This is one of those stories rarely told (even in Germany).
On the 11th of June, 1964....a 42-year old early retiree....walked into a local school in Koln Germany, with a home-made flame-thrower and killed 8 kids/2 teachers. Additionally, 20 kids/2 teachers were fairly wounded/burnt.
The guy in question? He ended up committing suicide at the end....swallowing pesticide (at the school).
The rest of the story? Well...this was a guy who'd gone off to WW II, and ended up with TB (held as a prisoner for part of his war years). At some point in 1953, he applied for early retirement, with the idea that the TB came from his years in the war.
Government evaluation? It concludes that he was only 30-percent disabled, and his suggestion of the war years giving him TB....was bogus.
It's safe to say that several years went by in this argument stage, and his relationships with doctors/government officials soured to a great extent.
At some point, German doctors believe he's got paranoid schizophrenia. So he's sent off for an eval.
The eval comes back, and simply determines that he's not dangerous. They don't really say much of the schizophrenia, and one can imagine that he probably was borderline dangerous at this point.
At this stage....he ends up having an argument with his brother. The story told (you have to wonder how much is fact and how is bogus)....the brother says this guy (then living in the parent's basement at early 30s)....wanted to dig down another level in the basement to create a basement under the basement. Why? Well....he explained that he wanted to 'capture' some young people for what seems to be a torture fantasy.
About two years after this....he ends up married. But this happy period of his life kinda ends after the wife dies during childbirth.
Shortly after this.....the guy writes up a 120-page manefesto (yeah, he's one of those folks). Title? 'Matricide - Individual Destiny and Analysis of a System'. In case you were wondering about what 'matricide' meant? Well....the killing of your mother.
He actually sent copies of this to the authorities and some doctors. You'd think that they'd refer it to a judge and have the guy put away. No....nothing was done.
So three years pass, and then the school attack occurs.
Weapon of choice? Home-made flame-thrower, and a 'lance'.
For a number of years, there was discussions in Germany over the acting (or non-acting) of authorities....if they'd just realized his behavior issues and the threat to society that he represented. Eventually, the topic dropped, and German society moved on....waiting for the next nutcase.
This lackadaisical attitude by leadership (not just a German or American problem)....goes mostly to the perception/idea that maybe people aren't that big of a threat, and they'd rather not house the person in a restricted situation. You can try to hold people responsible....but in the end....we all tend to forget about the event, and just move on.
Footnote: some review of his body was done in the weeks after his death, and doctors said that he was not suffering at this point from active TB. Additionally, the leadership of Koln decided to tear down the school, and build a new one. I should note....it was around 15 years later before an actual new structure (not a school) was built on the grounds. Oddly enough, completed in 1983....by 2018, it was deemed in a dangerous situation as a structure, and no one was supposed to use the building.
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