TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Why Castillo was kicked out of The Guard

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Trench Reynolds

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Suspect in school attack, father’s murder obsessed with Columbine:

Another detail in the case of Alvaro Castillo. This time the reason of why he was being processed out of the National Guard…

Officials with the North Carolina National Guard said Thursday that Castillo entered the Guard as a recruit in 2004 and completed basic combat training in August 2005. He was never deployed and was being processed out of the guard after being determined to be medically disqualified for military service, according to the statement.

The Guard declined to comment on why Castillo was medically disqualified, citing confidentiality laws.

But according to court records released Thursday, Castillo was involuntarily committed to a state mental hospital on April 20 – the seventh anniversary of the Columbine attack – after he told his family he was going to kill himself with a shotgun.

Deputies took him into custody and “he stated that he was not going to go back into the Army and was going to kill himself,” an affidavit attached to the commitment order said.

Castillo was released from the hospital eight days later, according to court records.

I wonder what made him change his mind about The Guard. I mean, besides the fact that he’s nuts. Anyway, that shoots my theory down about being released from The Guard as the trigger event.

Comments

8 responses to “Why Castillo was kicked out of The Guard”

  1. Andrew Rhodes Avatar
    Andrew Rhodes

    He didn’t “change his mind about the Guard”. From the way it reads, he was released for medical reasons. Based on the other information, possibly depression or other signs of mental instability, whether related or not to the depression.

    Andrew

    Reply
  2. Trench Avatar
    Trench

    Since he originally enlisted in The Guard then says to police that he was not going to go back into the Army makes it sound like to me that he changed his mind.

    Reply
  3. Andrew Rhodes Avatar
    Andrew Rhodes

    Well, he is a little off mentally. Perhaps he assumes that since he received treatment from that involuntary commital that he must be viewed as sane enough to be accepted back if he reapplied. It may be that he left the Guard voluntarily because of depression. Then thought he could still go back in despite the involuntary commital. But then, we don’t know the precise reason he was discharged. There could be other reasons. Perhaps he showed other mental problems. It could be any number of reasons.

    Andrew

    Reply
  4. Trench Avatar
    Trench

    True but the way it was stated in the article one could suppose that he was depressed and suicidal because of something that happened while he was in The Guard.

    Reply
  5. Andrew Rhodes Avatar
    Andrew Rhodes

    True. He did go through all that training first. Including weapons training. I doubt they would have handed him a weapon if they knew in advance of signs of depression. Heck, for all we know, he was bi-polar and never showed signs until later.

    Still, it’s hard to imagine that all of a sudden he shows signs of depression. Since they used the term “processed out”, he may very well have left voluntarily with a medical problem, even if it’s mental.

    If I remember one article (I think it was from WRAL), they had only moved to America from Spain a mere 4 years ago. What his condition was like before they moved only the family would know.

    Andrew

    Reply
  6. Trench Avatar
    Trench

    According to Castillo himself he’s had the Columbine obsession since he was young so that should have been an indication.

    Reply
  7. Andrew Rhodes Avatar
    Andrew Rhodes

    Yeah, some folks have the strangest of hobbies. And folks out there just love to cash in on them. Remember the serial killer trading cards a little while back? I wonder if he collected those too?
    I can’t remember if they came out before or after Columbine.

    Of course, there are also groups who love to get together and talk about writing pen pal letters to serial killers too. And some of those are women looking for relationships.

    I don’t know if it’s just a weird hobby or a mental defect. Some folks who do it seem just weird, while others seem like they are wannabes.

    Andrew

    Reply
  8. jonathan windham Avatar
    jonathan windham

    alvaro was my friend iserved with him we went tohighschool together. he was never crazy then. icouldnt belive this me matt his sister and al all went on vacation 1 month prior to the incident. he seemed okay then.

    Reply

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