Khadijeh HamadSoc 221-02Dr. Marnia LazregSandy Hook shootingNewtown, Connecticut, was the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in American history on December 12, 2012. Over the course of 10 minutes, 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. followed by his self-imposed death. This tragic event has spurred countless investigations into how someone could do this and what makes these types of events transcend. Most cases of mass shootings are often classified into two types of causes. The first interprets the event as an act of revenge. The suspect seeks retribution from those he believes have wronged him, and does so in a violent and expository manner. He is often explained away as the person who simply “snapped.” Another reason is cognitive problems. Claiming that the person is suffering from some mental illness, which makes them incapable of regulating their behavior, but also prevents them from respecting social norms and therefore involuntarily reacts with violence. There are common characteristics shared among mass murderers. They are typically young Caucasian males in a rural community, who have experienced a feeling of social insignificance. Mass shootings typically end with the suspect being killed by police (cop suicide) or suicide. While these classifications play a role in some mass killings, we find that the social factors experienced by the killer are critical in providing us with a deeper understanding of why so many lives were lost on December 12, 2012, and on many other occasions. French sociologist Emile Durkheim provides us with a better understanding... middle of paper......ration. Claiming that "society's pressure to conform to its immoral value system could make any living creature snap, and perhaps commit a mass shooting to express their outrage" (CITE NEWSWEEK). And on December 12, 2012, that's exactly what Adam Lanza did. Fueled by paranoia and social isolation, which turned into a deep hatred towards a society he believed was manipulating him, Adam Lanza went out and "expressed his indignation" in a horrifyingly violent manner. No longer influenced by social norms, he killed the children he believed were destined to be part of the "diseased immortal society" and the adults who helped create such a community. After expressing his outrage, all that remained was a deranged individual, with weak social bonds. Explain selfish suicide ultimately. However, even after his death Lanza created a state of anomie.