Ceremonial Violence: Understanding Columbine and Other School Rampage Shootings

Ceremonial Violence analyzes thirteen school "rampage" shootings―including the Columbine High School massacre―and explains, for the first time, why teenagers commit these tragic atrocities. These cases include:Brenda Spencer, 16, who after shooting at elementary school children for no apparent reason explained to a reporter: "I hate Mondays."Wayne Lo, 18, a brilliant Taiwanese student and violin prodigy, who embraced white supremacist rhetoric. One night he stalked the campus of Simon Rock's College with a semi-automatic rifle, picking victims at random.Evan Ramsey, 16, who went on a shooting rampage in Anchorage, alerting some 25 friends beforehand so they could observe the mayhem.Luke Woodham, 17, who claimed to have been controlled by demons when he killed his classmates.With his grasp of the elements of abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, and neurology that contribute to the homicidal mindset, Fast offers us a means of understanding and coming to terms with these shootings, and provides examples of what we should look for as early signs to prevent further tragedies.

Jonathan Fast was educated at Princeton, Columbia, and Yeshiva Universities. He is the author of eight novels and a Professor of Social Work at Yeshiva. He lives in Connecticut.