A Brief History
On October 17, 2018, an 18-year-old student went on a shooting rampage at the Kerch Polytechnic College, in Crimea, killing 20 people and himself while wounding another 67.
Digging Deeper
As we have previously reported, mass shootings and school shootings are not an American phenomenon. Using a pump action shotgun, the shooter fired for about 15 minutes before ending his rampage. The teen also exploded a nail bomb, although several other pipe bombs that he had placed were deactivated by the responding military.
Russia had illegally occupied the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, despite condemnation from other nations. Among the dead were 15 students and five teachers. Warning signs about the shooter included his taking a bayonet to class and once letting loose with pepper spray in class, as well as social media discussion of suicide and mass murder. The teen also proclaimed his hate for the school and had vowed revenge against his teachers.
Note: If you know anyone that seems preoccupied with mass shootings or other forms of mass murder, please try to get that person mental health assistance or notify appropriate authorities.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Could such tragic incidents be stopped by timely intervention?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Follman, Mark. Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America. Dey Street Books, 2022.
Kerr, Gordon. College Killers: School Shootings in North America and Europe. Kindle, 2023.
