The thought of a six year old bringing a gun to school should be a wake-up call that this is a problem that we can't put on a back burner. It is good that a 6 uear old isn't facing consequences publicly. It is reported it was his mother's gun, and she can only be facing limited criminal charges, and a potential civil case, if the teacher decides to. We are left not really knowing much of anything more. I have seen people speculate, without any supporting facts, that it must be the father's fault, as the mother may have feared him. In some cases, of course, speculation has shows more about the person doing it, than the actual events.
I can say that decades ago, before going to work at the mental health clinic, I worked with families with all types of domestic violence. I remember two related cases -- adult sisters with children, who lived next door to each other, with their husbands. One of the kids was five when he stabbed another kid at pre-school. It is no surprise that he learned violence from his parents, and his aunt and uncle. The adults lacked parenting skills, as well as conflict resolution abilities. Both sets co-battered, and also hit their little children.
Years later, at the MHC, I was discussing the now adult sons of one of the couples with a psychologist. The older brother was a drunk, often spending time in the county jail, where the psychologist and I provided services. Other than driving drunk, he posed no threat to society. But we agreed the younger brother would commit murder before the age of 21. And shortly after that, he was arrested for beating a man to death.
It is possible to identify the combination of factors that tend to have an association with brutal attacks on society at a relatively young age. It would be best if treated early. I do not, of course, pretend to have all the answers. But reading the book "The Violence Project" gives me hope that society will get there.
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