Why do depressed/despondent people feel the need to kill others before

[vaskidmark]

offing themselves?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/02/yuma-shooting-arizona-dead_n_870491.html?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%7C214937

AP - YUMA, Ariz. — An attorney says one of five people killed by a gunman Thursday in southwestern Arizona represented the suspected shooter's ex-wife in their divorce case.

Attorney Amanda Taylor tells The Associated Press that shooting victim Jerrold Shelley represented the ex-wife of 73-year-old Carey Hal Dyess of Yuma.

Yuma police say Dyess shot and killed Shelley in Shelley's downtown law office.

Authorities say Dyess killed four other people elsewhere in Yuma County and wounded one other person before sheriff's deputies found him dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at about 11:30 a.m.

I can sort of understand killing the lawyer that represented your ex-wife in the divorce case, although I think I would rather off my ex-wife than her lawyer if it came down to that.  But why the four other folks?  Sounds like they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, which really sucks in situations like this.

The comments are fascinating, too.

stay safe.

[BlueStarLizzard]

My phone distrusted the source, so I didn't get a chance to read the whole thing,

But, unlike the VA Tech guy and those of that ilk, who were going for the noterity, I wonder if some of these arn't more along the lines of rage killings and then the guilt or hopelessness of they're new title of murderer drives them to suicide.

I wonder if, we hear all the stories about forensic type cop shows influancing juries and criminals, I wonder if this perhaps is another effect. If a guy goes out in a rage and starts killing people, then calms down and thinks 'oh, they can solve this like on csi, in one hour and their definatly gonna catch me', it would explain the seeming increase in these types of killings/suicides.

[wuluf]

I've always thought that you might want to kill yourself, but once you've murdered someone, now you have to kill yourself, or face the consequences.  Selfish bastards....

[Pharmacology]

offing themselves?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/02/yuma-shooting-arizona-dead_n_870491.html?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%7C214937

I can sort of understand killing the lawyer that represented your ex-wife in the divorce case, although I think I would rather off my ex-wife than her lawyer if it came down to that.  But why the four other folks?  Sounds like they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, which really sucks in situations like this.
The comments are fascinating, too.
stay safe.

I wonder if they were intentionally targeted, or if they opportunistic targets standing downrange of the lawyer

[CNYCacher]

But, unlike the VA Tech guy and those of that ilk, who were going for the noterity, I wonder if some of these arn't more along the lines of rage killings and then the guilt or hopelessness of they're new title of murderer drives them to suicide.

I've always felt this was the explanation as well.  The reality of what they have done sets in and they can't take it.  Either the guilt, or the consequences, or perhaps they just want to show the world how sorry they are for what they've done.

[RoadKingLarry]

Hard to explain batshit crazy.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Hard to explain bat*expletive deleted* crazy.

much wisdom there!

[Stand_watie]

In my experience with depression, it caused me to be more empathetic and less likely towards violence, even rightous or justifiable violence (like hunting to putting a pet down). I think it likely that a shrink would have a more specific label for homicidal mental illness than depression.