The Mind of a Mass Killer

By Nick Reilly
The shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, in October 2009 were brutal and shocking. But they are hardly an anomaly: two days after the killings, two other mass shootings occurred: one in Tampa, Fla., and one in Portland, Ore. Mass killings have had a long and painful history in the United States. Normally perpetrated by male aggressors, the motivations for these occurrences vary, ranging from acts of revenge, twisted showings of compassion, fervent ideology, and, most often, a person who for one reason or another, snaps. Authorities are still determining the motivations and mental state of accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan (right). But for every occurrence, the same question is invariably raised: What causes someone to commit mass homicide? NEWSWEEK asked experts about the various motivations that can lead to these tragedies.