Loughner: A Copycat?

In terms of attempting to figure out a mass shooter, we must ask the question, what motivates someone like Jared Lee Loughner?

The Copycat Effect. New York: Paraview Pocket-Simon and Schuster, 2004.

What triggered a rampage like the one he delivered?

While the television and radio spinners discuss the impact of Sarah Palin's now infamous map of bullseyes targeting specific Congressional districts, the only opinion to consider is how Rep. Gabby Giffords felt about it.


Rep. Gabrielle Giffords told MSNBC when the map was published during the 2010 campaign, "We are on Sarah Palin’s targeted list,” noting that hers was one of 20 conservative districts being highlighted. 

“The way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of the gunsight over our district. When people do that, they have got to realize there are consequences to that action.”

When it was pointed out that martial themes were a staple of political discourse, Giffords responded: “Some of my colleagues have served 20, 30 years, and they have never seen it like this.”

Sarah Palin then made things worse by saying things like "Don't retreat, reload!'' Sharron Angle in Nevada talked of "Second Amendment remedies."

Was Loughner influenced by the map and the climate of these times? We don't know. Evidence is being developed that he had a grudge against Giffords dating back to 2007.

Loughner's longstanding dislike for Gabrielle Giffords, a Blue Dog Democrat, had him calling her a "fake." This apparent displeasure intensified when he attended one of Giffords' outside events, of August 25, 2007 and she did not, in his view, sufficiently answer the question he asked her. The question was, "What is government if words have no meaning?"

What is also being revealed is that Loughner haunted the Internet forums, as a confused conspiracy "believer."

Loughner was a believer of numerous conspiracy theories, and espoused views such as that the United States Government was responsible for the September 11 attacks, a New World Order would bring about a one world currency, there would be a 2012 apocalypse, NASA had faked spaceflights, and the government was using mind control to brainwash people by controlling grammar. He was a member of the online conspiracy theory message board Above Top Secret, though members of the site did not respond warmly to his posts. He felt one could create their only currency.

A Washington Post article by David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post staff writer, on Tuesday, January 11, 2012, dealt with the appearance of Jared Loughner at the Above Top Secret site:

[A] new user, who joined the site in early 2009 ...called himself "Erad3." Now - based on the language in his postings, and information about where he logged on - the site's operators believe Erad3 was accused Arizona shooter Jared Lee Loughner, 22.

"I'd go with 99 percent," said Bill Irvine, chief executive of the site's parent company, when asked how certain he was that Erad3 and Loughner were the same person.

The story of those postings - now compiled online at Abovetopsecret.com - adds new detail to the story of Loughner's apparent unraveling.

In real life, friends say, Loughner had pushed away friends and alienated classmates with his odd behavior. After that, it appears, he sought a community online. But, in a gathering place for skeptics and conspiracy theorists, his views still brought ridicule - and even a plea for him to seek help.

"I think youre frankly schizophrenic, and no that's not an amateur opinion and not intended as an uninformed or insulting remark, you clearly make no sense and are unable to communicate. I really do care," a user with the nickname "mordant1" wrote July 11. "Seek help before you hurt yourself or others or start taking your medications again, please."

Erad3 responded to that with a stream of bizarre arguments, touching on ideas familiar from Loughner's YouTube videos. He wrote often about grammar, and inventing one's own currency. But he ended, "Thank you for the concern."

"It seemed like he was hoping he might fit in on a site like ours. But, as you can tell, he really didn't," Irvine said in a telephone interview Tuesday from the site's Scottsdale, Ariz., headquarters. "He seemed just . . . way, way out there, from some of his ideas."

Among Erad3's ideas: The space shuttles and the International Space Station were flying empty, without humans aboard. NASA's Mars rovers were faked. Individuals could make their own currency.

"just thought id pop in to let you know that to me you sound absolutely bonkers," one poster wrote in response.

"The name calling is about to cease!" Erad3 wrote back. He persisted in his belief that the shuttle was fake: "The entering into orbit might be able to kill a human."

None of the posts mention U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was apparently the initial target of Saturday's rampage. Giffords was shot in the head and seriously wounded. Six people died in the attack, and 13 others were wounded.

In none of his posts, Irvine said, did Erad3 seem to threaten violence.

By the time of the attack, Erad3 had not posted anything in several months. On Saturday, as news of the attack filtered out, other site users began to identify Erad3 as Loughner. 

This may have been based on the similarities between his posts on the site and YouTube videos attributed to Loughner.

That evening, someone posted on one of Erad3's old threads, about the idea that the Mars rovers were faked: "OP [original poster] is believed to be the shooter in today's assassination attempt."

Throughout the ATS site some deleting appears to be occurring. Jared Loughner, a/k/a erad3 posted on Chupacabras, NASA conspiracies, and even, apparently True Giants, as can be revealed by some cache finds. But please note, Loughner does not seem to have posted any anti-Jewish or anti-Zionist comments.  Unfortunately, Sarah Palin's use of "blood libel" and "solution," combined with her earlier bullseye map has resulted in new claims of anti-Semitic underpinnings to this story. (Giffords is Jewish.)


On June 7, 2010, for example, in response to a discussion about whether or not there were giants on the Earth in ancient times, here's what erad3 had to say in "Giants Really Were Really Giants":

reply posted on 6-7-2010 @ 10:29 PM by Erad3 

You'll tell every poster that these giants are real, and other sources tell the truth, so they must exist! 

Everyone on this forum will never believe that they exist. 

How sad it is for the size of a toilet.

What influences pushed Jared Loughner to do what he did? Perhaps only the demons inside his mind could reveal the answer to that question. Were his demons mad? Perhaps so.

Certainly, recent weeks have seen enough mass shooting models existing throughout the media for any vulnerable, mentally unstable person to take into their cosmos. What Jared Loughner was watching and what inspired him are bits of the puzzle that are still missing.

Let's not forget, as  Village Voice Media Executive Editor Michael Lacey observed: Loughner's actions were more the result of mental illness than ideology. It is from that framework that we should be looking for the behavior contagion triggers, not the cryptopolitical ones, for to do so merely joins Loughner in his mental illness.

"Mind Control" Mass Shooter: Jared Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner, at a book fair recently. Photo: Business Insider

Lee Harvey Oswald.

Gabrielle Giffords, the assassination attempt target.

Gabrielle Giffords, a Democratic Congresswoman, the first Jewish woman representative from Arizona, was shot through her brain in a mass shooting at a Safeway parking lot in Tuscon, Arizona, on January 8th, 2011, at about 10:10 am, local Arizona time. Earlier in the afternoon, CNN and NPR reported that she had died. But later, the news was changed to a report that she had survived. Six other people, including a nine-year-old girl who was born on 9/11, were killed, and a total of 18 were injured.

Federal law enforcement sources said that John M. Roll, the senior U.S. District judge in Arizona, was shot and killed in the incident. An aide of Giffords, a former social worker, also apparently was among those who have died.


A 22-year old man was taken into custody after being tackled by people in the small crowd after the shooting. One pistol was recovered and it had what police described as "an extended clip." One media report said he was firing an automatic weapon, but that conflicted with the pistol account.

The man was identified as Jared Lee Loughner, who appears to have left a trail of Internet postings, including some that express convoluted observations about government, anti-religious rants, and statements against "mind control," according to Fox News, the Washington Post, and others. Law enforcement officials said they believed he was a military veteran, but that was an incorrect early report. Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged shooter, was obsessed with mind control.

Giffords, who in November narrowly won reelection to a third term, was hosting her first "Congress on Your Corner" event when a gunman ran up and began shooting her and others in her entourage with a Glock handgun, according to law enforcement sources.

Eyewitness Steven Rayle, a Tucson doctor, said he saw a young man wearing sneakers and what appeared to be navy blue sweats approach Gifford with a semi-automatic handgun raised. The man shot Giffords once in the face, he said.

After Giffords fell, he said, a number of people near Giffords sought to flee but were trapped--hemmed in by the table and a concrete post. The gunman fired into the crowd, he said.

"It was so close, and sort of a tight thing, there was nowhere easy to run," Rayle said. "So most of the crowd got it, you know."

"People that were there were just sitting ducks," Rayle said. "I don't think he was even aiming. He was just firing at whatever."

After a few seconds, Rayle said, the man stopped shooting and tried to flee.

Details are emerging about the assassin.

The man linked to the shooting today of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others is 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, the Associated Press reported.

Police have surrounded a house at 7700 N. Soledad Ave., which is the address listed by a man with the same name on a variety of online accounts and in the volunteer registry for the 2010 Tucson Festival of Books. The home is near West Magee Road and North Thornydale Road on the northwest side. The house is within a few miles of the shooting scene.

A former classmate of Loughner at Pima Community College said he was "obviously very disturbed."

"He disrupted class frequently with nonsensical outbursts," said Lynda Sorenson, who took a math class with Loughner last summer at Pima Community College's Northwest campus.

She doesn't recall if he ever made any threats or uttered political statements but he was very disruptive, she said. He was asked to leave the pre-algebra class several times and eventually was barred from class, said Sorenson, a Tucson resident.

MySpace, YouTube and Facebook accounts maintained by Loughner suggest he has spent most of his life on the northwest side: His profile says he attended Thornydale Elementary, Tortolita Middle School, Mountain View High School and Pima Community College. Loughner took three semesters of sign language at Pima, according to The Festival of Books volunteer database.

The accounts indicate Loughner had a strong interest in literacy.

In a written message on YouTube, Loughner said: "The majority of people, who reside in District-8 are illiterate - hilarious. I don't control your English grammar structure, but you control your English grammar structure."

In a message posted on his MySpace account, titled "Goodbye friends," Loughner said: "Dear friends...please don't be mad at me. The literacy rate is below 5%. I haven't talked to one person who is literate." It was unclear when it was posted.

In a MySpace profile, Loughner said "My favorite interest was reading, and I studied grammar. Conscience dreams were a great study in college."

He lists among his favorite books Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. But he also includes a broad variety of other titles, including: Animal Farm, Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

In a rambling YouTube message referring to a new currency, Loughner said: "I know who's listening: Government Officials, and the People. Nearly all the people, who don't know this accurate information of a new currency, aren't aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn't have happen."

"In conclusion, my ambition - is for informing literate dreamers about a new currency; in a few days, you know I'm conscience dreaming! Thank you!"

In a youtube.com video entitled "Introduction: Jared Loughner" he describes himself as a U.S. military recruit who had recently filled out an application to join the Army.

The video text mentions "MEPS in Phoenix" a reference to the Military Entrance Processing Station in the state capital that all Arizona recruits from every branch of service pass through before leaving for basic training.

"Every United States military recruit at MEPS in Phoenix is receiving one mini bible before the tests," the video said.

"Jared Loughner is a United States military recruit at MEPS in Phoenix. Therefore, Jared Loughner is receiving one mini bible before the tests.

"I didn't write a belief on my Army application and the recruiter wrote on the application: None."

Jared Loughner has had at least two minor run-ins with police, according to on-line court records.

In October 2007, Loughner was cited by the Pima County Sheriff's Department for possession of drug paraphernalia, a charge that was dismissed in November 2007 when he completed a diversion program.

One year later, in October 2008, Loughner was charged with a "local charge" in Marana Municipal Court, that charge was also dismissed following the completion of a diversion program in March 2009.

Court records indicate the Marana case file is due to be purged in December 2013. It's unclear what the exact charge was.

Late updates tell of a white male in his fifties being a second suspect in the shooting. The suspect (shown in the photo released below) is described as white, about 40-50 years old, with dark hair and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a dark blue jacket.

+++

More from the bio/preferences of Jared Lee Loughner as detailed in his MySpace page:


“Schools: I attended school: Thornydale elementary, Tortolita Middle School, Mountain View Highschool, Northwest Aztec Middle College, and Pima Community College.
Interests: My favorite interest was reading, and I studied grammar.
Conscience dreams were a great study in college!
Movies:(*My idiom: I could coin the moment!*)
Music:Pass me the strings!
Books: I had favorite books:
Animal Farm, Brave New World,
The Wizard Of OZ, Aesop Fables,
The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland,
Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan,
To Kill A Mockingbird,
We The Living,
Phantom Toll Booth,
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,
Pulp,
Through The Looking Glass,
The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha,
The Old Man And The Sea,
Gulliver’s Travels,
Mein Kampf,
The Republic, and Meno.”

Screen capture of a video titled "How To: Mind Controller," ostensibly created by shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner.

(Credit: Screenshot by Edward Moyer/CNET)

Loughner's odd behavior at Pima Community College in Tucson, along with a disturbing Internet video, had caused officials at the school to suspend him in September, pending a mental health clearance, The Times said in another report.

"The rambling, disconnected writings and videos he has left on the Web are consistent with the delusions produced by a psychotic illness like schizophrenia, which develops most often in the teens or 20s," The Times reported.

Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged shooter.

According to court documents released on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2011, authorities discovered a safe in Loughner's home with a thank you letter from Giffords for attending a Congress on Your Corner event in 2007 -- the same kind of event Loughner allegedly assaulted Saturday. Another envelope said "I planned ahead," "My assassination" and "Giffords" and bofe what appears to be Loughner's signature, the documents said.

Shan said she became friends with Loughner the day the two graduated from high school and also had class together at Pima Community College in 2007. She said the two would hang out often after class but lost touch after the semester ended until they reconnected in the summer of 2010 when, Shan said, Loughner acted radically different.

"I don't know might have caused him to change, but from the way he was talking to me [online]... you can see. It was just questions and questions and random, weird questions that didn't go together," she said. "He wanted to know everything... He would just trip out.

"I don't know why it didn't jump out at me, like, 'Hey, something's wrong."

Shan last spoke to Loughner in October, after he was suspended and dropped out of school and before he purchased a semi-automatic handgun from a gunshop in Tucson. But she said while Loughner was "anti-government," he was never violent and never mentioned plans to buy a gun.

When he was suspended from Pima Community College, the school sent a letter to Loughner's parents stating that if Loughner wished to return to the school, he would have to "obtain a mental health clearance indicating, in the opinion of a mental health professional, his presence at the College does not present a danger to himself or others," the school said in a statement.

The school said Loughner had as many as five run-ins with campus police for "classroom and library disruptions," and was suspended after college police discovered a YouTube video apparently created by Loughner in which he claimed the college is "illegal." Rather than return to school, Loughner dropped out, the statement said.

One Pima Community College student, who had a poetry class with Loughner later in his college career, said he would often act "wildly inappropriate."

"One day [Loughner] started making comments about terrorism and laughing about killing the baby," classmate Don Coorough told ABC News, referring to a discussion about abortions. "The rest of us were looking at him in shock ... I thought this young man was troubled."

Another classmate, Lydian Ali, recalled the incident as well.

"A girl had written a poem about an abortion. It was very emotional and she was teary eyed and he said something about strapping a bomb to the fetus and making a baby bomber," Ali said.

Prima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who only identified the shooter as a 22-year-old white male, said the evidence online and information they've received from two schools that Loughner attended led him to believe the gunman was "unstable."

"There's reason to believe that this individual may have a mental issue," Dupnik told reporters today. "I'm not a psychiatrist so I have no reason to believe the person was insane. Was he unstable? I would agree with that."

===

Six people were killed in the incident:

John Kroll (63) - a Federal Court Judge

Gabe ZImmerman (30) - one of Congresswoman Giffords' aides

Christina Taylor-Green (9) - an elementary school student and granddaughter of Major League Baseball executive Dallas Green; she was born on 9/11; she was the only girl on a boys' Little League baseball team.

Dorwin Stoddard (76) - a pastor at Mount Avenue Church of Christ. Stoddard's wife Mavy was wounded in the leg, but is expected to recover.

Phyllis Scheck (79)

Dorthy Murray (76)

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told reporters that Christina Taylor-Green was pronounced dead at the hospital. The other five fatalities were pronounced at the scene.