The Blame Game - who's responsible?

By "taking full responsibility" I just personally mean that yes, they'd take responsibility for making the choice to go to that school etc. But where does the responsibility lie for the actual shootings? None of them asked to be shot or did anything we know of specifically to entice getting shot so do they bear any responsibility? It's hard to say. Did any of them notice a person in trouble and didn't do anything to help out? Did any of them actually do something harmful in some way to this guy? If so then I say they do bear some of the responsibility. Note I didn't say he was justified in what he did! No doubt, I'd place most of the burden of responsibility on the shooter. It was his choice to do this, no two ways about it. But is there more responsibility to go around? Friends? Family? Teachers? Society? I suspect so. I believe in taking full responsibility for everything that happens in your life BUT no more than your fair share.

Yes, I'm getting a better picture as more details like those you mentioned are coming out. It sounds like there were at least a few who recognized he was in some kind of difficulty and tried to help at least a little. Is there anything else that could've been done though? I don't know. Did even the mental health professional(s) he was referred to realize how badly damaged this guy was? Could someone have had him forcibly committed and prevented this whole thing? Even now it's unclear and it's easier to see things in hindsight so how clear was it before the incident? Really most of what I have is more questions than answers. I do now put less blame on the shooter and more on the media. Still as much responsibility on the shooter as before but less blame, if you catch the difference. It looks to me like this was a severely ill person so I don't know how much of the blame is on him and how much is simply the result of his illness. I can't BLAME a person with a cold for sneezing, only hold them RESPONSIBLE for not sneezing on me! I do believe though that all this media attention directed at the people who do these things is only creating the likelihood that others will do the same. Lonely, bitter, angry, sick people seem to see this as their only shot at "fame". Kind of like some really awful expression of the saying "if you can't set a good example be a terrible reminder".