TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Malicious intent

Written by

Trench Reynolds

in

In our view: Memorial shooting:

Over the years on this site, there has been a lot of debate about trying juveniles as adults for school shootings and the like. The latest debate rages over Memorial Middle School shooter Thomas White. To refresh your memory, White brought his father’s MAC-90 assault rifle to school, firing one round into the ceiling before the gun jammed, preventing any bloodshed. A lot has been argued about his intent. I think this article should clear up his intent, yet I’m sure the debate will still go on. This is from an editorial in the Joplin Globe which favors trying White as an adult, but it reveals one fact that I didn’t know of until now…

We will disagree in this case, though every instance must be looked at separately. If anyone doubts the intentions of this disturbed young man, they should re-examine testimony in last week’s hearing in which a juvenile detention officer reported a conversation between White and another boy on Oct. 10, the day after the incident.

The boy remarked to White that he should have gone ahead and shot Principal Steven Gilbreth in the head.

“I would have shot him in the head,” White reportedly replied, “but my f—— gun wouldn’t shoot.”

Comments

22 responses to “Malicious intent”

  1. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    I knew about that, I think he was just trying to parrot behaviors to fit in (aspie trait you know). His mom said the first time she saw him he had bruises all over, hints he would be scared a bit and eager to be accepted.

    And the editoral is wrong he didn’t say he should have shot his principal in the head, he said he would have. You can regret things you would have done not things you should have done. I hope the boy writes me back eventually so I can help understand him better.

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  2. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    PS Before he did that he had appolgised to the principal which was accepted (“He looked Steve in the face and said: ‘Mr. Gilbreth, I want to apologize for everything that happened,’ ” Lonardo said. “And Mr. Gilbreth said: ‘Thank you, Thomas, I accept your apology.’ “), wanted to make a public appology which the lawyer struck down, and how are we so certian this guard is telling the truth, it is quite suspicious that he was listening to the right intercom at exactally the right time.

    Reply
  3. Alex Hutchinson Avatar
    Alex Hutchinson

    I thought you might be interested to know that there is a new novel about school violence that goes deep into the psychology of the students. Not only does it address the fighting in a high schol but also the home and street lives of these kids. The book is called Almost Columbine.

    Reply
  4. jim Avatar
    jim

    you may be right about why he would say he wanted to kill the principal… I have my doubts, but your idea IS very possible.

    Reply
  5. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    I have my own doubts too…. its just odd a boy that wants to issue a public appology for all of this would say he wished he had killed his principal… something doesn’t add up there to me. And if you agree with my theory that he is on the autism spectrum aspie+ hostile surroundings+ people that think killing is cool= this.

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  6. jim Avatar
    jim

    Well I don’t agree with that. A public apology draws sympathy even if it isn’t sincere. He very well could be sorry for his crime and be attempting to be accepted by saying he wanted to kill the principal… but that isn’t healthy either. Enough time of saying he meant to do it will convince him that he actually did.

    I am sorry, but at this point I do not agree with your autism theory because I have not seen anything to back up your claims. This is not to say you are wrong, just that I have not seen sufficient evidence to find agreement with it.

    I do, however, hope you are right.

    Reply
  7. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Alot of what drove me to that conclusion has been in my conversations with his mother and older sis, not what I saw in newspaper articles. In aditions to my own conclusions I showed his sis a few articles about asperger’s and she said that sounded exactally like him.

    And you are right, one should never try to fit in that badly, and hopefully he will never be stupid enough to do it again (personally I think that proves he is a child once again but meh), it can be quite hard to not fit in.

    What I wonder if how much will they prosecute him if he is diagnosed with asperger’s or a similiarly bad disorder (schizophrenia is frequently related with asperger’s as is nonverbal learning disorder, aka what I am diagnosed with.) It will be an interesting case from that point on if it isn’t already.

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  8. jim Avatar
    jim

    it is not very difficult to diagnose someone with a mental disorder. using a list of symptoms to any mental disorder one can prove they have anything and use other people to verify it.

    Everyone of us hows signs of any given disorder and if you REALLY want to believe, you can prove it too. That is why most first year psychology students become hypochondriacs.

    Reply
  9. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Lol true true but then again how many neurotypical kids (or adults) do you know that would rock (as in literally) when confronting someone with a gun like the Globe says he did. I think thats pretty limited to aspies (the rocking part that is not the gun part).

    Reply
  10. jim Avatar
    jim

    it is possible, but nervousness could cause a tick in the form of “rocking”. many other disorders also carry a “rocking” symptom as well. What if he has a mild form of tourettes? That would explain both the rocking and lashing out all the while fighting himself on carrying out the actual crime.

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  11. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Good point but I have seen plenty to suggest he has a learning disability along with it. I mean he scored the lowest possible score (meaning mentally retarded range…) on thinking on his feet, that wouldn’t generally come along with Tourettes but I know plenty of aspies I could describe that way (myself being one of them).

    Not to mention his unability to realize that when he shoots into the ceiling people are going to panic and you won’t be able to get away sounds like theory of the mind problems (I would think that the avg. 13 yo would get the panic that will induce)… There are a few other things that I have seen but I don’t feel like typing them all out.

    My main point orginally was this kid has a disorder/disability (no matter what you can’t really deny that) and he only said things so he wouldn’t get beat up. To add to that whenever he gets diagnosed the DA will look bad for trying to prosecute him, “to the full extent of the law.” So hopefully he will be offered a plea bargin soon that has him on the dual jusristiction prgogram and he will get out when he is 17 or 18. Along with that I am not sure what the policy here is but he should have his record sealed from this so he can have a normal and productive adult life and become a counselor like he wants too.

    Reply
  12. jim Avatar
    jim

    The best counselors were one in trouble themselves.

    Reply
  13. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Newest bit of news on this case. Thomas White won’t get a court appointed lawyer as his dad MADE too much money (which is of course all about to go away.)

    I wonder how they can say an ADULT can’t get a court appointed lawyer because his parents make too much money. Isn’t that sortof a double standard??, like having your cake and eating it too. I guess he is only an adult when it suits the courts to make him one. Trench I think even you will be disgusted by this turn of events.

    Reply
  14. Trench Avatar
    Trench

    I wouldn’t say disgusted but I am disappointed. It’s the same for trying to get your kids on Medicaid. I know families who can’t afford health insurance on their kids but can’t get their kids on Medicaid because they make too much money.

    Anyway the state of legal representation in this country is another rant for another day.

    Reply
  15. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Today sounds like the right day to me. The kid was just made to appear in court without not only without a lawyer but without a parent avaible (in other words no one was there to watch out for his interests). Seems like a good time to rant now.

    Reply
  16. jim Avatar
    jim

    Well, he may have been forced to appear, but nothing was done there. There is no way a judge would continue the trial without proper representation. I can guarantee that the judge postponed the case for another date and will do so till the kid has a lawyer. No judge would even entertain the case without proper representation.

    I also wonder, why the hell wasn’t one of the kid’s parents there ? How could they just leave him by himself in this situation ?

    Reply
  17. Trench Avatar
    Trench

    Well his dad is being locked up on weapons charges.

    Reply
  18. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Jim- true but it is not exactally in his best interest to delay the case. Every day the case is delayed he becomes older and goes without treatment, and while Trench doesn’t exactally like it he will be out one day.

    Reply
  19. jim Avatar
    jim

    It has nothing to do with his mental illness (assuming he has one) a judge will not allow him to defend himself. It isn’t even a matter of his crime, anything from a low level misdemeanor and up MUST be defended with a bar certified attorney. The judge wont even speak to the kid and offer advise other than “get a lawyer”.

    Reply
  20. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    You misunderstood me. What I meant about him getting older is that makes the jury more likely to convict him (I’ve seen time and time again court cases taking 2-3 years to get to court when they involve kids, look at Kenneth Bartley for a current one, granted that is somewhat because of the change of judge and the like but I bet it will be another year before that case is done with.)

    And regarding him getting treatment, I figure it is best that he gets treatment right away. For one it is easier to change when one is younger. Also I am certain being in an adult prision isn’t helping his mental state much at all. And most simplily, the court charged him as an adult by their own admittion because they didn’t feel that 6 months to a year (which is unlikely that he would have spent that short of time in juve anyway) was enough to treat him. Now they won’t let him get an lawyer (from the looks of it until he can get a pro-bono lawyer or until they will ignore his dads salary that is no longer there) and won’t offer him a plea deal (when he is getting dual juristiction most likely anyway). Don’t they realize that he is going without treatment for as long as they see fit to keep him in an adult prision (hints it would make more sense to get him out ASAP so he has more time before his 17th bday to receive treatment).

    Something tells me they aren’t at all worried about this kid hurting others or getting out too soon, they are just looking to make an example of him.

    Reply
  21. jordan Avatar
    jordan

    tomas white is a good boy

    Reply
  22. Endersdragon Avatar
    Endersdragon

    Just curious but who might you be… judging by your post I would hazard a guess as to being one of his friends???

    Reply

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