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Were warning signs missed?

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  • Description

    Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole weighs in

  • Duration 4:59
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What -- FOX & Friends on the Sunday morning we're still learning.

New information about the gunman who carried out this horrific crime.

So what were the warning signs if any and is it possible to.

For see someone on the brink of committing such an atrocious crime so let's ask former FBI profiler.

Mary Allen.

O'Toole -- -- thanks so much for being with us this morning.

You welcome -- -- Atalanta was described as being a little peculiar.

Being -- -- Being -- techno and paper computer geek but you know.

None of those things are warnings -- Did you say that people don't instantly snapped.

So what should people be on the look out when they think -- someone is a little strange.

You're right.

Our experience -- our research in the FBI says people don't just snap they don't wake up 1 morning -- just decide to carry this out.

This is crime that involves planning -- the planning includes getting the guns and practicing with the guns and getting the ammunition and sometimes dressing up and then Garber the outfit that they intend to where.

All of that.

Is warning behavior there's also -- -- which is telling someone ahead of time.

Directly or indirectly and it may -- even the four in the form of of bragging or.

As sounding like can you believe I'm really going to do this.

Other warning behaviors can include being obsessed with guns or prior shooters like the column buying or the or Rory shooter.

And then as it gets closer to the event.

It would become.

They would become involved with just really focusing in on on their planning and how they're gonna carry it out.

Now someone clear across town -- are they going to be -- aware of these warning behaviors.

Absolutely not.

But is -- someone that's going to be close to the shooter that will become aware that these behaviors are starting to manifest and bubble to the top.

Those are the people we want to come forward and say.

I'm concerned about this this is.

Really more a typical that this person is becoming is making threats and and these -- behaviors are beginning to surface.

We had a case very recently.

Where the mother came forward to law enforcement was concerned about her son.

Because he had threatened to go into a movie theater.

And -- -- -- shooting similar to Aurora Colorado so we know that these warning behaviors of work when you identify them and you don't ignore them.

I mean and I remember all the way back to the column line shooting I was there -- student journalists that it clearly the parents and many of these cases might be too close.

To notice these things so if someone.

Family member a friend recognizes who they reported to I mean.

They don't call the FBI -- -- who wants to hear these things and who can act on them.

Sure it.

They're not going to pick up the phone call the FBI we understand that.

But they can call a teacher they can call on a resource officer in school they can contact an adult neighbor.

On the parent.

Of of a friend of theirs.

They can call someone that they feel will go and take that information.

To law enforcement to someone who is able to.

Follow through and evaluate that behavior and nearly every school now.

For example has behavioral intervention teens or behavioral assessment teams.

And on those teams are law enforcement psychologists and teachers and they're trained to look at that kind of behavior.

The important point is for people not to -- -- themselves and say.

They're just -- They don't really they're not really serious about that.

Please don't do that bring it to people that do have the background training and experience.

That can look at it and vetted -- if there is something of.

-- alert the experts -- these are all great tips and these are great things from people to be on the lookout for you also say.

If they start -- -- talking.

We've suicidal overtones so not just becoming more obsessive not just perhaps playing word games are dressing up but you.

Ultimately their big self destructive.

Absolutely if they're if they're talking and maybe in the past they spoke of that in terms of suicide is a way out but that behavior now.

In conjunction with the other ones I've just identify now that behavior in terms of suicidal.

-- the -- and speaking about that.

Is now also increased -- nihilistic thinking oh well it's the end of the world there's nothing left anyway it's all over.

Those kinds of comments.

In combination with everything house.

Really together it's a cumulative.

Behavior that's important both.

Live the next one of these can be prevented Mariel world to a former FBI profiler thanks for being with us -- when I was -- and -- welcome standing.

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