Terrorist Killers -- Why They Murder

Terrorist killers including Mir Aimal Kansi, Ali Abu Kamal, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet and Nidal Malik Hasan do, it seems, have something in common with murderers such as  Eric Harris, Dylan Klebald, Seung-Hoi Cho and Adam Lanzi.  For insights into these people and their common attributes we are indebted to Assistant Professor  of Criminal Justice at University of Alabama, Adam Lankford, whose findings appeared in a NY Times, Op-Ed piece, Dec. 18, 2012.

Like most rampage shooters, suicide terrorists are motivated to kill and be killed.  It is Adam Lankford's informed opinion that we should think of rampage shooters as non-ideological suicide terrorists.  "In some cases, they claim to be fighting for a cause, e.g. neo-Nazism, eugenics, masculine supremacy, or an anti-government revolution."  But to really understand their motivation, we must look elsewhere

Lankford points to a triad of factors generally found in mass shooters.  He lists them as (1) Mental health issues that produce a desire to die, (2) a deep sense of victimization, and (3) a desire to acquire fame and glory through killing.

The mental health issues that create a desire to die can vary from clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis.  Lankford points out that in 2010 the suicide rate in the U.S. was 12.4 per 100,000 people.  This is fairly low, but it is even lower in Muslim nations.  In other words, the pool from which most suicide terrorists and rampage shooters emerge is relatively small.

Per Lankford, "the second factor is a deep sense of victimization and belief that the victim's life has been ruined by someone else."  In their minds, they have been bullied, oppressed, or persecuted by someone or something.  Mental issues can inflame these beliefs.  The perceived victimizer might be an enemy government, or the victim's boss, his co-workers,  fellow students, or family members.  In the "victim's" mind, he has been terribly mistreated and that violent vengeance is justified.  Also, the victim often generalizes on his oppressor and extends the oppressor to include an entire category of people he believes responsible for his pain and suffering.

We then come to the third factor, the desire to acquire fame and glory through killing.  Lankford notes that over 70 percent of murder-suicides occur between significant-others and take place in the home.  Attackers who commit murder-suicide in public are far more brazen and unusual.  Also, most suicide terrorists believe they will be honored and celebrated as "martyrs."  And, indeed, many are encouraged in this belief by terrorist organizations who create martyrdom videos and other memorabilia so that other desperate individuals will volunteer to blow themselves up.

Rampage shooters too are often captivated by the idea that they will become posthumously famous. Eric Harris, the Columbine shooter, was heard to say, "Isn't it fun to get the respect that we're going to deserve."

Lankford notes that American mass killers are not that different from mass killers in other countries. The differences between them can be found in cultural forces that determine which destructive behavior the killers  seek to copy.  If Adam Lanza had lived in Gaza and had been subjected to the propaganda of Hamas, would he have strapped on a suicide vest?  Lankford guesses the answer to be yes.

In the light of this analysis, it is clear that many impressionable people have been motivated by hostile organizations to kill Jews, Americans, and Israelis.  Pakistanis have been sent to kill Indians and Afghans to kill westerners.  But, it also worth noting the damage done by presumably "peace loving" individuals like the Reverend Tutu, who refers to Israelis as Nazis and contends that Palestinians live under Apartheid conditions.  These accusations are not merely false, they impede a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israelis and their Arab neighbors.  It is odd indeed to find a Palestinian such as Fayyad providing greater hope for peace and stability for Palestinians and Israelis than that "great" South African, the Rev. Tutu.