Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes was seeing psychiatrist at university before massacre

Washington Post ^ | July 27, 2012 | Carol D. Leonnig and Brady Dennis

[Molon Labbie]

Charles Whitman was seeing a psychiatrist too and even told him that sometimes he felt like taking a rifle up into the tower and shooting people.

I bet Jimmy Holmes said some similiar things.

[1_Rain_Drop]

"We've been warned in this thread not to jump on the doc. We've been reminded that mental illness can be difficult to treat."

"The facts in this case are not all known, but we do know that the doc failed"

A contradiction no? Aren't YOU jumping on the doc?

Please reread our posts. Neither one of us was singling out Lynne Fenton or James Holmes or have mentioned them. We were commenting in general.

Kindly moderate someone else.

[dragnet2]

I know big pharma is a problem. I know our country over presecribes, but I’ve sat across a kitchen table from people who need medication and I never felt like ridiculing them or hating their physicians.

I never suggested hating anyone. BTW, some comments here were made in obvious jest on my part. Did you not know that? For the record, it's only Holmes fault. Based on evidence, no one else is to blame. Hope this clarification helps.

Oh and sorry, I missed ur reply earlier, got sidetracked..

[dragnet2]

One more clarification, "Based on evidence known to the public at this time", it appears no one else is to blame.

Take care.

[dennisw]

This shrink is in the hot seat and her taxpayer funded university is going to do its best, spending millions to shield her and obfuscate any connections between her and the mass murderer

[palmer]

I was not moderating you, but complaining about other people moderating. There’s no reason people should be held back from expressing theories of why this went wrong and who should be held responsible. I think the doc failed and I am calling this doc out. She should not be protected by default or protected by the fact that mental illness is difficult to treat. Sometimes it is not all that difficult and people fail.

[palmer]

I agree. I’m pretty pessimistic that we will see any real investigation of her role. The problem with mass murderers is the murderer is responsible but a myriad of people along the way drop the ball. Maybe it’s an innocent mistake (or series of mistakes) or maybe not.

[PapaBear3625]

If a person is named in a patient’s threat, psychiatrists are required to go one step further. In a Supreme Court of California case known as the Tarasoff case, a patient had confided with a psychiatrist that he had intentions of killing a girl he had been stalking. While the psychiatrist contacted the police about detaining his patient, he did not notify the woman herself, and she was later stabbed and killed by the patient.

If I'm a psychiatrist, and a patient says he's going to kill "Jane Smith", how the hell am I supposed to find out Jane's contact info? Tell my homicidal patient "I'm supposed to report you to the police, could you please give me Jane's phone# so I can warn her too?" Is the psych supposed to retain his own detective agency? It should be the police's job.

[dennisw]

You remember how Penn State white washed Michael Mann? Same thing will happen here if this shrink is somewhat to blame. Colorado State University will circle its wagons to protect its own against an “unfair and hostile world”. And will gladly spend millions of taxpayer dollars to do so