New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky has asked Connecticut Claims Commissioner J.Paul Vance, Jr. for permission to sue the state on behalf of a 6-year old student of Sandy Hook Elementary who survived the shootings there on December 14th. According to state law, Connecticut holds immunity against most lawsuits unless permission to sue is given.
According to Pinsky, the girl (identified only as Jill Doe) was severely traumatized when the confrontation with gunman Adam Lanza was broadcast over the loudspeaker as she and her classmates hid inside their classroom. He has accused the state of “failing to protect students from ‘foreseeable harm.’”
In the meantime, most experts contend that it is virtually impossible for authorities to predict where and when mass shooting will occur.
“Warning signs regarding troubled individuals only become crystal clear in the aftermath,” James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology at Northeastern University told USA Today during an interview last week. “They are only yellow flags. They only become red flags after blood is spilled.”
While Adam Lanza was known to be socially awkward and withdrawn, so are thousands of other young people throughout the country. However that does not necessarily mean they will turn violent or commit mass murder. Still, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry stresses that violent behavior should never be brushed off as “just a phase they’re going through.”
They also encourage adults as well as other youngsters to be vigilant for certain hints or threats made by disturbed individuals either verbally in writing such as “don’t come to school tomorrow,” or “they’re going to be sorry for what they’ve done to me.” Such feelings are often expressed months, weeks or even days before an attack is executed. In addition, Fox noted that these individuals also tend to spend a great deal of time planning their arsenals as well as the clothing they intend to wear long before they actually take action.
In a guideline for families, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry lists several factors that may play a big part in driving someone over the edge. These include being a victim or sexual (or other physical) abuse; use of drugs and alcohol; guns in the home; violent outbursts and temper tantrums; as well as extreme impulsiveness and irritability.
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