Fatal Grievances: Understanding Mass KillersJeffrey A. Daniels, Ph.D., Matthew Ellis

ABSTRACTMass murder, while not statistically common, is a world-wide problem. Working collaboratively with partners from other institutions, we posit a 10-stage process that grievance-motivated mass killers go through. Some stages are not discoverable, while others are more so. We present a case analysis of one mass murderer to demonstrate the hypothesized model.

INTRODUCTIONMulti-victim murder may be classified into three types. Serial murder involves multiple victims over a long period of time with a “cooling off” period between. It is usually sexually motivated. A spree killing occurs in a shorter time-frame and the offender travels, sometimes over long distances, killing as he* goes. Mass murder is generally a killing of multiple victims in one location at a singular time.

Three primary motives drive mass murder: Profit, ideology, and grievance. Motive is the reason why the person killed. A typical profit-motivated mass murder is related to gang or organized crime activities. Ideologically-motivated mass killings are typically terrorist attacks.

Mass murderers are most often motivated by grievance, or revenge. The grievance is directly linked to an unresolved conflict with an individual, group, or organization whom the aggrieved believes has mistreated him. The motive to kill is the result of being in crisis, which we define as being unable to cope with an injustice and believing that no one can or will help.

Most mass murders occur at schools or workplaces.

Note that we do not use the phrases “mass shooting” or “school shooting”. By focusing only on the weapon used in the attacks or planned attacks, researchers miss approximately 25% of mass killings. Whether the individual chooses firearms, bombs, blades, fire, automobiles, or other tools, the motive and the pathway to violence is the same.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this poster is to offer the 10-stage model of the “Fatal Grievance.” The model will be used to “walk through” a case of a mass killer.

*The majority of multi-victim killers are male, so the masculine pronoun is used in this poster.

FATAL GRIEVANCE STAGESWe hypothesize a 10-stage pathway that leads from a grievance to a mass attack:GRIEVANCE: The individual perceives an injustice so intense it exceeds their

ability to cope and it is perceived that no one can (or will) help. This leads to a state of crisis.CRISIS: A situation that exceeds a person’s ability to cope and the belief that no one is willing or able to assist.IDEATION: Thoughts and fantasies about engaging in retaliation/planned lethal violence.INTENT: Intent signifies a significant step toward a mass killing. It is the development of the goal of enacting the ideations: engaging in planned lethal violence.RESEARCHING: The individual investigates a method of the planned lethal violence in order to achieve the desired goal.PLANNING: Once the individual has conducted enough research, he moves into the designing of a method of carrying out the mass killing.PREPARING: At this point the individual puts the plans into action by collecting the means of attack (weapons and supplies).OPTIMIZING: As materials have been acquired, the individual engages in training, probing (conducting surveillance to assess security, barriers, etc.), testing (conducting a dry run to test the feasibility of success), and practice.BREACHING: A precursor to the attack: Surpassing barriers to the victims (gaining entry).ATTACK: The final phase of the mass killing: Destroying (killing) a person, group, or organization that the killer perceived wronged him or her. These targets could be the same individuals, groups, or organizations the offender believed wronged him/her, or could be symbolic of those. For the killer, this is the resolution of the fatal grievance.

CRISIS & PERCEPTIONSFor a grievance to pass into a fatal grievance, the aggrieved must experience a crisis and hold certain perceptions about the mistreatment. Perceptions: Perceptions of the trigger event(s) color how the individual responds. • Major loss• Feeling persecuted (present- or future-tense perceptions of being

mistreated).• Feeling wronged (past-tense perceptions of being mistreated).• Paranoid thinking (delusions or suspiciousness that one has been

treated unfairly)Crisis: Most often the stimulus to the grievance surpasses his ability to cope. Many mass killers also lacked adequate social supports.

KINDLINGPrior research has examined a host of variables as possible causal factors. We view these as kindling that can assist in the building up of a fire. Alone, they are correlational at best. But together with a fatal grievance and they add energy to the individual’s pathway. • Mental Illness• Adverse Background• Fascination with Previous Attacks• Repetitive Engagement with Violent Media• Leakage (“leaking” plans or intent to others)• Extreme Recklessness• Violence against Significant Others

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSSpecial thanks to our colleagues:

Dr. Greg Vecchi, Unit Chief, FBI Behavioral Science Unit (Ret.)Dr. Mary Ann Markey, Adjunct Professor, Grand Canyon University

ANDREW KEHOEOn May 18, 1927, 55-year-old Andrew Kehoe carried off a well-planned bombing of a school in Bath, Michigan. He spent many months planting timed bombs and gasoline under the floor of the school. Those under the south wing detonated on the 18th. With 45 fatalities and 58 injuries, it remains the largest school-based attack in US history. In total, 38 children were killed and six adults died. Kehoe committed suicide during the attack by blowing up his truck. 500 pounds of explosives and gasoline did not ignite under a second wing of the school.

Grievance: Kehoe was angry after losing his re-election bid as school board treasurer. Perceptions: Kehoe felt he had been wronged and nobody was willing or able to help him. Crisis: He had lost his job, his wife was ill, his farm was failing, and he felt unable to cope. His farm was under foreclosure. Kindling: Leakage; Violence Against Significant Others (murdered his wife); Psychiatric disorderDirect Behaviors/Fatal Grievance:

Grievance → Crisis → Intent → Researching → Planning →Preparing → Optimizing → Attacking

NOTE: There was no evidence for ideation; breaching was not applicable to this case.

CONCLUSIONSCrisis, Intent, Planning, Preparing, and Optimizing are more detectable. In our pending book, Preventing School and Workplace Violence: The Role of Behavioral Analysis in Identifying Fatal Grievances, we detail steps to identify and intervene at these steps. Grievance-based mass killings may be preventable.