17-Year-Old Kills Grandparents Prior To Attempted Mass Shooting

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Mass shootings aren’t going to end anytime soon. I hate saying that, but it’s true. As much as we all would like to see them end–well, all of us except maybe the anti-gun zealots who capitalize on them–they’re not going to stop overnight.

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Recently, a Wisconsin teen was arrested after gunning down his grandparents. He also wanted to commit violence at his high school.

A 17-year-old told investigators that he fatally shot his grandparents and was planning to cause harm at his eastern Wisconsin high school, police said Monday.

Police officers responding to a 911 call for assistance found the bodies of 74-year-old Dennis Kraus and 73-year-old Letha Kraus at their home in Grand Chute about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Officer Travis Waas said. He declined to release details of the call.

Police arrested their grandson, Alexander M. Kraus at the couple’s home, Waas said. Kraus, who lives in nearby Neenah, admitted that he shot the couple, Waas said. Waus declined to comment on the nature of Kraus’ plans at his school or the severity of the threat. Police also released no information on why the couple was shot.

Kraus was being held in the Outagamie County Jail and has not yet been charged. Police said in a news release that he could be charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Each charge would carry a life sentence. An initial court appearance was set for Tuesday afternoon.

For the record, Kraus will be tried as an adult. Wisconsin law treats 17-year-olds as adults in criminal proceedings.

That said, let’s be frank. It looks like this kid was planning a mass shooting at the school. While police aren’t commenting on that, I think that’s telling in and of itself. Had there been minimal danger, I suspect authorities would have said so.

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However, where did he get the gun?

I ask because if he had committed the atrocity as he had planned, we’d be asking that same question. He still murdered two people with a firearm. A firearm he was too young to purchase legally.

That’s important. We have all these laws to keep guns out of people’s hands, yet those who want to commit horrible atrocities against their fellow man keep finding a way to get armed. Why it’s almost like those gun laws don’t do jack squat.

Kraus wanted to murder. He somehow got a gun and committed murder. His life is ruined, his grandparents’ lives are over, and we have reason to suspect that it could have been much, much worse. This despite the myriad gun laws on the books.

At some point, even the most die-hard anti-gunners need to understand one very important point. The problems lie in the diseased minds that seek out opportunities to slaughter the innocent. They lie within the minds of people who seek fame through mass murder and infamy through violence.

Until we figure out what’s broken inside of people like this, mass shootings will continue to happen.

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