[OT] Sniper plays D&D?

[Maerdwyn]

Masked,

Don't worry, I'd never heard the word "sarcasting" before I moved to ENWorld, either. Still, I guess responding to this thread gives me a chance to embiggen by postcount a bit.

 

[Caliban]

Here's the relevant clip:

"This kind of person may have interest in superheroes, Dungeons & Dragons, any kind of game with power and control, kind of movies like Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, where the 'Predator,' where he goes after people."

and link:

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/09/cct.00.html

That actually doesn't sound unreasonable. It makes sense that someone with severe control issues or feelings of powerlessness would be interested in activities that allow at least a temporary sense of control or power.

This doesn't indicate that D&D makes you psycho, but that in this case, certain aspects of the game may appeal to his particular brand of craziness. He may not actually play D&D, but it's likely that he has some hobby that gives a similar illusion of power or control.

Setting himself up as a sniper probably gives him an even greater sense of power and control, because he thinks no one can stop him or catch him.

 

[Skarp Hedin]

Remember, Mark -- a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.

Your noble spirit has embiggened you to mighty heights, this we can all see.

 

[kenjib]

Yeah, notice that it doesn't say that D&D is to blame for the problem, but the converse. Because of the problem he might play D&D. If people think about this rationally it does not say that there is anything wrong with playing D&D or that D&D is at all to blame for the killings. Unfortunately we know that thinking rationally isn't always the reaction to such things...

 

[Grazzt]

If people think about this rationally it does not say that there is anything wrong with playing D&D or that D&D is at all to blame for the killings. Unfortunately we know that thinking rationally isn't always the reaction to such things...

Right. And that is why I posted a link to the transcript before people starting ranting and posting that CNN was now proclaiming D&D as evil, a tool of the devil, that it led the sniper to kill all the peeps he has, etc.

 

[boothbey]

This person may also wear shoes and put his pants on one leg at a time.

Just trying to help create a complete profile.

 

[Undead Pete]

I guess I should scroll down before posting a new thread. I just saw the same interview.

People are idiots.

There I go....showing my antisocial, power-hungry tendencies.

 

[starwolf]

sarcasting is a word...at least it is according to mye Bugaboo Dictionary...

 

[Chun-tzu]

Okay, first of all, there's no need to go all kwyjibo just because there may be something to what this profiler is saying. One of the attractive things about D&D in particular is that you're not just role-playing, but you're role-playing heroes, often very powerful ones. This is her (his?) point. This sniper seems to get off on being such a dangerous, bad-ass, I'm-sick-of-it-all-and-I'm-going-to-do-whatever-the-frag-I-want kind of guy. And before he snapped, he probably fulfilled those fantasies in other, more harmless and common ways, like watching "guy" movies and maybe even playing D&D. I'm surprised she didn't mention video games explicitly.

The real shame is that her mention of super-heroes and D&D are likely to conjure for people an image that she may not have intended.

 

[Paladin]

Does anyone else think that this sniper could be a terrorist (Al Queda or some other group)? He's definitely creating complete terror in the Maryland/D.C./Virginia region. People are keeping their kids home from school, not going to work, etc. He's disrupting the whole area's way of life.
He's killing indiscriminately, across a wide range of races, ages, and doesn't key in on one sex - all things serial killers usually don't do. I'd say he's a terrorist. If not, I hope that any sleeper terrorists don't decide he's got the right idea because imagine what just one guy like this in every major city could do!