; 2007. 167-179.

Jackson CA. Can psychology help in reducing spree-killing incidents? Birmingham Post, Jul. 24, 2011.

Jackson CA. Norway analysis: Horrific last resort of a weak and unstable narcissist, The Scotsman, Jul. 24, 2011.

ReferencesReferences

Mass Murderers. Time-Life Books. Alexandria, VA: 1992.

Moffatt G.  Wounded Innocents and Fallen Angels: Child Abuse and Child Aggression.  Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003.

Pantziarka, P.  Lone Wolf: True Stories of Spree Killers.  London: Virgin Books, 2000.

Uttley S. Dunblane Unburied. BookPublishingWorld (8 March 2006)

Wilson D & Jackson CA. Brevik’s not mad BCU press release

"Witnesses to a Trail of Terror that Claimed Fourteen Lives," The Independent, Aug. 20, 1987.