A few days after the mass shooting at Highland Park, Illinois, which killed 7 people and injured around 36, Alberto Fuentes attended a memorial for the victims, wondering if the parents of the 21-year-old shooter could’ve prevented the situation.
Many Americans are scared of their children being caught in the middle of a mass shooting. But some parents, especially those with sons, are afraid of their kids becoming the shooter.
To prevent this, families are trying to provide mental help resources for their children if necessary. However, many parents still disregard warning signs and enable their children to acquire weapons.
“It’s terrifying enough to think you might be the victim of some random piece of violence,” said Andrew Solomon, who interviewed the parents of the shooters of various schools. “But to think you might be called out for not knowing, that your child had caused this, is also a terrible fate.”
Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, the suspect in the mass shooting at Highland Park attempted suicide in April 2019. However, his parents told the police that they were seeking professional help for him. In September 2019, authorities were told that Crimo had a knife collection and that he was “going to kill everyone”. Although his father said that he didn’t do anything wrong, in 2019, he also sponsored Crimo for a firearms license.
In 2018, a 29-year-old man started shooting at the Waffle House in Nashville. In the past he had recieved professional help and even lost his license to own firearms, but when he gave up his guns to his dad, his father returned them to him.
In the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot 20 children and 6 adults before killing himself. Before the shooting, Lanza had also shot his mother, Nancy Lanza. When the authorities looked more into the story, they found that Nancy Lanza didn’t get the recommended mental health support and therapy for Adam, and she bought and allowed him access to many firearms.
“The kid had a problem,” Alberto Fuentes said. “I have kids, too, and if I see something, I have a responsibility. The parents had a responsibility to do something.”
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/us/highland-park-shooting-parents.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/05/1109793161/highland-park-chicago-july-4-shooting-latest
https://www.britannica.com/event/Sandy-Hook-Elementary-School-shooting
Many Americans are scared of their children being caught in the middle of a mass shooting. But some parents, especially those with sons, are afraid of their kids becoming the shooter.
To prevent this, families are trying to provide mental help resources for their children if necessary. However, many parents still disregard warning signs and enable their children to acquire weapons.
“It’s terrifying enough to think you might be the victim of some random piece of violence,” said Andrew Solomon, who interviewed the parents of the shooters of various schools. “But to think you might be called out for not knowing, that your child had caused this, is also a terrible fate.”
Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, the suspect in the mass shooting at Highland Park attempted suicide in April 2019. However, his parents told the police that they were seeking professional help for him. In September 2019, authorities were told that Crimo had a knife collection and that he was “going to kill everyone”. Although his father said that he didn’t do anything wrong, in 2019, he also sponsored Crimo for a firearms license.
In 2018, a 29-year-old man started shooting at the Waffle House in Nashville. In the past he had recieved professional help and even lost his license to own firearms, but when he gave up his guns to his dad, his father returned them to him.
In the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot 20 children and 6 adults before killing himself. Before the shooting, Lanza had also shot his mother, Nancy Lanza. When the authorities looked more into the story, they found that Nancy Lanza didn’t get the recommended mental health support and therapy for Adam, and she bought and allowed him access to many firearms.
“The kid had a problem,” Alberto Fuentes said. “I have kids, too, and if I see something, I have a responsibility. The parents had a responsibility to do something.”
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/us/highland-park-shooting-parents.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/05/1109793161/highland-park-chicago-july-4-shooting-latest
https://www.britannica.com/event/Sandy-Hook-Elementary-School-shooting
