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What motivates a killer?

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    Inside the mind behind the movie massacre

  • Duration 6:25
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Dr. Ablow

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Aftermath of the movie massacre in Aurora Colorado may consider if dark movies are to blame here are they.

Perhaps catalysts.

Leading to violence.

As -- begin to learn more about James Holmes in the mind behind the massacre we wonder what causes a person.

To become unhinged like this our next guest says it's the extreme Tuesday -- -- as a child.

Joining us now -- medical eighteen -- -- psychiatrist doctor keep tableau -- in the last segment mention that I that I tried a little discussion of my son about what happened.

That would I think it was it was awkward -- gonna be -- because I didn't know how to explain it it's it's still a good thing to talk to your kids about this right right when it happens.

It's absolutely a good thing because kids are thinking about it anyhow -- and so whether they bring it up where they don't they're gonna come to certain conclusions and you want him to be the the healthiest ones possible you have the ability as an adult.

The balance the issues involved and to tell your kids the world as you -- ready did you mention this the world is still save the country is still America.

But kids can think everything has fundamentally change which it has not.

It's still safe go in the movies the reason this is on the news you can tell them.

Is because this is a one in a billion of that.

Think of all the movie cinemas across the country.

And the factors that led to this event.

They're not about sitting in the movie cinema anymore than tear gas is to blame because he used that in this event.

I'm what's to blame our longstanding.

Issues that this fellow faced psychologically.

That then manifested themselves.

In a horrific set of symptoms and this calamity.

So the likelihood that there's another man out they're just like James Holmes well that's.

You know that's like winning this terrible analogy losing the lottery if you will one and a billion shot.

-- dot com let's attempt to get into the mind this man.

You can't separate the movie from what happened he had red dyed red hair told police he was the Joker.

I looked into it a little bit there is a popular Batman video games stage in an empty movie theater a popular baton and comic.

That involved an attack on a live television audience.

What do you make of all of that.

In terms of what unfolded.

At that midnight showing.

Here's the thing he can't blame that man see that the movie didn't wrench a normal man.

Into which realm and distort him into a psychopathic killer a mass murderer.

People who are ill can certainly happen upon cultural events and forces and attach themselves to those they lose themselves in that.

That's why for instance many paranoid people who've sought care in my office -- they complain they say the CIA is following me.

Well the CIA didn't cause there elements.

They had.

Attach themselves doing known.

-- the CIA.

And expressed their illness in terms of the CIA just as this person.

What every struggling with expressed his symptoms in terms of this movie if he did the -- -- here.

I've heard that report if he did and called himself the Joker he -- Mentally deranged.

And hit these props.

As you could pick any.

And said this is the way I'm going to express my eyesight go -- have -- right.

But see here's the vexing thing for all of us and for investigators are tablet which is.

That he is described by neighbors and by schoolmates as quiet.

As OK a loner but EZ go weighing.

And what what Pat Brown a criminal profiler told us of a little while ago on the show was this isn't psychopath biology as you say -- has been there for ever.

He's right in Minnesota.

Get triggered is something it triggered an adolescence that like -- -- it.

Well first of all I thought pat Brown's comments while I'm sure she's been able person were very much out of school.

I'm she doesn't know that this person is psychopath.

Has anti social -- yeah cycle is about as well.

Now no I'm not seeing a psychopath which would -- might have anti social personality disorder and not she said quite clearly he's not delusional.

He has no major mental illness well there's no way to know that that's one of the more irresponsible things I've ever heard in my career.

The bottom line is we don't know that here here's a guy who was pursuing a life as it -- you want to be a neuroscientist.

Something intervened.

Deter him from that from -- enrolled at the university Colorado.

Into a mass murderer now if you -- somebody who.

Was and a marathon runner and suddenly wastes away muscular -- falls to the ground clutching his -- today I think there's something physically ill.

Here's something wrong.

Only because of stigma.

And the fact that people hate people with psychiatric illnesses do we say that this guy is the double.

This guy is tremendously.

Ill even if it is ill with malignant narcissism is of -- that turns out to be that case you think he picked that.

From infancy to be so shallow and sensitive in his self esteem.

As to have to kill people to assert it that's called illness and for -- to say no he's the -- he's just a criminal.

That's just nonsense.

Well yeah I -- -- Disney was Denon.

I know you're you're using -- -- -- -- pretty much did and you know what peoples are staying on guys enough misguided a horrible thing but we don't need to say that people who are enrolled in Ph.D.

programs.

Who probably expressed by the way to more than one person around them that they were getting sick.

Yeah and I know help.

-- the end of the world did you know dark and we appreciate your -- A health perspective on -- and it's a good reminder.

For everyone to be more attuned to all these mental -- to -- on the lookout or for this and that the scary part is it there -- day those indications prior to this we know of yes but doctor well.

I assure you Eric I assure you -- there will be indications -- withdrew from school.

I wanna know what he told the counselors his fellow students in the rest of -- -- to make your bones professionally Hong Kong people's names.

That's so -- we gotta do the work here of understanding how to defeat this.

Are jobless thank you.

And a and it would actually was comforting -- comes out that there were warning signs in an article sort of frustrated shut your other.