Germans bewildered after school shooting

DaTroofHurts, Nashville, TN — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:04:29 GMT

See, America? Stricter gun laws will not help. Taking our freedoms will create more tension and insecurity. As long as people mistreat each other, this kind of thing will happen - so it is always going to happen.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Lore Wilkinson, Rowlett, Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:05:07 GMT

I am shocked and dismayed at the news. You will all be in our thoughts and prayers in the days and weeks ahead.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Alexandra — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:08:53 GMT

THE ONLY PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ARE THE PARENTS OF THIS CRAZY CRIMINAL!!...HOW THERE YOU PEOPLE LET KIDS BEEN AROUND WEAPONS?? "HUMANS ARE EMOTIONAL,WEAK.. SPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY; ANYTHING CAN TRICK THERE HEADS,DECEPTION,FRUSTRATION & MUCH MORE.WERE ARE THE GOOD PARENTS?? AS YOU BEEN DESCRIBE??DON'T EVER MAKE KIDS IF YOU ARE NOT CAPABLE OF BEEN RESPONSIBLE...

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Todd Hibbard, Port Saint Lucie, Florida — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:12:09 GMT

I teach at a middle school in Florida. History has shown that signs of distress and messages by troubled students need to be taken seriously. School staff are trained to look for warning signs and act on them.
Students such as Tim Kretschmer leave their mark on society by gaining negative attention because they rarely receive positive encouragement. Standing by blindly and ignoring these troubled youths will only continue to end in senseless murder.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

dave almond port dover ontario canada — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:33:14 GMT

this is awfull my heart goes out to the familys

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Josh Wichard, Somerset, United Kingdom — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:39:12 GMT

I think the father is partially to blame. To be a member of the gun club should surely mean he has a good knowledge of the dangers of weapons in the wrong hands, and to have a depressed son who is under-going therapy and then leave a modern German handgun lying around is some SERIOUS carelesness. Also,it may have seemed like father/son bonding time taking him to the Gun Club and teaching him how to shoot - but I think it's highly iresponsible. There are other ways that don't involve teaching your son to shoot.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Konto, Silver Spring, Maryland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:49:26 GMT

May the God of all Peace and Comfort, engulf the town and country in His arms. My prayers go out to all those affected. We need the Lord,peolpe.....no matter what we do the world is an evil place and only the Grace, Love and Fellowship of the Lord will help us through this vast wilderness of much wickedness.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jane FT Myers, FL — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:54:02 GMT

God's Blessings to those families.

I am wondering if American Teachers and Students can receive training, to catch the sugns of young people on the edge of losing it.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Matt williams — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:56:26 GMT

The world demands success, punishes difference, and glorifies vengeance. I'm not surprised when humans respond by lashing out at the people making these demands. That it doesn't happen every day is testament to the greater good of common life. That greater good, the bonds that hold us, even in times of plenty, must always be kept strong.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Kat Cullen, Sacramento Cali — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:59:34 GMT

I am shocked that this occured in Germany. I do agree that weapons should not be sold to anyone with such liberty as they do here in the U.S. My heart goes out to all of those who were affected by this tragedy.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Ingrid Both-Hoesl, Volant, PA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:05:44 GMT

Let's please not point our fingers at the parents. It is mental illness which needs to be taken more seriously. No parent wants his or her child to do things like this.It has happened in the US way too many times and I think God is trying to tell us something.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

jerry — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:11:23 GMT

My thought and prayers are with the victims of this tragedy and their families.
I'm sure this is a slap in the face for police there, considering the severity of their gun laws and the numerous remarks made by police and public officials when this happened in our country.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Michelle Szameitat Marshall Saskatchewan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:13:39 GMT

my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of winnenden

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Stephen B., Cookeville, TN — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:23:11 GMT

Think of all the Jews, and other minorities, that died for lack of a firearm. This is horrible but taking away the people's right to protect themselves is not the answer. This child gave warning signs. He should have gotten help especialy from parents who should have been on the look out for trouble.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jason Cox, Adel, Georgia — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:24:03 GMT

This is a tragic story of terrible loss. Who can explain how someone's moral concious can be so callous? In the end it was the boy that killed those people, not the gun. This was a perverted use of a gun. He could have done just as much damage with a car in the parking lot before school started.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

mohamed,kuwait — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:26:27 GMT

God be with you all.

if the gun laws were less stringent in Germany, even more, more horrific cases would arise.easing access to guns wont solve anything.

try paying more attention to the emotional well-being of students at school, as the other posters said here.
he was ignored and mocked by his students and teachers. had they had a sense of responsibility, it wouldnt have turned out to be this bad.many such cases, even those rarely reported ones where non get killed,would have been prevented had the boy's colleagues refrained from making him drink so many cups of humiliation and disgrace. all school communities should know and respect that fact.

humiliation is a cause of unceasing, intense pain...

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mike, Toronto, ON — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:27:14 GMT

His father should go to jail for so many reasons that I don't bother list them.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Emily, Corpus Christi, Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:31:14 GMT

This is a terrible tragedy. Winnenden needs support right now. The parents of Tim need our support now as well. They will have to live with the fact that their son committed this terrible crime. And while leaving a gun in the open may be irresponsible, I am sure the father, if he had any clue that his son, would have locked it up with his other guns. His son may have been depressed, and in therapy, but that in and of itself does not mean that his child was suicidal. Not all depressed people want to go out and kill people. We don't know what the parents saw or heard coming from their son, so before we accuse them of being bad parents, lets give them some compassion and mercy. After all, let he without sin cast the first stone! May God keep them all, victims and family of the shooter, in his hands.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

John Finn, Albany, N.Y. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:32:50 GMT

Yeah lets blame the gun not the distressed individual behind the gun. Maybe we should outlaw steak knives and forks because they can also kill or maim. While we are at it maybe we should outlaw automobiles which kill many more people than guns do. Or maybe we should outlaw alcohol which exaxts a far greater tool on people and families than all the guns and automobiles in the world.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Debbie Roye Pontotoc Ms 38863 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:32:57 GMT

I beleive that there should never be a issue were a child feels belittled by a teacher or a student no matter what the situation is , I know that schools could stop all this is they really wanted to , there are cruel teachers out there and alot of cruel children that are either not raised right or just dont care, if everyone treated people the way they want to be treated what a wonderful world it could be. I pray for all the people that lost their children and parents I have 3 girls I couldnt imagine anything so horrible. God Bless All

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dan Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:33:58 GMT

Who's to blame? We are all responsible for our own actions.Some want to blame the father who had one gun out to use for his family and home security IF and when the need arose.If all gun mfg were shut down today there would still be guns involved in acts of violence 20 yrs from now. The foundations that are needed for moral and ethical decisions must be formed in early childhood and reinforced and encouraged thoughout our life. This is not something for the parents alone! it is for all of us, sometime just a seemingly insignificant act to a person has the ability to reinforce the positive. We are ALL out brothers and sisters keepers. Tragic events like this will never cease to exists. As a scociety we must not shy away from our responsiblity to address the underlying causes, and this all begins with ourselves,our families, our neighgors,untill the framework is solid to help identify and guide those whose thoughts are dark. And also, drugs maybe a help,but they are not the answer.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Elsy, Toronto, Ontario — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:34:39 GMT

If the 'justice' don't get serious about this criminals, and I am talking about those 'parents' that enjoy life playing with weapons and teaching their victims (kids)how to KILL; then, we will continue to see this crimes. The justice MUST take those 'parents' to jail!!!!!!!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Joh Doe — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:39:25 GMT

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE THREE REASONS THAT THIS HAPPENED. THIS TEEN WAS EMOTIONALLY UDER STRESS BY HIS PEERS, THE VIOLENT GAMES WERE AN INSTRUMENT THAT INFLUENCE HIM TO KILL THOSE THAT HURT HIM, AND LAST HE THOUGHT HE WAS OF NO IMPORTANCE OR SELFWORTH SO HE TOOK HIS LIFE.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

P Rusin, New Jersey — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:39:41 GMT

This kind of tragedy involving so many children upsets me beyond words. What is also upsetting is that some people believe that 'this will always happen.' It could change if we worked as a society to change it. These kinds of tragedies are preventable. If we took even a minute to question why they happen more now, maybe we'ed get somewhere.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Adam Worley, Phoenix, AZ — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:46:07 GMT

My prayers go out to the whole German people and espicealy the town and school that are now suffering. I will also pray for the family of the killer. They too are suffering and the guilt and loss that they feel will be doubley heavy. May the Gods bring you peaces as you work though the hard days and years ahead.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jason, St. Louis, MO USA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:53:39 GMT

Blame the parents? How about just once we blame the person who pulled the trigger. Millions of kids go to the gun range with their fathers and somehow they manage to live normal lives without shooting defenseless children and unarmed adults. Ever notice how most of these mass murders are committed in "gun free zones"? Malls, schools, work place, etc. When the gov't controls gun ownership, the general population is nothing more than sheep to the wolf. I wonder why kids from my generation never killed people at school? Maybe because we wasn't hopped on a bunch of antidepresants all the time. Sometimes life is tough, sometimes we lose and get upset. I'm not saying some people don't need help, not at all, but just because some teachers ignore you doesn't justify this. He had lots of choices to make instead of mass murder, so could we please just call a spade a spade? Just once?

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Petra — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:57:02 GMT

Mr. Hibbard, although I totally agree with you that warning signs should be taken seriously by school staff, this was a 2008 graduate, meaning that he has not been in school for almost a year now. I think his parents should have been more attentive to these signs.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Amanda, Phoenix, AZ — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:58:06 GMT

I was in Colorado at the time of Columbine, and it was horrible. This is a total tragedy, for that community and the families of these fallen students and teachers. I remember the tears, the cries, and the pain that you go through with a situation like this. I am keeping these people in my thoughts.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

David Niau, Honolulu, Hawaii — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:58:21 GMT

God will not solve this problem. Humans believe what they want, you cannot change that. There have been religious minded people who have committed crimes. The problem is guns. Guns are made to kill. In the wrong hands it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. The world is not an evil place, it is the evil minds of men and women that make it an unsafe place to live.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

TINA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:59:37 GMT

ITS NOT THE FATHERS FAULT, YOU PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS ARE CRAZY, THE BOY WS JUST AWFULLY TROUBLED IN NEED OF HELP THAT NO ONE WAS GIVING HIM.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Robert B Seattle, Wa — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:59:49 GMT

Hind sight is always 20/20. To express disdain towards the parents or father of this child does not help alleviate the problems nor lessen the pains that all in Germany are feeling at this time over this horrible incident. I am truly sorry that this happened and for those families in that small town have had their lives torn and shattered.

To make this a political statement to prove or disprove a stance for or against gun control is to spend your energy being more concerned about your own agenda rather than showing the compassion that a distraught group of individuals needs at this time.

To those in Winnenden, my heart goes out to you: life will never be the same for you ever again. To those in the rest of the world, my heart goes out to you as well, as you need to take a moment and realize what is truly important at this juncture in other peoples lives, not just your own.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

JC Yonkers NY — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:00:01 GMT

As I always say, this comes from the home and the fact that the grown ups that are suppose to teach children are too busy or do not care.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sandy, Alexandria, Va — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:03:51 GMT

As shocking as the crime itself is, I find the spelling, grammar, and content of the comments much more disturbing. These are Americans? Did these people not do to elementary school?

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Catherine Faire, Arlington, Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:07:45 GMT

The issue isn't a gun the issue is a sick child. What part of violent video games don't you people understand? The ones that cause the most trouble in High School aren't always the ones that end up in situations like this. Sad sad sad. Blame the parents, blame gun control, blame the weather... it still boils down to there are sick people wating for the time to act out. Don't ignore the signs. Monitor what the child is doing.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Luke Robbins, Pecos, N.M. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:18:47 GMT

"Sandy" makes an unintentionally funny comment. Thanks for the smile!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Glenn, Miami, Florida — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:22:16 GMT

I was brought up around guns. Lots of them. I have never had the desire to get someones attention by shooting people. This kid needed help. Even though he was spending time with his father, I do not believe the proper messages about life and how to interact with others was received. He wanted attention. He did not get "good" attention, so he settled for "bad" attention. I feel for his family and his community. We can ask why he was allowed to abandon his treatment? Why was a gun left accessible? We didn't he get attention earlier by a professional while he was still in school? We can blame plenty of people, or society, or guns, or apathy but ultimately this a systemic failure. Learn from this. Get involved. Love your kids. Keep your eyes open. If something does not seem right or suddenly changes, find out whats up. Tell your kids to keep an eye on their friends too. Your kid may not be the shooter but may still be a victim. The community and this kids family are in a lot of pain right now. Don't be so quick and eager to judge without having an intimate knowledge of what led up to this. Good luck and be safe.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Glenn, Miami, Florida — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:22:16 GMT

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Ray Huckeby Mead, Ne. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:25:54 GMT

DaTroofHurts is right on the money. More guns laws are not the answer. I have family in Germany and am familiar with their firearms laws. The police them-
selves agree on this point. As an aside Alexandra needs to chill out a bit and get serious help with her grammer.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Krisjan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:29:20 GMT

This is why stricter gun laws will never work, guns don't kill people, people kill people, and the childs parents are clearly going to recieve the blame for this, even though the child was mentally unbalanced, and recieving therapy, which he chose to stop, ergo any consequences are the childs fault. Also the fact that the child played "violent video games" and watched horror movies and pornography is irrelavent, as a majority of people understand one major factor (regarding horror movies and video games) is that they are not real, and therefore cannot influence others to recreate them, this is similar to the case of the child who killed his parents over a copy of halo 3, the game didnt cause him to kill his parents, it was the childs psychological state of mind and intent to kill which made him kill.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Stacey, Anchorage, Ak — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:30:58 GMT

I think it's sad that some people think it is okay to blame the parents solely for the act of a teenager. There are some great parents out there that do everything in their power for their kids to become good upstanding citizens and in some cases it just does'nt matter. For whatever reason; psychological, genetic, emotional... people decide to do bad things. Let's not bag the parents, these people must be going though a terribly traumatic situation that their own son happens to be responsible for. Let's just brutalize them some more by placing the blame directly on them!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Kilgore — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:40:39 GMT

Why is everyone from the south defending the gun laws? this is not the time to be spouting your crazy beer drinking gun toting idiocy. focus on the tragedy not your backward cowardice

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Teri, Boise Idaho — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:43:48 GMT

To Sandy who is criticizing the grammer and spelling, check your post for typos-kind of funny really. Those who live in glass houses, should not throw stones. Did these people not do to elementary school-really?

Germans bewildered after school shooting

B. Allen, Orlando Florida — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:48:23 GMT

The signs of a troubled mind can be hard for those closest to the sick person to pick up, because very often the person who is so mentally in distress tries to conceal their pain from the ones they care about the most. The incident here, like so many others, stems from what happened at the school itself. The vast majority of these kids are ignored, bullied, scorned, and ridiculed while attending school; which becomes the focus of their rage when they do have a mental breakdown..

Germans bewildered after school shooting

"Jane, Seattle, Wash." — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:49:00 GMT

Way to prove your point with your last sentence there Sandy.

This is a very sad event. If I was religious I would say Germany is in my prayers. As it is, they are still in my thoughts. You have the sympathy of the world and while it doesn't change what happened, you are not alone.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Cfoote,Schenectady,NY — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:00:26 GMT

"As shocking as the crime itself is, I find the spelling, grammar, and content of the comments much more disturbing. These are Americans? Did these people not do to elementary school?"

I find it ironic that someone who complains of spelling and grammar, makes a mistake themselves.. Sandy it's either

Did these people not go (not do) to elementary school or Didn't these people go to elementary school.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

1Friend in Houston Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:03:03 GMT

Some believe in predestination, meaning in this case God caused the poor child to be hopeless and to kill. Rather than say, in the instance of anyone's death - not just these victims - "it was God's will" or "it was his time to die", let's see this as evidence that free will is real, that our thoughts and choices affect ourselves and others, and that God is obviously allowing more time for human self-determination to prove to be unable to make people happy or give life eternal. Only God's kingdom government will be able to eliminate such saddness from the earth and reconcile willing humans to Himself.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Carlson, Atlanta, GA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:03:31 GMT

Sorry, but I am from Germany and I have to disagree. Stricter gun laws do work. Did not work in this case because his father was a gun collector and probably had a license. Also, look at how often this happens in Germany.
When a person is upset, having access to a gun prevents the person from cooling off and thinking rationally. A gun is a quick fix for anger and frustration. If you want to continue to sell guns in America, you should at least have a 30 day waiting period. Instant access to a gun is instant access to murder.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Eric — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:17:42 GMT

This is an ANCIENT phenomenon. Don't try to blame one person or thing unless that thing is "being a human being".

From Wikipedia-
Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk), is derived from the Malay/Indonesian/Filipino word amuk, meaning "mad with rage" (uncontrollable rage).

Although commonly used in a colloquial and less-violent sense, the phrase is particularly associated with a specific sociopathic culture-bound syndrome in Malaysian culture. In a typical case of running amok, a male who has shown no previous sign of anger or any inclination to violence will acquire a weapon and, in a sudden frenzy, will attempt to kill or seriously injure anyone he encounters. Amok episodes of this kind normally end with the attacker being killed by bystanders, or committing suicide.
-----------------

I would add that attacks often take place where the amok-runner knows he can take a lot of victims. To my knowledge it has never happened at a gun range.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dr. GK — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:20:15 GMT

Unfortunately, the real problem with all these school shootings is that the majority of the shooters are on (or just coming off of) anti-psychotic drugs. The fact is that these drugs are absolutely known to increase violent behavior towards oneself as well as towards others. If anyone is to "blame" it would be the pharmaceutical industry and it's minions.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Ethan, Corrientes, Argentina — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:26:57 GMT

Of course, blame porn and counter strike. i play counter strike. i don´t shoot up schools....

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dan Bishop, Charleston, WV — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:27:04 GMT

Stop blaming anyone but the shooter. The parents did not shoot anyone and the "sytem: didn't either. If we don't assept responsibility for our own actions then this type of thing will continue to happen. Stop with the excuses and look in the mirror.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Carol Anne, Seattle — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:29:48 GMT

I'd like to recommend a book, "Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings," by Kathleen Newman. She identifies the factors that turn up again and again: young males with depression, access to and familiarity with guns, who are bullied, whose community does not take their desperation seriously.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

steve ny, ny — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:34:08 GMT

You may say gun laws may do nothing. But a gun allowed this kid to commit so much mayhem. He would not have been able to do this. So instead of saying 'See gun laws would have done nothing' You should instead say 'SEE ONLY A GUN IN THIS KID'S HAND GAVE HIM THE POWER TO DO THIS' morons.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

steve ny, ny — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:36:26 GMT

GUNS KILL. GUNS DON'T PROTECT. PEOPLE KILL. PEOPLE WITH GUNS KILL WAY MORE THAN PEOPLE WITH BATS OR KNIVES.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

slow wisconsin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:36:45 GMT

it's true, our society would be totally different if there was a law stating that if a couple is thinking about having a baby, or if a any person(s) is thinking about bringing a baby into this world, they have to finish a course in child development. I did, and I still had questions and problems disciplining my child, but I went back to school to get more help. Most of this kind of info is offered and nearly free to parents. I can brag about my kid not smoking pot or cigarettes, not drinking, and trying hard to finish school, I'd love to brag like that, but I don't because, even tho I went to school to raise a happy healthy child, we are still not perfect. My baby is now 17 and has it in her mind not to bring any kids into this world, cause she sees so much corruption. Still, there's a huge demand for child care services. I've raised many, many kids because of the education I've sought.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Terry — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:42:20 GMT

The 2nd amendment deters tyrannical government.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

lance, Mesa Az — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:44:57 GMT

Some of you people are so friggin stupid.Few understand the real evil we seein all aspects of our society today largely resulting from removing god from the classroom and the ten commandments from our courthouse lawns.Should we ban clubs because Cain slayed Able.If someone breaks into my house I will send him to Hell or at least die trying. The last thing in the world i would want to see is some one hurting my wife molesting my children or stealing my property,that i worked hard for.For those of you who dont own a gun please dont go crying for help if somthing bad happens to you grow a set and quit acting like the french/a bunch of sissies!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Steven C. Guibord — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:46:56 GMT

What is wrong with our youth, or better, our world where these incidents keep happening. We need Heavenly intervention NOW!!!!!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Brian M, Cedar Rapids, IA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:49:38 GMT

The only thing approaching how sad this is, is the knee-jerk reactions of those commenting here. Strict gun control laws don't stop things like this from happening. You know why? Because there is also a strict NO KILLING law too, and the person who decided to get a gun and kill violated both laws. New laws WON'T solve this, only the ability to intervene in advance.

The parents, while probably not the wisest in retrospect, did not appear to know their child had problems like this looming. I think it's safe to say that they would have done something differently if they had known, so punishing them accomplishes nothing.

Violent video games is also a convenient villain, but unfortunately that is not even close to being proved a cause either. MILLIONS of kids play these first person shooter games, and maybe a dozen a year actually do something horrific like this.

It's far more likely that mental illness of some nature is the cause, and until you can find a way to ban mental illness, or pass a law to make mental illness stop, then you will continue to have a handful of incidents like this. It is sad, and I pray for the survivors, but bad laws don't stop criminals, they just punish honest, responsible people.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Tina W. Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:56:03 GMT

Whats done is done, for now we need to concentrate on praying for the families and friends of the victims, the boy who did the shooting and his family, He was obviously troubled but as the mother of a once troubled daughter you can ask all the questions see all the therapists but if your child does not want to talk about it they won't. Locking up the guns is not an answer as they can use any weapon to kill, unless of course we want to lock up all items that could be used as a weapon. Three years ago this april I lost my best friend, her daughter and her grandaughter to murder and this man chose to burn them up using kerosene, so what they use and putting that away is not the answer, nor is blaming the parents, relatives etc that they should have been monitoring closer. We all need to start caring about our fellow man again, take the time to say something nice to someone today, you may be the only nice person someone encounters today. You could make a difference maybe between life and death. I heard a saying when I was little it was "IT takes a whole community to raise a child" Its something to think about. To those in Winnenden, We mourn with you.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Cris — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:59:24 GMT

Well, the kid had problems. he was berrated for many years, so in many ways its the parents fault. Yet it was his actions, I am pretty sure he feels pretty stupid right now but can't push the reset button on life and reality:(
May god have mercy on his soul, and hopefully the deceased are in a happy place

Germans bewildered after school shooting

J, Irvine, CA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:06:54 GMT

Why can't people stop with angry messages of blame? Just realize this is a sad tragedy and feel remorse for the family and everyone involved. Please, no one person is to blame. It happened and so lets deal with it the right way.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Yehoshua Ya'acov, Jerusalem, Jerusalem — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:21:53 GMT

First, our condolences to the families of the victims. Secondly, school shootings, are to be expected to increase. Its context, confirms a global psychosocial hidden plate tectonics, of social stress, that confirms in the phenomenon, that events signal eruption anbd thus venting, in the form of individual acts of violences; as volcanoes of violence, as coming from those individuals least prepared to endure the underlying unperceived general stress, in relation a process of perceived change, though one clearly NOT understood. We had better be very clear, that this 'process of stress' will continue and increase and thus we'll see a repeat of such events and probably an increase over time, unitl the deeper and broader problem(s) is addressed and psychosocial education and psychological individual counseling, training and education is used to identify vulnerable targets of this phenomenon and thus measures put in plave to interdict the probability frequencies observed; as the severity of these incidents will as well worsen with copycats. And so we need to be able to identify candidates most probable to succum to this psychosocial stress. Of course people ask, what stress? We've entered into the danger zone of, an era in history, of man's behviroal transformation, globally, with the realatively recent observation(s) of the collapse of the local reality, of man's exile of mind; and most do NOT underatand this process and most especially our youth, but they feel it, and the more sensative can easily be overwhelmed. Anyway this process is basically NOW ending man and mankind's exile, from God and man's authentic self; and our youth feel this and intuit that it's significant, and perhaps believe wrongly so, that it's threatenting. It's NOT, although it can increase the feelings of stress, in our youth, as a process of change is obviously occuring and it's NOT understood, and so it can be a cause of fear, even though it should not be. There is much more to come on this subject and we're ill prepared... While it's to be noted we cannot afford to NOT act; waiting in the hope matters will improve, as the probability is the opposite, they'll worsen and this is unacceptable. YouTube Channel yyba1...
Tky, YYBA

Germans bewildered after school shooting

S Atkinson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:23:29 GMT

Its good to see the USA is still exporting it's culture. In this case a gun killing spree so loved by the hillbilly crowd. Marijuana doesn't kill, guns do.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

John M, Wroclaw, Poland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:34:38 GMT

God will fix it... has anyone else read the Christian version of 'The Final Soloution'? (don't forget who's going to do most of the killing)
The kid lost control, felt pushed, ignored... disrespected... a wake-up call to us all... while the threat of someone 'going postal' is not necessarily the best motivation, be aware of how you treat your fellow human beings... everyone has a story, everyone has bad days... welcome to the Human Race... 'Do unto others...', 'Man who lives in glass house...', etc. There are, sadly, cultures in this world, where such actions/reactions are encouraged, even justified (or marketed?)... remember what happened today, what you read today (in a far-away place); remember this tomorrow... a wink, a smile, a handshake, a pat on the back, a positive word (maybe even a beer and some good Blues music)... far more powerful... and cost effective... save the world... one person at a time... and if that too 'sappy' for you... continue to live like a coward... and pay the price.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jimmy Thomas, Jackson, MS — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:37:47 GMT

As we here, in the U.S. are struggling with the mass killings in Alabama, we are now involved in a mass killing in another part of the world, Germany.

Of all of the messages that I read about about both the Alabama and Germany killings, I am really disturbed over the large majority of responses placing blame on this or that. None of these victims (who did not deserve to die) have even been laid to rest yet. Doesn't anyone think that we as a people should have the common courtesy to at least refrain from such comments until at least these victims can be laid to rest properly??

There will be plenty of time for pointing fingers and placing blame later.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

debbieg san jose ca — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:39:37 GMT

Raising a child means protecting and training them..and being aware
of what they are going thro. History... if we don't learn from it and be more aware of our reponsibility to our children, it will happen again as it did again yesterday..These kids have more examples of killing than they do of love and kindness...how many children have killed in the last 10 years..like this?..we must be really dense but we should not be surprised. They are acting out what they have seen and what computer games promote...beter to see the cause than the effect and fix it ...or it will be headline again....this parent has lots of time now to see the past...isn't it a sad time to find it?! God help them.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Andy, Canby, Oregon — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:45:53 GMT

Humans have been killing other other humans way before the advent of firearms, violent cinema/video games or music with violent lyrics... Perhaps it's just us people? My heart and sympathy goes out to the families of the dead.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

MOM in Montana — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:46:17 GMT

Who's to blame? All of us. Guns, Mental disease, parental control. There was only one perfect one and He was crucified.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

John M, Wroclaw, Poland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:50:02 GMT

Before one gets all twisted about something that didn't happen to them, ask; what did I do today, in my world, in my space, in my time, to make this a better place? I deal with kids every day... tell them what is right and what is wrong.. and why you think so... the rest is up to them... you can't control it... but you can influence it... it won't always work; but that's not the point... do it... or stick a sock in it... sorry if that's too blunt.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jim from Detroit — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:51:26 GMT

Sandy,

Pull the beam out of your own eye before you berate the grammar of others.
Oh and proof read your own comment. "did not do to..."

As for the tragedy, all kinds of lessons to be learned. My heart goes out to the victims

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dave the Desert Storm Vet — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:53:01 GMT

The kid was sick and had access to a gun.

Enough said.

To you gun supporters, how about we arm the unemployed?

Germans bewildered after school shooting

wayne locke,rocky mount,nc — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:54:54 GMT

the common denominator in all these shoots is that they all were on mind alterind precriprtion drugs even the chimp that chrewed off that womans face was on these drugs

Germans bewildered after school shooting

wayne locke,rocky mount,nc — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:59:33 GMT

the kids that are at risk are the ones being medicated bye these horrible drug companies

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Aleksander Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:10:51 GMT

Well, we all have an opinion. And that's a good thing.
However, all members of society must agree to a much higher moral standard. If we as humans don't evolve psychologically, then the longterm existence of our species remains in doubt. Surely what happened in Winnenden, Germany is very unfortunate. It is nonetheless an extraordinary opportunity for the world to learn, grow and realize that sooner or later a nation, not just one person, is going to unleash destruction on a much larger scale.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Edweirdo, Alamosa CO — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:23:02 GMT

I am also heartbroken that something like this has happened again. I hesitate to even mention gun control because it is such a hot issue, but I do know that hate always finds a way. It happens in countries with gun control, countries without gun control, and even in airplanes an hour after people went through security. I also know that along with hate, life and love will also find a way. These events remind us that we are all more important than we think. Our actions are always noted even if we are unaware of it. I do not believe that any god would present obstacles his people could not overcome. This is no different, the community,country, and world will remember this and become closer because of it.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Red — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:26:51 GMT

A LITTLE GUN HISTORY

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
------------------------------

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
---- ------------- -------------

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------------

Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
------------------------------

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own Government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:

List of 7 items:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent.

Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent.

Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'.

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.

The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN! SWITZERLAND 'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE. SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.

I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mark, Maine, USA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:31:48 GMT

Lets show this story the respect it deserves and not pass judgments its not our place to do so.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Lodahl, Milton WA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:33:07 GMT

People were killing each other long before firearms were even conceived of. Those of you who hold the gun responsible simply refuse to recognize that you're no more than an animal with opposable thumbs, the ability of speech and sufficient intelligence to create tools.

Hannibal slaughtered over 60,000 Romans at the Battle of Cannae in one day in 1018 A.D. The FIRST firearm was still over 300 years away.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Stephen Gopin, NJ — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:45:17 GMT

This just goes to show the individual today is as powerful and as terrifying as ever. You can call his reasons wrong and his actions terrible, but I'm sure he thought he was justified in his actions or he would not have committed them. To call him weak minded is the opposite of the truth, for hundreds of thousands more "troubled" teens would do the same but they simply do not have the bravery to put their beliefs above the value of their lives. In a way he should be praised for his power, but we all know this cannot be. As responsible citizens of any nation, we must demand that this be treated as a heinous and horrible act, one that must be condemned by all of us so that others will see the futility of his actions. He ended the lives of a few and emotionally destroyed the lives of many others, and countless more were influenced in some way by his actions. You can blame whomever you like, but the power of the individual mind to do as it chooses is the most amazing and glorious thing we as humans have, and this is a reminder to me of the power of people. It is a shame that his power was wasted in such a futile display of hate and hostility toward his peers.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Hugh Jass, Weed, California — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:49:03 GMT

The kid was a psycho. That's all there is to it. Someone had to have seen this guy enter the school and i guess not say anything. I blame the school. Maybe if they had a few school officers and metal detecters when you enter the building like they do here where I live this wouldn't have happened. Morons

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Derek B., Carrollton, TX — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:52:17 GMT

My father taught me how to shoot when I was 7 years old. I grew up with unlocked guns in the house and never once had the urge to go on a rampage. I have a concealed carry permit and have never murdered anybody. The gun is not the problem, it is this idiot that slipped through the cracks and should have been put away years ago. There must be a test that can be administered to children that would determine if they are crazy and then parents and teachers can keep a closer eye on them.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

CJ, Anytown, USA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:01:38 GMT

People are so quick to blame the parents. Kids in their teens, however, have formed their basic personalities, minds, and values, and as any parent can tell you, will rebel against anything taught to them by parents. Parents can't be there every second to control what older children do.

Unfortunately, if one is not perfectly beautiful/popular/whatever, humiliation is normal and expected in teen society. I don't condone bullying, and I know what it's like to not be at the top of the social ladder, having been a nerd/geek in high school. However, I would have never dreamed of shooting people over a situation that I knew would not last forever. Now that I'm in my 40s, school is so far away in my memory, and I'm not serving a life sentence in prison or dead from suicide. I even have a great life.

I can't imagine what these victims' families must be going through and what the fallout from this will be for this town.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sarge Peppers — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:04:29 GMT

I wish those graphic killing games that the teens play would be outlawed. I also think they are largely responsible for the increase in youth violence around the world. It's not guns fault, it's games teaching children to hunt humans and kill humans. If the parents are any to blame it's for letting their son play those sick perverted games.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

George, Boston, MA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:08:25 GMT

I think we should ban cars too, knives, all poisnous substances, blunt objects, medium sized rocks, pointed sticks, spoons, and perhaps forks too. It is amazing how people are willing to sell away their freedoms in the face of fear. It is a real double standard that some people can be against the Patriot act because of infringement on civil liberties, and then be for banning guns. A real double standard. I'm sure there's a good chance the wonderful German system can be implemented in the US now that the chosen one if in power.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Bob S. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:16:36 GMT

This is a gun and a parenting issue. Guns should not be easily accessible to kids and criminals. Parents should be monitoring their children better. More gun control and better parenting can help.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mike S., Gainesville, FL — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:21:26 GMT

I love how the article mentioned and roughly inferred that a computer game could have contributed to this terrible act. Even through tragedy such as this, remotely hinting blame at a community with MILLIONS of stable participants demonstrates how little the "real world" knows and understands what goes on in electronic gaming.

I'm not saying that it is guaranteed that playing violent video games will not have a negative aspect on certain persons, but unless there is fact that a video game did actively contribute to the specific act, using conjecture to confuse readers not versed in another type of culture only adds to misunderstanding and false blame.

All the best to the families that are suffering because of this right now, may you at some time find solace and peace.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Joe, Seattle, WA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:21:55 GMT

Ah, it's refreshing to see only two people erroneously blame video games for this tragedy, although though I am disturbed by how many are blaming either the gun or the parents.

Do you understand exactly what it is you are doing when you try to pin the blame for acts such as this on lack of gun control, violent video games (or other media), the parents, the schoolteachers, etc. etc.?

You are making EXCUSES!

And you all (or more specifically, your attitude) are more a root-cause of the problem as any of those things upon which you wish to fob off the blame. Regardless of the environment, regardless of the warning signs, regardless of laws, this person- yes, person, not boy, not teen, not child- made a *choice* to selfishly act out his anger. Perhaps more tellingly, he chose to discontinue the treatment for his depression... perhaps if you must affix blame, you could begin with Kretschmer's refusal to continue to work on his emotional problems. Clearly that was his CHOICE, and as much as we may lament the fact that he chose to make it...

He. Did.

As long as we as a culture- no, as a species- refuse to demand personal accountability from each and every member, people will selfishly act out their petty whims and desires, looking for the 'excuse' to justify it in the aftermath. But frankly I doubt that anyone who has a proper understanding of personal responsibility and the effects of one's actions would choose such a selfish and petty course.

My thoughts are with those people affected by this horrible act.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

rr, Sacramento, ca — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:22:35 GMT

Parents will always 'hope' for the best with their kids. By definition they will always be in a state of denial when confronting mental illness hoping beyond hope that the child simply 'grows' out of it. Funny there's no comment from the school that observed the student for more hours every day than his parents did. Ultimately, it is the school that has to be the first level of defense, because they are the ones who are trained and unbiased to detect and deter serious mental problems. I believe it highly likely that many students that knew him could have reported his 'issues' but didn't. The 'code of silence' kills.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

pbh — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:22:38 GMT

The first house of teaching for any kid is the home and for boys he father has to be a role model.
apprently it seems that this kid was neglected at home.
Some it may seem that you are giving a lot of attention to kids by pleasing them in whatever they want, but thats where the problems start and such kids have same expectaions when they grow up in society, looking for attention. You have to be balanced with kids in terms of pleasing them and at the same time demanding and expecting discipline.
Singapore is one society where kids get a good academic and ethical/disciplined education from schools and at home.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Rosy Richards — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:24:53 GMT

Handguns and neglected children are the problem. Handguns are only used to kill innocent people, how many times do we hear that someone defended their home with their gun!!!! Not nearly as often as a disturbed family member having it handy to use while they are having some kind of a breakdown. Hand guns should be outlawed......

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Eric McNichol — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:28:13 GMT

Who is this ignoremus from Tennesse? Dont compare Europe to the US when it comes to crime. This is Crime Central, Inc, and the crime rate in Europe is insignificant compared to ours. Tighter gun control is long overdue. Pro violence gun addicts need to be ousted in the same way that Republicans have been ousted... for ever.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Gretchen, La Crosse, Wisconsin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:33:12 GMT

It's not gun control; Germany, overall, does a very good job controlling guns and violence. That's not the issue here. The issue is his problems, and the epidemic of mental problems, which, unfortunately, in some cases, lead to violence. People his age the world over have so many issues and not enough is being done. In addition to this type of violence, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 17-24, and up to 15% of people his age deliberately injure themselves as well due to mental problems. His family and community should have seen the signs, so that this tragedy could have been prevented, and I am sure that if nothing gets done about it, this violence will only get worse. This is truly a tragedy.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Tom, Fredonia, NY — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:35:39 GMT

Stop blaming the guns, the parents, the school, and the whole world - The teen abandoned therapy, he was given help, and I am guessing that he recieved a lot of help in the past too.

And he just threw it all away, and ignored it. He was going to 'snap' and if it wasn't with a gun, it would be with a knife. And if it wasn't with a knife, it'd be with his bear hands.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dave, Hartford, CT — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:40:05 GMT

Violent video games, depressed children, "god's will", irresponsible parents, oblivious friends and teachers.....blah, blah, blah.

What ever happened to individual responsibility??? Since about 1990 everything is about how "society", "culture", "environment" have negatively affected individuals and groups.

You know what???? I'm not buying it. One person. One gun. One bullet. Doesn't matter what you do with gun control. If that (a gun, a sword, fire, a car) is what they prefer for the apocalypse.....they will find it no matter what controls you put around it and no matter how much "therapy" you give them.

You will never rid the world of "crazies".

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Doc, Upnorth, Minn. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:47:59 GMT

Waaaaaaaaaa... No one see's how wonderful I am. The world isn't revolving around me. I can't get a date. I have to mow the lawn. I have a pimple. So I think I'll go shoot a cpl dozen people? C'mon, the dweeb was jus' plain crazy.

ps: "Did these people not do to elementary school?" Sandy, Alexandria, Va... Did you even attend any classes Sandy? Your's is the worst here.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Michael Ormandy, Phoenix, Arizona — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:51:09 GMT

You are blaming a tool for the actions of a human. A gun is a tool with a purpose and like any tool can be used or misused. There is nothing wrong with kids learning to shoot either. What went wrong here were parents and teachers not paying attention to a child in deep, obvious trouble. As someone said he could have used other means to kill others. PEOPLE CONTROL is what was needed here. Blaming a gun for a crime is like blaming a hammer when you hit your finger with it while nailing. Where I live people carry guns in the open and concealed, and we have no school shootings.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sue, Phoenix — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:51:24 GMT

In every country where young men have committed mass killings during the past two years the public has the ABSOLUTE right to know what - if any - medications these men/boys were taking or had taken in at least a year prior to the killings. Legislation needs to passed making this information public as a matter of law. Something is going seriously wrong and we need to know if there is any possibility that prescription drugs are involved. People every where, write your representatives now before this happens again.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Paige, Melbourne, FL — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:57:58 GMT

It's not just Germany. It's Alabama where a man killed 10 people including his own family. His community thought he was a nice quiet man. It's also Illinois where a man shoot a Pastor during the service and then pulled out a knife and stabbed himself and others when the gun jammed. It's not the weapon involved, it's the mind of the person.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Bob Bobson, Stuttgart, Germany — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:00:57 GMT

The issue isn't a gun the issue is a sick child. What part of violent video games don't you people understand? Caring parents don't let their kids play violent video games.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mike Lemay, Rapid City, SD — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:06:23 GMT

Why are so many, so quick to blame the parents, or the gun? Someone made a choice to kill. I think the most apropriate response is one given by Jack Aubrey as a eulogy to a midshipman who had committed suicide. "The simple truth is that not all of us become the men we once hoped we might be, but we are all God's creatures. If there are those among us who thought ill of Mr Hollum, spoken ill of him or failed him in the respect of fellowship, then we ask your forgiveness Lord as we ask him for his."

Germans bewildered after school shooting

todd, scottsdale, az — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:06:39 GMT

Don't blame the video games. It's the kid's fault, and his fault only. The father should have kept the gun locked, so there's some guilt there. But the point is, the kid was depressed. The kid had access to a gun. The kid killed others, then himself. Don't blame this on a video game. There has always been random school-shootings, even prior to "violent" video games.

This was a kid who was messed up in the head.
He's to blame - no one else.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

BB Florence Tx — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:08:24 GMT

Jason from St Louis..... Well said.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Manila, PI — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:10:52 GMT

BLAME HIS STUPID PARENTS AND THE PSYCHIATRIST THAT TREATS HIM... IF HE WAS ON MEDICATION, DEFINITELY BLAME THE STUPID PSYCHIATRIST AS WELL. MEDICATION HAS CAUSE MANY MENTAL PEOPLE BECOME WORSE...

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Dave Anderson, Dallas, TX — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:14:14 GMT

I believe that the widespread violent shooting video games are affecting the thinking of youths and making that violence seem common. Then when you add a disturbed child coupled with access to the guns they see in the games...it can result in a slaughter like this. Just like the slaughter video games.
I believe parents are wrong to permit those games and I believe a responsible society should resist them.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Texas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:14:22 GMT

this wouldn't happen in TEXAS...more guns will make us safer

Germans bewildered after school shooting

tim escondido ca, — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:15:39 GMT

It is very easy to place blame on other people Im, sure there are many reasons that play'ed a part of this youth's actions.My heart goe's out to the people the children and the parent's of the small German town I'll pray you all find some peace in the day's to come. Please spend some time with your children, We only have so much time to teach them what they need to know before they start making there own decisions Hug them! tell them how much you love them. You have nothing to lose and every thing to gain.please don't add to the problem by missing the solutions

Germans bewildered after school shooting

TLM, Northern VA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:16:30 GMT

You see? Strict gun laws don't solve anything. Why would someone who is knowingly going to commit murder adhere to such laws? We need to start focusing on problems of people...not inadamant objects.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Barbara, Terre Haute, IN — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:19:22 GMT

Gun laws don't help when folks with gun permits leave unlocked guns and ammo in their homes and teach their teens how to use them.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Stephanie, LA, CA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:20:54 GMT

In reply to the statement "Stricter gun laws will not help." If you READ the article the boy's father kept the hand gun used for the shooting LEGALLY! If the father didn't have the gun in the first place there would have been no GUN for the shooting!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

exasperated, Providence, Rhode Island — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:21:12 GMT

Not hard to tell the NRA crowd on this discussion. "he could have used a steak knife or fork" "He could have used a car" "he's sick" I have to shake my head at this crew. Hello is anyone there? He used a GUN. It is the most effective efficient way of killing people. When you want to kill someone you PREFER a GUN. That's why we train our military to use guns, not steak knives, or Oldsmobiles! Anyone want to guess how many Columbine - type mass murders have been done with a fork? How about a Playstation? What a lame excuse for an argument. The father left a unlocked weapon loose in the house where anyone could get a hold of it and use it. The kid had 250 rounds with him! Where did he get access to all that unlocked ammo? It is surprising this happened it Germany though- you don't hear that too often because they have strict GUN LAWS. In the US? not surprising at all. Like um, ALAMABA? Come on America! troubled kid or not, without a gun and the most you would be reading about would be a fistfight!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Henry Alcantara, Manila, Philippines — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:21:12 GMT

I do not know the family of the gunman but my guess is that it is a family that have no time nor urge to pray together. Praying together as a family helps a lot to create stable minds and make wise decisions. Couple that with family fasting and you have a comprehensive life insurance that is free. Being Christians, families must pray and fast together at home. It is the most effective way of creating and keeping healthy minds because of God's blessings that comes from prayers and fasting. Make God be pleased with you and your family and you are assured of blessings beyond your dreams. Do it now brothers and sisters. Our world today is not going to last forever. The signs are staring at us but many are blind. Satan is making a bountiful harvest these days and we all should know why. The answers are all within us. I pray for us all in the world today. For all the living and the dead.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Margaret Whiteside, Asheville, NC — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:21:24 GMT

It happened here also. Who are WE to judge anyone? The only thing I can say is to watch introverted young people and try to bring out their feelings to find out what is going on inside. May God bless each and every family involved.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

sabrina horn, west virginia,Ieager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:30:37 GMT

I think that the feelings in that room were the worst that they could posibly be scared,nerviose,anxious and pain for the one second that the people that got shot. I'm glad he's dead and the reason that I think he killed himself is because after he killed he felt so bad he couldn't live with himself and if I were him I wouldn't be able to eather. For the famlies that was broken because of this I'm sorry for your loss and for the parents of the kids that were killed, your little angels (or devils) in what the case may be I'm so very sorry and I wish you the best but don't hate the person who killed them hate his actions becaus if you hate him you will not only be disliking him,but if he was alive you would be wishing he wasn't. I know you know what hate means but for this 12yr old hate means (for the person you hate) no breathing,wishing they weren't alive and that isn't right. byes

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Grant, Sacramento, CA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:40:57 GMT

This is totally the gun's fault. The gun pretty much made the kid do it. Really, the shooter is a victim of the evil influence the gun had over him.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Markus, Hildesheim, Germany — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:41:11 GMT

Since it seems like I`m the only German to post here I should give you an insight of the situation in Germany...especially considering guns.

It`s right that we have some strikt laws about dealing with guns, but beliefe me, more than 90 percent of guns victims here are getting injured or killed by guns puchased on the black market. Mostely sold by kids with foreign background, mostly turkish and russian people...and by the way that`s the same source where your drugs from.

In German High Schools called „Realschule“ almost every kid knows someone who knows someone who knows someone that`s dealing with firearms. So it`s obvious, getting a gun is just a question of money.

That rampages like that don`t happen every week is a question of mentality.

People like the father of the Kretschmer boy are just a little minority. We call guys like that „Waffen-Narren”. Translated weapon fools or idiots. Those people are getting avoided by their neighbors and friends. Lots of them have a NS-ideology background. To make a long story short - these guys are strange to everybody.

If there are people here saying we should not point the finger at the parents and that god will give us a sign and that „stricter gun laws will not help“, those people should consider to get the fastest to the nearest shrink. Go get you some help...you or your son could be the next Kretschmer.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

shelley ridgeway, guelph, ontario, canada — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:46:56 GMT

well in this case many feel the need to blame something or someone. right now we have a greeving country. i believe that there is some underlying reason that we may or may not find out that caused this murderous rage. the weapon could have been anything and parents i dont belive want their children to grow up to be murderers. some parents are not able to see all the warning signs. parenting does not come with a manual. most people say with depression that it will go away or minimize. during the times when the parent seen thier teen he may have been fine or slightly down. if they believed he would cause harm to others they would have notified authorities. the teen had been in therapy so help was sought out. unfortunately the teen refused that help. you cant force a teen who is almost considered an adult to do something they dont want to. if you do they just may turn on you or someone else. i believe only time will tell before anyone knows the whole truth if any. i do feel pain for the families and friends of the teen and the victims.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Miranda Mandora, Seattle, Washington — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:02:10 GMT

It is sad what kids do these days! Pornographic material, violent behavior, drugs... it kills US! And they never really know what they are doing, either. It is just too heartbreaking to bear. We need to make laws, take action, and show the world some discipline for kids! Lay it down like you need to and say it straight: "We won`t put up with this stuff, once and for all!"

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sam L, Sacramento, CA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:05:39 GMT

It just seems like a pica scale Holocaust to me. It is a good thing that the kid decided to kill himself instead of becoming chancellor later in life. It would have been interesting if this kid wrote his own version of “Mein Kampf.” I suspect that this version may include getting ridding of bullies and teachers that he had to deal with while in school. If the kid was disturbed enough, his need for vengeance may even evolve into a racial issue. We already know that people are capable of mass destruction of whole groups of people after a little bit of propaganda. Let’s just be thankful that this kid’s actions did not become part of government policy -- again.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Bill Jacobi, Seattle, Wash — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:57:27 GMT

Take emotion out of the question of guns. Statistically, countries that have a higher proportion of guns have a higher proportion of gun deaths and accidents. So no one should be deceived by the idea that guns protect in the aggregate. If you want to argue for guns, you are arguing for more deaths. If guns were banned, criminals would have a short-term advantage that would fade as guns disappeared. If the policy argument is about saving lives, guns should be banned. All of you who want guns are crying crocodile tears when you mourn these horrible, unnecessary deaths of children.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Diane — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:01:41 GMT

The father trusted his son. How was he to know his son would do this and why? If it wasn't a gun, kids today can find ways to make bombs right on the internet. How can parents see the signs if experts don't seem to know. Since kids spend more time at school then with their parents, maybe the schools should start having classes that teach getting along with and treating your peers as you would be treated.Teachers should look for signs and report it to the parents and authorities.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mike, Sacramento, California — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:02:48 GMT

My sincere condolences to Winnenden, the families of the victims and also the boy's parents.

We always want to blame someone or something after a tragedy occurs. It is easy to say "The parents should have seen this coming." The parents knew their son was depressed, but they probably had no clue that he was capable of doing something like that. You can be the best parents in the world and still have a child who does bad things.

The father should have had all guns locked up. In the U.S. 90% of the people shot by a handgun are known to the owner. What does that mean? That more often than not, guns are used in arguments or shoot someone accidentally. If the boy had no access to a gun, he could not go on a shooting spree.

Yes, we need to look out for signs that a youth is troubled. Spotting a youth that is troubled, however, does not mean that you will prevent a tragedy or necessarily help the person. I went to school with an introverted, bright young man. He didn't seem all that happy, but many teenagers are not happy. No one could have predicted that he would later try to kill his mother.

We watch, we learn, we try to prevent. We do the best we can.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Scott, PEI, Canada — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:17:05 GMT

In my opinion, the bottom line is that human life in our society is seen as having less and less value. Not only with the killer to his victims, but also by HIS tormentors which drove him to this final act. It wasn't the fathers fault, nor was it the guns, or German gun laws. It was the shooters fault, no one elses. However, he is to be pitied somewhat, but not forgiven. Bullies, mental illness, and society's lack of compassion are the true villians here. That is what drove him to do it I'd say. My sympathies to the families and friends of all involved.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Mark Schroepfer, Sleepy Eye, MN — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:40:25 GMT

As a pre-service teacher, I will duly note depression symptoms among my students. I extend my thoughts and prayers to Winneden and those affected.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Pally — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:49:41 GMT

Well it is always horrible to hear such things, as described by a teacher several lines down.. they are trained to look for signs. I sadly had a teacher many years ago, who I of course am glad to have proven wrong. Several times while in middle school told me I was going to be a loser, and probably a criminal. Not all do as they should.

Most people seem to be afraid to ever reach out when they see someone hurting. A fear to simply get to know someone, and hold a conversation. As our world goes more and more online, I think I see this happening more often. We are losing the face to face enjoyment of humanity, and replacing it with our pretty screens instead.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

ronni — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:53:39 GMT

what do we expect. the kids have very little except pollution, cancer, violence and capitalism to look forward to anymore. what a future! whats the point? i'm sure that's what he was saying... btw leave the 'black clothes' and 'violent video games' and 'porn' out of it. i'm sure he had a pair or running shoes and a hairbrush too, could that have influenced him in some way?

Germans bewildered after school shooting

K M, Wisconsin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:09:00 GMT

@Catherine Faire, Arlington, Texas

You, like many other people, need to stop blaming video games. I play plenty of games that are violent, and I have a history of depression, but guess what! I havn't killed anybody.

Before games, movies and any violent media, there was still violence. So, in comes the obvious step of scapegoating. The easiest thing the blame is something that really can’t defend itself. It’s the basic psychology of blame. The ideas are already instilled in us. However, seeing the ideas put into motion, even fictionally, makes some people feel validated in following through with the idea. If a game really is to blame, then you have to question the judgement of the person and wonder why the parent wasn't keeping a closer eye on the child with the poor judgement.
A lot of the time it's like with music. Listening doesn't put thoughts in peoples heads, though it can magnify them

Here's something even better, instead of trying to blame someone or something, why don't you try taking a step back to try to understand why it happened

Germans bewildered after school shooting

John Merkle, The Woodlands, Texas — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:14:37 GMT

I have to admit that this is partially the parents fault for laving a gun like that but it was mostly the issue was that the kid had issues, I agree with you Catherine.

Were praying for you all!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Debbi, San Dimas, CA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:04:11 GMT

Should the parents have known how distressed their son was? Of course. Could this young man have been so good at hiding his true feelings and depths of his pain that they just didn't know? Possibly, but highly unlikely.
Over the last few decades, we have seen an increase in mass killings perpetuated by mentally disturbed individuals. The boys at Columbine High School and the boy in Germany seemed to be trying to exact revenge for feeling ridiculed and harrassed, even ignored and dismissed. The parents of the Columbine boys seemed shocked at the secret lives their children were leading but the evidence was right there in their own homes. The boys had guns and ammunition in theier rooms! Their emails were littered with dark writings. The parents didn't see what they didn't want to see. There were students who heard the rumors of what ultimately happened but didn't say anything! The young man at Virginia Tech had a deeply rooted mental disease but wasn't getting proper help. While it may have something to do with his Korean background, cultural differences can't solely be used as an excuse for why his parents didn't do everything in their power to get him help. I also have to think that there were other people in all of their lives who thought that these boys were "off", possibly suicidal, or even a danger to others.
There have been numerous stories around the country since Columbine of students coming forward with information that they've learned that's actually stopped mass murders like these. Sometimes just one person made all the difference and who knows how many lives were saved? Guns, or even the access to any kind of weapons, isn't the issue. It's knowing when a child is being bullied and having the willingness and compassion to step in and make it stop. It's understanding that your child, friend, or student, etc. is odd or different and paying attention. It's knowing when someone's mental state is so precarious that they're dangerous.
There are always those few who snap without warning but afer the investigation into tragedies like these are over, it's usually learned that most had early warning signs that went ignored. There is plenty of blame to go around in each of these cases. There are a lot of people who saw the danger signs and chose to ignore them or somehow dismiss them as being unimportant.

I learned a hard lesson as a 17 year old college freshman years ago that still haunts me. I had to take a PE type class because of my age and chose co-ed volleyball. A girl in our class kept to herself and didn't talk to any of us. Her makeup was very goth-like. Her hair was usually dirty and hung over her face. She was overweight and clumsy. She was obviously depressed but what could I do? The only time I ever saw her smile was when I picked her to play on our team for that day's game. We didn't think anything about it when she stopped coming to class. But when our coach called us all together before class one morning, I knew something was up because the look on his face was like stone. He'd read in the newspaper that the girl had driven up into the hills, poured lighter fluid on her clothes and set herself on fire. She'd been telling her family that no one loved her and she didn't fit in. She wondered what it felt like to be dead. I'll never forget our coach telling us that each of us, including him, had missed the opportunity to make a difference in the life of this girl and we all could have done something. This girl wasn't keeping anything a secret from anyone. Everyone who came into contact with her could tell that there was something wrong. I didn't even know her name.

There were plenty of people who saw the danger signs in this German boy's life and didn't do anything. They'll carry their secret shame because to admit it would be to say they share a little bit of culpability. I wanted to keep my secret too. But I told my kids and dozens of others the story of the girl in my volleyball class to make them aware. I'm deeply ashamed that I didn't treat her with more respect and compassion. The difference between the girl and the boy in Germany is that his anger and pain manifested itself in wanting to hurt others and hers was to hurt herself. I'll always know it could have been so much worse...and so much better.
God bless the victims and their families.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Debbi, San Dimas, CA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:42:29 GMT

Should the parents have known how distressed their son was? Of course. Could this young man have been so good at hiding his true feelings and depths of his pain that they just didn't know? Possibly, but highly unlikely. Over the last few decades, we have seen an increase in mass killings perpetuated by mentally disturbed individuals. The boys at Columbine High School and the boy in Germany seemed to be trying to exact revenge for feeling ridiculed and harrassed, even ignored and dismissed. The parents of the Columbine boys seemed shocked at the secret lives their children were leading but the evidence was right there in their own homes. The boys had guns and ammunition in theier rooms! Their emails were littered with dark writings. The parents didn't see what they didn't want to see. There were students who heard the rumors of what ultimately happened but didn't say anything! The young man at Virginia Tech had a deeply rooted mental disease but wasn't getting proper help. While it may have something to do with his Korean background, cultural differences can't solely be used as an excuse for why his parents didn't do everything in their power to get him help. I also have to think that there were other people in all of their lives who thought that these boys were "off", possibly suicidal, or even a danger to others. There have been numerous stories around the country since Columbine of students coming forward with information that they've learned that's actually stopped mass murders like these. Sometimes just one person made all the difference and who knows how many lives were saved? Guns, or even the access to any kind of weapons, isn't the issue. It's knowing when a child is being bullied and having the willingness and compassion to step in and make it stop. It's understanding that your child, friend, or student, etc. is odd or different and paying attention. It's knowing when someone's mental state is so precarious that they're dangerous. There are always those few who snap without warning but afer the investigation into tragedies like these are over, it's usually learned that most had early warning signs that went ignored. There is plenty of blame to go around in each of these cases. There are a lot of people who saw the danger signs and chose to ignore them or somehow dismiss them as being unimportant.I learned a hard lesson as a 17 year old college freshman years ago that still haunts me. I had to take a PE type class because of my age and chose co-ed volleyball. A girl in our class kept to herself and didn't talk to any of us. Her makeup was very goth-like. Her hair was usually dirty and hung over her face. She was overweight and clumsy. She was obviously depressed but what could I do? The only time I ever saw her smile was when I picked her to play on our team for that day's game. We didn't think anything about it when she stopped coming to class. But when our coach called us all together before class one morning, I knew something was up because the look on his face was like stone. He'd read in the newspaper that the girl had driven up into the hills, poured lighter fluid on her clothes and set herself on fire. She'd been telling her family that no one loved her and she didn't fit in. She wondered what it felt like to be dead. I'll never forget our coach telling us that each of us, including him, had missed the opportunity to make a difference in the life of this girl and we all could have done something. This girl wasn't keeping anything a secret from anyone. Everyone who came into contact with her could tell that there was something wrong. I didn't even know her name.There were plenty of people who saw the danger signs in this German boy's life and didn't do anything. They'll carry their secret shame because to admit it would be to say they share a little bit of culpability. I wanted to keep my secret too. But I told my kids and dozens of others the story of the girl in my volleyball class to make them aware. I'm deeply ashamed that I didn't treat her with more respect and compassion. The difference between the girl and the boy in Germany is that his anger and pain manifested itself in wanting to hurt others and hers was to hurt herself. I'll always know it could have been so much worse...and so much better. God bless the victims and their families.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Kyle, Detroit, MI — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:13:39 GMT

sandy, you should check your own spelling. this is not the fault of video games or parents. i've been playing video games since i can remember and my father taught me how to shoot a gun at the age of twelve. it does not mean that i'm going to kill people because of it. the boy was obviously going through serious mental anguish and didn't have the personal strength to make it through his own life.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Curt Hauser, Indianola, IA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:19:00 GMT

God speed to all the victims... Hope to all the survivers. Prayers to the families. Wisdom to the lawmakers... Let them not let this incedent sicken the rights of the law abiding puplic.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

lELIZABETH KELLY RILATO CALIFORNIA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:32:07 GMT

this is a tradegy that happen and one should not be too judgemental. sad to say but the shooter obviously had a mental lapse that destroy the lives of so many of so many innocent people.i will always foster their memory

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Christina Light Ashland, Ohio 44805 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:01:22 GMT

My heart goes out to the families of the victims and to Tim's family. All are truly suffering the loss of loved one's. This, as all other shooting incidences among youth's especially, show's the decay in humanity. If we are going to point fingers and play the blame game, then we all need to point at ourselves because we have at one point or another played a role that has contributed to these atrocities. We are to busy to help someone who is hurting. To wrapped up in our own lives instead of reaching out and showing compassion. This ideology that if they are not family or friends, then they are of no signifigance. This mentality slowly but surely brings in pain, low self-esteen, poor self image, even self-loathing and an anger and hatred for humanity. HEY PEOPLE!!!!Wake up!! We are all in this world together under GOD'S infinite love and compassion for us all. We are HIS flock and if one falls, we all fall. How about for a change we start caring and showing dignity and respect, patience and understanding, humility and compassion and oh, yes, last but not least.....forgiveness and redemption. Just a little of this can go a long way. GOD Bless us all.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Jon, Naperville, IL — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:15:36 GMT

This is a tragedy. But imagine how much more often it might have happened if guns were even more accessible? In Australia, a knifing makes the news...gun violence is extremely rare. It boggles the mind to think that fewer guns would not result in a lessened capacity to committ such horrific crime.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

pat consago, charleston, illinois — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:25:46 GMT

There are so many variables that could have played a part in this violent act, availability of guns, media, father not being attentive. The fact is that a lot of kids experience all of these things. We can't blame just one variable because they all played a part to create this violent act. These shootings are becoming more frequent, we can't just blame the parents, this is a societal problem with no easy solution.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Tom Mathis, Marana, Arizona — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:30:14 GMT

I don't believe that stricter gun controls are going to solve anything. I do believe in my 2nd amendment rights. I think that the parents should have had all of the guns locked away from the kid because he was under treatment for depression. It doesn't lessen the pain for the families involved and my heart truely goes out to them but eveytime something like this happens alot of people want to scream take the guns away. A gun can't fire itself, it takes a person to do that!

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Alex, Costa Mesa, CA — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:32:24 GMT

I think that stricter gun laws make it possible for someone to make such a big statement by shooting many people at a school. The mere fact that there are laws in Germany making is extremely difficult for individuals to buy weapons enable those who use them in crime and other violent outbreaks, like those described in this article, play into these people's wishes. They want to make a big statement, they want to be remembered, just as he said in the chat room, and if they had strict laws on swords or other weapons, he probably would have used another weapon. The results may have been fewer casualties, but the number of lives lost is not what I am calling into question... just the idea that "this would have been prevented with stricter gun laws." At least one person would have died in this incident, and if the same people who argue for more restrictions on guns believe that a person's life is sacred they should place strict laws on automobile use for the elderly, use of sharp object as writing utensils in schools, wood shop classes, autoshop classes, swimming, and tooth-brushes (research how many people die in a year from swallowing tooth brushes). There are many ways someone can cause injury to themselves or others with every-day objects besides guns. Removing guns from the equation of human emotion does not remove the emotion and people's ability to harm others.

My heart goes out too all of those who suffered loss in this situation and the family of the young man who did this.

Everyone should learn to watch for the signs of those who are struggling emotionally as Tim Kretschmer obviously was and try to get them help. Instead of investing more in gun control laws invest more in organizations providing psychological support for those in need, and possible monitoring if they are at risk of hurting themselves or others.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

HMH, Billings, Montana — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:51:07 GMT

Ok, well the next question is supposing your child is having trouble at school, what do you do? Not the school, nor the other parents, nor local law enforcement want to hear about your child being bullied at school. In the US, it is detrimental to the child's development socially and possibly academically to keep him or her home. It may even be illegal to keep your child out of school. What can you do if treatment and positive reinforcement of good behavior isn't helping? I'm not even a parent but it seems clear to me that options are limited for helping children with emotional issues who are having trouble at school. Locking up guns and weapons would be a good start, but there's nothing to say the child won't find other ways. Guiding the actions of your child at home is usually easy enough, but if the neighbor kids or the other kids at school have unrestricted access to weapons or other subversive resources, there is still not a lot a parent can do, other than keep the child home and pay the price both in the child's development and possibly going to jail for it.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sid Vicious, Crappy, World — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:12:43 GMT

"While critics are using the incident to argue for even stricter gun laws, the police stressed during Thursday’s press conference that the attack should be a call for even more vigilance of teens’ behavior in chat rooms, in schools, and with their families"

funny, even though such a rampage would not be possible without guns, people want to keep the guns and infringe upon the right to privacy and control young people even more, which is the real reason why young people are angry in the first place. All governments prize guns and strive for control. No guns, No shootings. Simple.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Sara, Vancouver, Washington — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:37:29 GMT

I think it's incredibly harsh to judge the parents. Most parents of teens, try as they might, don't and can't get the kind of information out of their child that they need to. They were already taking the right steps by treating him for depression; however, he shouldn't have been able to stop that treatment. To judge him and his family hastily is unfair because we can all admit to moments where we want to take outrageously drastic actions and choose not to. We can all admit to times when we've followed through with smaller demonstrations of what we're feeling. He reacted to how he was feeling and it had built up to the point where he couldn't hold it in anymore. He took action. While it was the wrong action, it wasn't his family's fault. Parents try the best they can but in the end sometimes things just happen. This is an on-going occcurance though. This doesn't only happen in Germany. The United States felt this same shock and devestation with Columbine and also dealt with the copy-cat threats. This is a matter that needs attention and needs to be resolved worldwide before more lives are lost.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Roger Denver, Co. — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:46:26 GMT

It's too bad we could exchange the deaths of all these inocent people killed by guns with the memeber of the NRA and the other loathsome psycho "gun rights"advocates....I am sure with those evil people gone the world would be a better place

Germans bewildered after school shooting

marshall iwason , huntington beach ,ca — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:51:57 GMT

i took my young son and daughter, 12 and 8 out shooting targets. their curiosty was satisfied and they have never asked to shoot since then. 25 years ago.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Nick Portsmouth UK — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:37:35 GMT

In the UK we have only had one school shooting incident and one other sniper rampage. Both of which produced tougher laws on firearm ownership an so far they seem to have worked. OK we still have the occasional armed robbery and rival gang shootings but not events like this. So it can be argued that such tough laws do work. I say all this as someone with 20 years military service and who used to own a .357Magnum and a .380ACP back in the days when it was possible to do so legally in the UK.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Ty Le — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:38:26 GMT

America is filled with immigrants, have you tried going to another country and speak a foreign language, and also write it. For a site without spell check I think they are doing pretty good. My heart goes out to the families of the they are all victims in this case.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Blogengeezer Alb NM — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:54:08 GMT

No guns no crime? provably false... 'No people no crime' is more the case. People are natural predators. They must be taught from an early age to control 'themselves'. One system is CCW-CHC by even 'more' responsible, licensed citizens circulating in the general public. The first sign of a 'threat' invokes an immediate response to counteract and 'neutralise' the threat. The system is universal and it works. The unarmed, 'easy victim' scenario no longer exists.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

Joe Davis Killeen, TX — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:42:42 GMT

The victims and families are in my prayers. The young man who comitted (I won't call him a child)this act was clearly troubled and should not have had access to a gun. However if this young man was bent on murder not having a gun would not have stopped him. The internet is full of instructions on how to make a suicide bomb or how to make chemical weapons using household cleaners. The tool he used to murder was a gun, but removing guns from the world would not have solved his mental problems. I guess the world will be a much safer place when guns are banned and and no one has the means to defend themselves. Think of the gun free zones here in America and how well they have worked at leaving our children and teachers defenseless. May the police protect them all..oh yeah they can't.

Germans bewildered after school shooting

General Meldor, NYC New York — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:17:35 GMT

This almost seems to be an international version of the Virginia Tech shooting, but does not seem to have the motives of Collumbine or Charles Whitman at Texas University in 1966. If we put this shooting with the American ones, it would be the second worst school shooting in history. Let's keep the families in our prayers and hope that they can RIP.