February 14, 2007

What Motivated the Salt Lake City Shooter?

According to police, he wanted to "kill a large number of people":

Sulejmen Talovic, 18, wanted to "to kill a large number of people" and probably would have killed many more if not for the off-duty officer, police Chief Chris Burbank said.
The family is, as always, baffled:
Even Talovic's aunt, Ajka Omerovic, says the family doesn't know the man who could commit five murders and attempt many more.

Ajka Omerovic: "We only know him as a good boy, very patient and everything."

People who knew him said he showed up to work and acted like it was any other day, so they don't know what would set him off.

Police officers are still trying to determine why Monday night's deadly shooting happened. Even the family of the shooter can't seem to answer that question.

Sulejmen Talovic's family is baffled at what happened. When we spoke with his aunt she couldn't believe her nephew was capable of killing so many people.

Ajka Onerovic, Gunman's Aunt: "We want to know what happened just like you guys. We have no idea. He was such a good boy. We don't know what happened."

We are, of course, not supposed to mention the elephant in the room, but at least one editor was asleep at the wheel when this story went through:
A family friend, who didn't want to be identified, told us Talovic's upbringing may have played a role. He was a Muslim-Bosnian, born in war-torn Bosnia. Talovic has lived in Utah for the past several years. He dropped out of high school in 2004.

By Ragnar Danneskjold, Typical Bitter Gun-Clinger at 12:39 PM | |