A gunman shot and killed 21-year-old Purdue University senior Andrew Boldt on Tuesday, in the university’s electrical engineering building.
The best way to prevent catastrophes like these is for people to seek help before it’s too late.
Cody Cousins, a 23-year-old student, was arrested after he surrendered to the Purdue University Police Department and was booked with a preliminary murder charge.
Authorities have yet to comment on why Cousins committed the crime, but they are certain it was an isolated incident and Boldt was the only intended target.
Whatever the reason that motivated Cousins to commit such an awful crime in the middle of a school day, mental health must have played a key role in this devastating event.
This incident is just one of the numerous tragedies to occur at U.S. academic institutions in the past few years, and there must be a way to prevent them from happening.
According to an article in “The Forensic Digest” — “Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters” by Peter Langman – school shootings can be prevented by identifying warning signs. Some of these signs can appear through discussion with friends, in school, at work, posts on social media and interactions with parents.
Another article posted in “LiveScience” after the Newtown school shootings stated mass shootings are motivated by revenge or envy, which is why the most common locations for crimes of that variety occur in places like schools or business offices.
However, psychologists are having a hard time predicting which individual will commit a crime.
Many people believe it is society’s exposure to violent media, such as movies and videogames, that has influenced people to commit more crimes. But of the millions of people who play Assassin’s Creed or enjoyed Django Unchained, very few have ever picked up a gun.
Most people have at least one point during their lives when they feel betrayed, humiliated or isolated. Specially in a place like a college campus where every single person is trying to juggle a demanding class schedule and newfound freedom away from parents.
Because of this, it is hard for third parties to be certain of who in a community is a killer and who is just going through a rough patch.
Luckily for the LSU student body, the Student Health Center’s Mental Health Services offers students the opportunity to talk to licensed professionals about subjects ranging from depression and anxiety to eating disorders and self-esteem issues.
The Mental Health Services office is located in the second floor of the Student Health Center. Appointments can be made by telephone at 225-578-8774 or on the Student Health Center website.
It is the psychology world’s consensus that people don’t become criminals overnight; which is why I believe if a person realizes when it is time to ask for help, then a large amount of shootings and other tragedies on college campuses can be prevented.