# I Took a Wild Guess about Why Some Psycho Fatally Shot an Eight Year Old Girl...AND I WAS RIGHT! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 7, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204 "2023-08-07T19:30:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/21 "2023-08-07T21:27:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > I’m fatalistically awaiting the first pickleball massacre. > > All those squealing geezers are a right pain in the ear, that’s for sure! I recently read a news article about pickleball courts not being all that welcome in many places due to the noise of the ball striking the paddle and ground. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/22 "2023-08-07T21:32:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I recently read a news article about pickleball courts not being all that welcome in many places due to the noise of the ball striking the paddle and ground. Oh yes. I even heard a story on one of the NPR shows talking about the problem. They had the gimmick of a noisy pickle ball game going on in the audio background of the entire story. I wish I could remember which show that was. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/23 "2023-08-07T22:25:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Those little kid who scream their heads off like it’s bloody murder when they’re just having fun - how would their parents recognize that sound differently when the kid is in fact one day getting dragged off by an abductor, or just suffered some serious injury? When the kid’s screaming suddenly stops. Of course, then it’s likely to be too late. I can (just barely) imagine a circumstance where someone under extreme stress would snap and do something to a child because of circumstances like that, especially if that child (or children) have been annoying for months – like in The Day of the Locust you could say that Donald Sutherland’s character over-reacted because he was having a very bad day, with fatal results. That is, of course, no excuse. But it might possibly actually be a case of temporary insanity. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/24 "2023-08-07T22:33:35Z")
Has this child had her hearing tested? This kind of thing can be a sign of hearing loss. Anyway, why do you think the kids are OUTSIDE screaming? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/25 "2023-08-07T22:39:36Z")
Yes, she has been tested for everything. It seems it’s behavioral. The teacher in her kindergarten class tried all her tricks. Some combination of a few worked, to a degree. Mostly ignoring her bad behavior as long as she didn’t hurt anyone. When she hit she was promptly dealt with. That curbed that. She didn’t like being removed from the classroom. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/26 "2023-08-08T00:30:20Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > What ever happened to proportional response? That left the building decades ago. People in this country get killed for trivial reasons, or no real reason at all, weekly these days. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/27 "2023-08-08T00:31:15Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > I have a state highway running past my house. I get very annoyed when my windows are closed, my air conditioning is on high, and I hear a passing car’s radio louder than my TV. I have NEVER thought about running outside and shooting the ignorant bastard. I would have surely THOUGHT about it at some point. But since I’ve never owned a gun (and plan to keep it that way for the rest of my life), those thoughts don’t harm anyone but me. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/28 "2023-08-08T05:05:22Z")
Since there are very few adults who emit high-pitched squeals all the time (I _said_ “very few”; we all know there are some), I know they do grow out of it. But I can tell you that there a great many who haven’t done it by middle school. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/29 "2023-08-08T05:43:40Z")
I lived in an apartment next to the neighborhood playground, and later a house next to the neighborhood pool. Happy screeching children all day long any time the weather was good. I always liked the sound. I don’t really understand being bothered by it. My suspicion is that the annoyed folk are those who can’t tell the difference between “I’m happy” screech and “I’ve broken my arm” screech. I suppose they can be quite similar, and also child specific. But it never took me long to differentiate the local kids’ melodies and frequencies. If it ever did bother me though, I certainly hope my IQ would be high enough to go to the drugstore and get some GD earplugs. How is it possible that this twit didn’t think of such a simple thing? Noise canceling headphones, perhaps?!? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/30 "2023-08-08T13:37:22Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I recently read a news article about pickleball courts not being all that welcome in many places due to the noise of the ball striking the paddle and ground. Hence my comment. People are actually selling their homes to get away from the dawn-to-dusk _pick pock pock POCK pick_. One person set up a dB meter and clocked the racket at 80dB. At that volume it’s impossible to ignore and each POCK! is like a gunshot. The game was just catching on in the park near where we used to live. Just walking past there made my brain twitch. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/31 "2023-08-08T13:50:41Z")
Reminds me of the [cat with metronome video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSTuuPtS-JM) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/32 "2023-08-08T13:52:50Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > In what universe is the proper response to “kids screaming too loud” to shoot the kid in the face? Devil’s advocate here, but if you shoot out her knee, she’s gonna scream even louder for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/33 "2023-08-08T14:04:13Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > We have a shrieker, screamer, crier, slapper, biter, kicker, tattletale all rolled into one cute little 5 yo girl. > > She’s been screaming since day one. > > I think we’re blind and deaf to it. That likely characterizes most parents who let their kids scream and commit mayhem in public. It’s just normal living to them. When we moved here, the family across the way included an approximate four-year-old who habitually screamed bloody murder when playing outside. Several years later she still screams just as loudly, but thankfully not as often. Most likely she’ll be a screamer for life. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/34 "2023-08-08T14:37:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > > > In what universe is the proper response to “kids screaming too loud” to shoot the kid in the face? > > Devil’s advocate here, but if you shoot out her knee, she’s gonna scream even louder for a bit. Devil’s advocate, or dark humor? Works either way for me! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/35 "2023-08-08T16:16:53Z")
I’m not out in public with her often. My understanding is she can be trusted for a bit. And if she does really good they reward her. Her Mother has marched her out of many social, shopping and restaurant situations, as well. At home and my house all bets are off. There are 6 grandkids here. The 4 older ones and twin 2 yos. She is always the loudest and most demanding. Thankfully we have no neighbors. So she won’t be shot here. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/36 "2023-08-08T16:32:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wish parents would teach their kids that the specific scream sound should never be emitted except in true emergency situations. It’s boy crying wolf. > > Those little kid who scream their heads off like it’s bloody murder when they’re just having fun Maybe it’s my parental instinct or experience, but the sounds of kids shrieking when they play **never** sounds the same to me as a kid screaming in real trouble. It’s just not quite the same sound. It’s not even easy to fake on purpose. I watched one of those “what would you do?” shows once, and the setup was a man was “abducting” a child who was supposed to scream, both actors of course. They did it a few times and people didn’t really react - but I was thinking “she doesn’t sounds like she’s in trouble, though.” Then, once, the actress managed to shriek in a way that literally made my heart race. It was DIFFERENT. She’d managed to nail it that one time… and sure enough, three young guys instantly turned, fanned out to flank the “abductor,” and were on the actors in a flash. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/37 "2023-08-08T16:45:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Maybe it’s my parental instinct or experience, but the sounds of kids shrieking when they play **never** sounds the same to me as a kid screaming in real trouble. It’s just not quite the same sound. I mean, of course. We’d have to gain that instinct as a point of evolution. Being aware of danger for your young is something most species develop. If I think about how I know the difference, I think it’s because a single scream in isolation isn’t triggering, it’s usually accompanied by crying or wailing of some kind, which you don’t get with an excited scream. It’s not even something you have to analyze, you just know it. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/38 "2023-08-08T16:59:21Z")
I don’t want to sound like I’m defending this killer. He absolutely should go to prison for the rest of his life. But in reading further articles, it sounds like the guy did complain about the noisy kids, and was told, probably multiple times, “Yeah, kids scream when they play. They’re kids, leave them alone.” (I don’t know whether the guy actually talked to the parents of this girl or not. Not that that is any excuse at all for what happened.) I must say, this reminds me of a [thread I once posted here.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-you-cant-stop-your-kid-from-crying-but/834030) In it, quite a few dopers responded with, “Kids are loud. Suck it up. You sound mean and bitter. What do you expect at an ice cream parlor?” Just sayin’. Be careful whose opinions you brush off. There’s a lot of psycho nutjobs out there. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/39 "2023-08-08T17:03:47Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > Just sayin’. Be careful whose opinions you brush off. There’s a lot of psycho nutjobs out there. That is absolutely no way to live your life. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204/40 "2023-08-08T17:05:11Z")
Some babies have a particularly high pitched cry. They are more susceptible to physical abuse, alas. Reported in 1998: [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/14/us/health-when-a-baby-cries-researchers-seek-clues-to-potential-problems.html](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/14/us/health-when-a-baby-cries-researchers-seek-clues-to-potential-problems.html) Causality is unclear, since babies with high pitched cries also have a greater tendency to have other issues including, “brain damage, malnutrition, asphyxia, and maternal use during pregnancy of drugs ranging from heroin, methadone and cocaine to marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol.” Babies born prematurely are also more likely to have high pitched cries. So lots of high pitched cries after one month or so after birth might reflect an underlying neurological issue, not necessarily due to a specific environmental cause. Adults tend to react to such cries as if the baby was at actual risk (lower risk cries are more associated with hunger and the like). So it’s a challenging situation. [Crying: Impact on psychosocial development in infants at risk | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development](https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/crying-behaviour/according-experts/impact-cry-infant-risk-psychosocial-development) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204.md?page=3)