Psychologist on Fort Hood massacre

TOLEDO, Ohio - With the question of “why?” – and focus on the religion of the man suspected of killing 13 people at a Texas army facility – there’s a lot of speculating going on.

Some of that speculation, psychologists say, could spark more prejudice against Muslim-Americans.

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RELEASE FROM ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREATER TOLEDO

 

  “The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo condemns the events of yesterday at Fort Hood, Texas. We are sad at the loss of life and pray for God’s patience and support to the families. We hope and pray that a proper inquiry will be done to find a motive. Many members of this community have served in the United States Military with honor and dignity. We pray for the safety of our troops and country.”

 

GOV STRICKLAND ORDERS OHIO FLAGS LOWERED

 

"Ohio grieves for the victims of the tragedy at Fort Hood. The prayers of our people seek comfort for the families of those who were lost, recovery for those who were injured, and solace for all whose lives were affected by this senseless violence.

"In sympathy for the victims of this tragic act and in respect for those who put their lives on the line every day to protect our safety, by the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Ohio, in coordination with the order of President Barack Obama, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the State of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio upon receipt of this notice until sunset on Tuesday, November 10, 2009."

 

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But Dr. Christopher Layne, a Toledo psychologist, said it generally takes more than one factor for someone to snap and go on a shooting spree, and the people looking only at the suspect's religion -- are mistaken.

"There are so many other things that are important -- for example, he's never been married, he's got no children. Such people have a slightly higher likelihood of both suicide and murder," Layne said.

Still, those are just parts of the psychological puzzle experts are trying to piece together after Thursday’s massacre at Fort Hood.

While Layne said religion could have played a role in Major Nidal Malik Hasan's alleged actions, he goes on to explain that studies have shown it's not a specific religion that's the factor, it's the simple fact that a person is religious.

"A fundamentalist religious people, whether they're Christians in the south or whether they are Muslims, have a higher likelihood of murdering people,” Layne said. “And we think we know why. It's not the belief in God, it's the dualistic belief in God and the Devil. And once a person really believes that there is evil out there, in the world in the form of, say, the Devil, it's just a short step to say, ‘Well, there are people out there that are evil. There are people out there who ought to be executed.’"

Layne said he hopes that, when Hasan recovers from his injuries, he can shed some light on what was really going through his mind when he allegedly killed those 13 people.