The University of New Haven has one of the most respected and largest criminal justice programs in the nation. The following experts from the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences are available to comment on the Newtown school mass shooting:
The Psychology of a Mass Shooter
Professor James Cassidy, head of the criminal justice department, is a clinical psychologist and attorney. He is also the former head of Connecticut’s Whiting Forensic Institute, a hospital for the criminally insane.
Cassidy says that mass shooters plan their actions with the idea that they are going to die and so they plan to take a lot of people with them. They are deeply angry. In the Newtown case, the suspect killed his mother and may have felt jealous of his mother’s love for her students So he was interested in killing not only her but also the students she loved. Most mass murderers do not survive the incident so there is little actual research on their thinking.
Cassidy also notes that tragedies like the one in Newtown can be very traumatizing to young children – and not only the ones at the scene. Children who see reports of the crime may feel school is not a safe place.
Cassidy will be available after 7 p.m. today and over the weekend.
Active ShootersCriminal Justice Professor John DeCarlo is a former Branford, Conn., police chief and was a police officer for 34 years. In addition, he has conducted extensive research on policing policies and practices. He can comment on active shooters from a police perspective.
Crime Scene Investigation
Forensic Science Professor Peter Valentin is a former state police trooper and the veteran of hundreds of crime scene investigations. He can talk about how police will proceed with the investigation, how they will handle the initial chaos at the crime scene, and the effect the investigation will have on police officers.
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