Mark Follman

I did a lot of research on that case too. And from all my study of it, that was an inconclusive investigation that the brain tumor that was found in the autopsy, it couldn't be determined in any definitive way that that was somehow a causal factor.

But that question was, I think, legitimately raised around it because the sense that altered his personality or his chemistry or his experience of the world. He was sick, obviously. But there were a number of other factors in that case, too. So that's something to keep in mind. The public is always looking for a clear answer about why these things happen. And often there isn't one.

But that question was, I think, legitimately raised around it because the sense that altered his personality or his chemistry or his experience of the world. He was sick, obviously. But there were a number of other factors in that case, too. So that's something to keep in mind. The public is always looking for a clear answer about why these things happen. And often there isn't one.

But that question was, I think, legitimately raised around it because the sense that altered his personality or his chemistry or his experience of the world. He was sick, obviously. But there were a number of other factors in that case, too. So that's something to keep in mind. The public is always looking for a clear answer about why these things happen. And often there isn't one.

In that case, like many others, there's so many things feeding into what leads a person to this kind of extraordinary act of violence, a horrific thing that most people won't do. And it's often not easy to explain. It's not just the brain tumor or just the clinical diagnosis or just the fact that the kid got kicked out of school or the person lost their job or got a divorce.

In that case, like many others, there's so many things feeding into what leads a person to this kind of extraordinary act of violence, a horrific thing that most people won't do. And it's often not easy to explain. It's not just the brain tumor or just the clinical diagnosis or just the fact that the kid got kicked out of school or the person lost their job or got a divorce.

In that case, like many others, there's so many things feeding into what leads a person to this kind of extraordinary act of violence, a horrific thing that most people won't do. And it's often not easy to explain. It's not just the brain tumor or just the clinical diagnosis or just the fact that the kid got kicked out of school or the person lost their job or got a divorce.

Or there was a wildfire that burned down the neighborhood. All of these things contribute to a specific story for an individual person and what leads them down this pathway. That is a fundamental way of looking at this that is operative for the field of threat assessment. Each case is unique in a certain sense. They're studying patterns of behavior.

Or there was a wildfire that burned down the neighborhood. All of these things contribute to a specific story for an individual person and what leads them down this pathway. That is a fundamental way of looking at this that is operative for the field of threat assessment. Each case is unique in a certain sense. They're studying patterns of behavior.

Or there was a wildfire that burned down the neighborhood. All of these things contribute to a specific story for an individual person and what leads them down this pathway. That is a fundamental way of looking at this that is operative for the field of threat assessment. Each case is unique in a certain sense. They're studying patterns of behavior.

There's a body of knowledge about how to go about evaluating and intervening to stop people from committing violence like this. But every case is different too. Why do so many shooters have the Catcher in the Rye on their shelf? What's going on with that? That was a fascinating little chunk of history.

There's a body of knowledge about how to go about evaluating and intervening to stop people from committing violence like this. But every case is different too. Why do so many shooters have the Catcher in the Rye on their shelf? What's going on with that? That was a fascinating little chunk of history.

There's a body of knowledge about how to go about evaluating and intervening to stop people from committing violence like this. But every case is different too. Why do so many shooters have the Catcher in the Rye on their shelf? What's going on with that? That was a fascinating little chunk of history.

So that was an early example, I think, of the emulation behavior we were talking about, the copycat behavior. That began with Chapman. Chapman is the guy who shot John Lennon in New York. So he bought a copy of Catcher in the Rye the day that he assassinated John Lennon outside the Dakota in New York and had it in his pocket. And there's a whole story there. And I tell some of that in the book.

So that was an early example, I think, of the emulation behavior we were talking about, the copycat behavior. That began with Chapman. Chapman is the guy who shot John Lennon in New York. So he bought a copy of Catcher in the Rye the day that he assassinated John Lennon outside the Dakota in New York and had it in his pocket. And there's a whole story there. And I tell some of that in the book.

So that was an early example, I think, of the emulation behavior we were talking about, the copycat behavior. That began with Chapman. Chapman is the guy who shot John Lennon in New York. So he bought a copy of Catcher in the Rye the day that he assassinated John Lennon outside the Dakota in New York and had it in his pocket. And there's a whole story there. And I tell some of that in the book.

But to the point that you're asking about, not long after that, you have John Hinckley, who goes and shoots Ronald Reagan and tries to kill him. And he's got a copy of it, too, in his hotel room. So what's that about? He paid attention to Chapman. I mean, there was other evidence of that in his case. And so he was identifying with that.

But to the point that you're asking about, not long after that, you have John Hinckley, who goes and shoots Ronald Reagan and tries to kill him. And he's got a copy of it, too, in his hotel room. So what's that about? He paid attention to Chapman. I mean, there was other evidence of that in his case. And so he was identifying with that.

But to the point that you're asking about, not long after that, you have John Hinckley, who goes and shoots Ronald Reagan and tries to kill him. And he's got a copy of it, too, in his hotel room. So what's that about? He paid attention to Chapman. I mean, there was other evidence of that in his case. And so he was identifying with that.

He's like, oh, I can be an assassin who kills a really important global figure. I'm going to do that, too. That's part of the psychology of what goes on with assassins and with shooters. And then this manifested again almost a decade later with a guy named Robert Bardo who killed a famous young TV actress in Hollywood, Rebecca Schaefer. He also had a copy of Catcher in the Rye with him.