Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

What explains massacre suspect's shocking lack of empathy?

Details

  • Description

    Dr. Keith Ablow weighs in

  • Duration 5:30
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

First an -- on the left.

-- open the door open door and -- -- two women after two girls for about 1716.

One girl was shot in the in the job.

She was kind she was as shocked at the -- asking me help help help help so this please let us and he's coming back.

Each and every account that we've heard has been bone chilling and the scene at the hospital.

Chaos we're gonna hear from one of the hospitals treating patients live coming up.

But meanwhile.

This tragic shooting in a -- Colorado may be one of several recent years that's.

Not making it any easier for investigators to understand what could possibly motivate anybody to do this.

Here to offer a look inside the mind of the alleged shooter tech to keep that -- psychiatrist and Fox News medical aid team are Keith great to have you on thank you so much.

It your -- -- legend Jim you are clinical psychiatrist I always like to remind people you have an active practice you see people all the time that have issues.

What sort of issues we hate to speculate but what drives anybody to do something this calculated.

-- -- Jamie have done this for twenty years some of forensic psychiatrist evaluated people who done horrific things in many different circumstances.

The common.

The common trait these folks have is a lack of empathy.

Things break your empathy.

A varied nature.

One is if you have been exposed yourself to horrific emotional.

Or physical abuse you can stop feeling for yourself and stop feeling for other people it also makes you more vulnerable to substance abuse which which further.

Reduces your capacity to feel for other people and believe me other mental illnesses can intervene.

So you -- people who are psychotic delusional.

Believe that they have to kill people in order to save the universe.

This is the -- valuation that needs to be done.

Of the shooter to -- it is there an intervening psychiatric disorder or is it that his history his life history.

-- early chapters of his life story are such.

That this into -- -- for horrific destruction way back then because they always are.

The -- but we just ask you this what comes to mind for me is like warning signs for the Fort Hood massacre and Nadal -- And I think about the the young man that shocked every -- Giffords you know who who claimed that he was deranged you obviously they'll do a psychiatric evaluation.

Regardless.

-- but I'll I don't.

This has a lack of empathy there are all over the place -- it could be that he's completely normal in some respect to Clinton it.

Well you know -- senator you -- high functioning.

The -- look you can be very high functioning by the way and do some horrific things and still be work going off of a very disordered way of thinking about yourself in the universe would -- and it's self drive this kind of behavior.

I don't believe that it war.

But what kind of signs would you look for withdrawal.

Social isolation.

Depression.

Expressions.

Of violence you know this is very much about darkness turned inside out.

It's what this person's feelings inside about self destruction.

That he -- projects.

On other people and I'm telling yet.

When we do an inventory of what this man has told others and the weird behaviors he will have demonstrated.

It'll be one of those things where again people say man why didn't somebody do something or intervene because the signs were unfolding.

I want again right hit it here do this stuff trap well but what he was wearing a -- prove facets report yet that is true of very calculating move and doctor -- -- you were talking about taking inventory.

Of this young man's life.

Part of that obviously would be his family and wanna show some videotaped or viewers of the San Diego home of the parents.

And this is.

The father.

Of these suspected shooter James Holmes a short time ago emerging from his San Diego home.

Gotten there you see him a distant shot obviously not only have police been there -- been talking to the family.

But the media has converge as well.

-- tableau clearly you know authorities -- want to talk to the family to see if there's any.

History of mental illness but you know if I can throw something out at you.

I've often wondered sure maybe it's not.

-- mental illness.

Of bipolar skits a year narcissus and maybe there's no mental illness -- all are there some people in the world were simply evil and violence.

Well I I -- that there could be people born you know the bad seed but I haven't met that person again I've.

Evaluated people who have done horrific things on this scale or you know horrific sexual crimes.

And there's always a story line.

That tells you how did this person lose that humanity that capacity for empathy that would allow -- opened fire on strangers.

How can that be listen these folks there now flying to join their son.

In Colorado if you were to ask them listen honestly from the bottom of your heart.

What three things you most sensitive about not telling people about your family or your son's development personal development -- the things the most painful to relate.

There's your answer.

All right thank you so much stock to keep apple from our medical aid team we will be checking back with you know day.

Load More