Shooting at Univ. Alabama Huntsville (merged thread folds in Parents Cafe comments)

<p>There is a first-person account of the shooting on the science blog I linked earlier today, from a faculty member who was not harmed. He says that she started with the person sitting next to her (the dept. chair) and continued around the table. </p>

<p>The fact that she obtained the gun, somehow, in advance and practiced shooting it puts a new light on the story. I’d imagined something like temporary insanity. Didn’t she look at her children at some point in that period and think about what her planned actions would do to them?</p>

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<p>That’s something I can’t even begin to understand. What did she think would happen afterwards? Didn’t she even think about her children?</p>

<p>“Didn’t she look at her children at some point in that period and think about what her planned actions would do to them?”</p>

<p>I totally “get” why you would ask this… but…it seems as if this woman lacked the ability to think about the effect of anything she would do on anyone else, at all. I mean, how many children, not her own, were effected by this? Not to mention the students? No. I think this woman was pretty self-involved.</p>

<p>I’ve actually always wondered how there could be an insanity defense in the case of murder, when it just seems as if the action itself is the absolute pinnacle of out of control insanity. fwiw I mean, to think you have the right to take someone’s life. Where would that come from?</p>

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<p>I’ll bet they are getting that from a single RateMyProfessor comment that said something like, “She’s Socialist but only talks about it after class.” </p>

<p>However, it is a big leap to take a RateMyProfessor comment at literal value. I was looking at one of my own professors this morning and one comment complained she was hard to understand because she was from Japan. Another complained she was hard to understand because she was from China! (And I have never had the least problem understanding this particular professor, no matter what country she’s from.) RateMyProfessor is useful in seeing a general trend of “do students like this class or not”, not for delving into the details of professors’ personal lives. Unless it’s a well-known detail they have posted on their website or something.</p>

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<p>I think temporary insanity has to be unpremeditated? Like that guy on the Canadian bus who beheaded someone . . . Since she bought the gun in advanced and practiced, that would point to it NOT being temporary insanity. Hell, hauling a gun along in the first place would point to it being premeditated.</p>

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<p>Just out of curiosity, would you be in favor of open carry?</p>

<p>DC also banned handguns, and their violent crime rate went through the roof.</p>

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I’ve always believed that someone has to be at least slightly crazy to kill someone else, except in self defense.</p>

<p>February 15, 2010, 01:19 PM ET </p>

<p>Bowling Green State U. Suspends Professor Over Alleged Threats
Bowling Green State University has suspended an associate professor who was arrested 10 days ago for making threats to colleagues, according to today’s Toledo Blade, which cited a university spokesman. </p>

<p>A little more: [The</a> Ticker - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Bowling-Green-State-U/21263/]The”>http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Bowling-Green-State-U/21263/)</p>

<p>“… it seems as if this woman lacked the ability to think about the effect of anything she would do on anyone else, at all. I mean, how many children, not her own, were effected by this? Not to mention the students?”</p>

<p>… plus the people she shot, their spouses, the University, the city of Huntsville, her husband, her parents … and even herself. It’s a mind-bender for the rational among us who might respond to Amy’s situation by saying “Misfortune happens to everyone … time to move on and become great somewhere else.”</p>

<p>I don’t think you have to be crazy to kill someone . . . just value something else over human life. Money, if you are killing your child or parent to cash in somehow (putting a life insurance policy on your kid or hankering for your parents’ fortune.) Wanting your lover all to yourself if you are killing the person he/she is cheating with. (Although why you would want a man/woman who cheats on you is beyond me!) Valuing your revenge more than your freedom, maybe. “I may be in jail, but they are DEAD!!”</p>

<p>I think more murderers are selfish than crazy. Although sometimes they’re both.</p>

<p>Oh God! More reports from her former neighbors in Ipswich, MA:</p>

<p>[Ipswich</a> neighbors recall confrontations with Amy Bishop - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/02/ipswich_neighbo.html]Ipswich”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/02/ipswich_neighbo.html)</p>

<p>“Bishop once stopped a local ice cream truck from coming into their neighborhood. According to WBZ-1030 radio, she said it was because her own kids were lactose intolerant, and she didn’t think it was fair that her kids couldn’t have ice cream.”</p>

<p>I know “nuts” is not a vaild term but is seems to apply here. I just hope it is not too late to get her kids some therapy.</p>

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<p>DC just registered its lowest number of murders in 45 years (see [DC</a> Murder Rate Lowest in 45 Years](<a href=“FOX 5 DC”>FOX 5 DC)). Many factors affect murder rates. While it is intuitive that open carry would lower rates of violent crime, the research I have read is not definitive—just look at the lengthy spat between John Lott and Steve Levitt: [Empirical</a> Legal Studies: Lott v. Levitt](<a href=“http://www.elsblog.org/the_empirical_legal_studi/lott_v_levitt/]Empirical”>http://www.elsblog.org/the_empirical_legal_studi/lott_v_levitt/)</p>

<p>FWIW, a columnist for the Chronicle of Higher Ed makes suggestions about how to handle tenure decisions to minimize the chance of violent retribution:</p>

<p>[Guidance</a> for Handling Tenure Denial - Commentary - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/Guidance-for-Handling-Tenure/64208/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en]Guidance”>http://chronicle.com/article/Guidance-for-Handling-Tenure/64208/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)</p>

<p>I don’t think these suggestions would have made a difference in this case. As stated earlier, I don’t believe granting her tenure would have eliminated the possibility that she would do great harm to someone at some future time.</p>

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<p>I’m thankful that her husband is egotistical to think he can outwit the investigation. It will make figuring out what did happen that much easier.</p>

<p>Re the link in 310: I’d say those kids on the dirt bikes are lucky Bishop/Anderson didn’t take a shot at them.</p>

<p>Maybe universities should interview neighbors before offering a position to new faculty members. Get the real scoop. (That’s a joke, folks.)</p>

<p>Alabama Shooting Suspect’s Husband: ‘I’m No Psychologist’ </p>

<p>Article here: [Alabama</a> University Shooting: Suspect Amy Bishop’s Husband Has No Idea Why Wife Would Kill - ABC News](<a href=“Alabama Shooting Suspect's Husband: 'I'm No Psychologist' - ABC News”>Alabama Shooting Suspect's Husband: 'I'm No Psychologist' - ABC News)</p>

<p>I don’t know why but the husband in the case reminds me of that horrific tragedy a few years ago when a very disturbed woman in Texas killed all of her children. I remember her first name was Andrea. Her husband seemed as clueless as the husband in this case. I remember the interviews with him after those murders and he seemed strangely detached. The more I read from this guy the more I am reminded of that case.</p>

<p>It was Andrea Yates.</p>

<p>Bobby, </p>

<p>That was the Yates family.</p>

<p>Apparently, the children are the co-authors. Two of the children’s names are mentioned here:</p>

<p>[Ipswich</a> neighbors recall confrontations with Amy Bishop - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/02/ipswich_neighbo.html]Ipswich”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/02/ipswich_neighbo.html)</p>

<p>From article link above:
"On April 11, 1999, James Anderson called police to report that the couple’s daughters, Phaeder and Thea, were missing. He said that the girls were at a friend’s house and were supposed to call before they left. Police arrived, and another neighborhood parent quickly came outside and said the girls and other children were over at his house. "</p>

<p>FindAPlace and bluealien01,</p>

<p>Thanks, I have been trying to remember her last name. What a tragedy that was.</p>