Adam Lanza's mother was a "prepper"

Iwannahurl

Connecticut mass killer Adam Lanza's mother Nancy was a "prepper" according to the latest news reports.

Stockpiling of guns and food gets a big mention.

Home schooling is also thrown into the mix.

Media hysteria or well-intentioned social analysis?

Tabnabs

Have you a link for this?

Skill Magill

Here ye go
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9749217/Connecticut-school-shooting-Adam-Lanzas-mother-was-preparing-for-disaster.html

http://www.examiner.com/article/was-adam-lanza-s-mother-a-doomsday-prepper-she-was-stockpiling-guns

Iwannahurl

Sorry, I heard it on the radio and thought it was already widely known.

There was no thread though, so I thought I'd post one.

Here's one headline, with link:

Sandy Hook Shooter's Mother Collected Guns In Preparation For Economic Collapse



Here's the home schooling angle:

Newtown Gunman’s Mother Home-Schooled Son, Kept Arsenal Of Guns


.

Doc Ruby

I'm not really seeing the connection here. If there was some link between prepping and other similar shootings, there might be cause for concern. Plus, his mother wasn't the one doing the shooting.

I'd be more interested in his religious affiliation to be honest, but I can't seem to find any solid information about it anywhere, which is bizarre. Maybe the Americans just don't want to turn it into a political football, but in the interests of preventing further problems its something that needs to be examined.

Iwannahurl

Gun culture is the obvious connection, but as usually happens in these situations people/the media starting looking around for factors to "explain" the tragedy.

The home schooling reference is one such example, IMO.

What else? "Loner", "tech geek", "nerd" -- all used so far.

Here's an excerpt from Saturday's Irish Independent (Suspected gunman was 'smart but shy nerd'):

At Newtown High School, he dressed more formally than other students, often wearing khaki pants, button-down shirts and at times, a pocket protector – a sheath designed to hold pens in a shirt pocket.

[...]

"My brother has always been a nerd," Ryan Lanza said [about his brother in 2008]. "He still wears a pocket protector."

It's only a short leap from a nerdy pocket protector to a semi-automatic .223 Bushmaster, right?

Doc Ruby

I don't know what caused him to go off like that but its definetely a wider cultural problem. Same thing happens almost twice a week in China, mass stabbings in the schools. They'd best identify what causes it before the beast takes another bite though.

I'm not really into the prepping side of things myself, being more of a bushcraft man, but I'd question lines being drawn between the practise and this incident, unless further evidence were to emerge. As things stand, its pretty much at the coincidence level right now.

Conmaicne Mara

From reading elsewhere, I think it might be suggested the mother had carelessly stored the firearms. But, storage doesn't seem to be much of an issue if you look at (I know, I know) Doomsday Preppers where they have guns secreted all over the house.

I'm a firearms owner, but I think they need to be stored with some degree of safety.

aaakev

All my guns are stored in the safe in a locked room, the shotgun is broken down when stored and the rifles have the bolts removed and they are stored in another safe, ammo is hidden sepratly. This is the norm with most if not all the other shooters i know

Conmaicne Mara

aaakev wrote: »

All my guns are stored in the safe in a locked room, the shotgun is broken down when stored and the rifles have the bolts removed and they are stored in another safe, ammo is hidden sepratly. This is the norm with most if not all the other shooters i know

I was talking of the US.

But, I know of three Irish shooters, two of whom store loaded guns inside the front or back door, and another leaves his keys in his cabinet.

aaakev

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I was talking of the US.

But, I know of three Irish shooters, two of whom store loaded guns inside the front or back door, and another leaves his keys in his cabinet.

I got that but storage should be the same no matter where you live.

Those 3 guy are fools...

Conmaicne Mara

I agree, but it's clear that it's not the case. If I can name three people out of the very small pool of shooters I know, then there must be many acting foolishly.

Sparks

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

But, I know of three Irish shooters, two of whom store loaded guns inside the front or back door, and another leaves his keys in his cabinet.

All three would lose their licences if inspected; and the Gardai have the legal authority to inspect your storage arrangements for your firearm at any time and to rescind your licence for failure to have suitable storage.

So the problem's not the law.

I would point out that in the weeks prior to Hungerford, Michael Ryan was shooting at his neighbours with an airgun, turned up to work armed, became increasingly mentally unstable at home, and not one person reported it...

...so if you're concerned by what you know, why haven't you reported it?

Conmaicne Mara

I'm not concerned one bit in the world about it. Should they get inspected it's their problem. I am not responsible for other peoples actions.

The cops haven't a notion about doing their job when it comes to firearms, they haven't a clue. I won't be reporting anyone, that system, same as the social protection system allowing people do things they shouldn't is well and truly banjaxed.

Let the people who oversee it, and who's day job it is implement it, thats what they get paid for each week.

Sparks

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I'm not concerned one bit in the world about it.

If that was true, why mention it when talking about unsafe firearms practices in relation to a mass shooting?

Should they get inspected it's their problem. I am not responsible for other peoples actions.

That's what Ryan's neighbours and employer said too...

Conmaicne Mara

Sparks wrote: »

If that was true, why mention it when talking about unsafe firearms practices in relation to a mass shooting?

aaakev made the point that all the shooters he knows keep their firearms locked up safely. All the shooters I know, do not. If "the system" worked, if the law done spot checks, these people I know too lazy, and let's face it it's nothing more than laziness, wouldn't be **** acting they way they are.

Sparks wrote: »

That's what Ryan's neighbours and employer said too...

I'm fine with that. As I said, I am not responsible for what you or anyone else does. Personally, I am responsible for what I do and have, and both those things are in order should the Gardaí care to check any time.

aaakev

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

If "the system" worked, if the law done spot checks, these people I know too lazy, and let's face it it's nothing more than laziness, wouldn't be **** acting they way they are.
.

What you said originally is very far from someone being lazy. Keeping a loaded gun at the front and back door is a conscious decision, a feckin dumb and dangerous one that requires just as much effort as putting it into a safe or at least removing the bolt or braking it in 2 and stickin it in a wardrobe

Conmaicne Mara

aaakev wrote: »

What you said originally is very far from someone being lazy. Keeping a loaded gun at the front and back door is a conscious decision, a feckin dumb and dangerous one that requires just as much effort as putting it into a safe or at least removing the bolt or braking it in 2 and stickin it in a wardrobe

It is that, but it is laziness mostly, that it's dumb and dangerous is a by product of that initial decision. It's why Police in the UK don't like cabinets in hard to get to places such as attics, because they don't think the firearms will be put away regularly. Here, it's the "Ah sure it'll be grand" attitude. But those three know, like you know, like I know, that they won't have a spot inspection. That the Gardaí won't darken their doorstep to check. In all the time since it's been required to have a gun safe I have had exactly one check that I had one, which was done over the phone :rolleyes:

Watch Ryder

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Connecticut mass killer Adam Lanza's mother Nancy was a "prepper" according to the latest news reports.

Stockpiling of guns and food gets a big mention.

Home schooling is also thrown into the mix.

Media hysteria or well-intentioned social analysis?

5 guns is far from stockpiling, especially in the states.
The 'evil' assault rifle (more like a varmint gun) was for target shooting and having food stores is more like common sense especially with the foul weather common to NE USA.