US: Suspected shooter suffered from personality disorder, liked to host dice games | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

US: Suspected shooter suffered from personality disorder, liked to host dice games

AP | By, Washington
Dec 14, 2013 07:38 PM IST

The man suspected of killing more than two dozen people at a school in the US state of Connecticut was an honors student who lived in a prosperous neighborhood with his mother, a grade-school teacher who liked to host dice games and decorate the house for the holidays.

The man suspected of killing more than two dozen people at a school in the US state of Connecticut was an honors student who lived in a prosperous neighborhood with his mother, a grade-school teacher who liked to host dice games and decorate the house for the holidays.

HT Image
HT Image

Adam Lanza killed his mother at their home before driving her car to Sandy Hook Elementary School and — armed with at least two handguns — carried out the massacre before taking his own life, officials said. A third weapon, a .223-caliber rifle, was found in the car, and more guns were found inside the school.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The 20-year-old may have suffered from a personality disorder, law enforcement officials said.

Investigators were trying to learn as much as possible about Lanza but so far, authorities have not spoken publicly of any possible motive. Witnesses said the shooter didn't utter a word.

Catherine Urso, who was attending a vigil Friday evening in Newtown, Connecticut, said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style.

"He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," she said.

Lanza and his mother, Nancy, lived in a well-to-do part of Newtown, a prosperous community of 27,000 people about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of New York City.

A grandmother of the suspect — who is also the mother of the slain teacher — was too distraught to speak when reached by phone at her home in Florida.

"I just don't know, and I can't make a comment right now," Dorothy Hanson, 78, said in a shaky voice as she started to cry. She said she hadn't heard anything official about her daughter and grandsons. She declined to comment further and hung up.

Adam Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan Lanza of Hoboken, New Jersey, was being questioned, a law enforcement official said.

He told authorities that his brother was believed to suffer from a personality disorder, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record about the unfolding investigation.

The official did not elaborate, and it was unclear exactly what type of disorder he might have had.

Ryan Lanza had been extremely cooperative and was not under arrest or in custody, but investigators were still searching his computers and phone records.

Ryan Lanza told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.

Brett Wilshe, a friend of Ryan Lanza's, said he sent him a Facebook message Friday asking what was going on and if he was OK.

According to Wilshe, Lanza's reply was something along the lines of: "It was my brother. I think my mother is dead. Oh my God."

Adam Lanza attended Newtown High School, and several local news clippings from recent years mention his name among the school's
honor roll students.

Sandeep Kapur, who lives two doors down from the Lanza family in Newtown, said he did not know them and was unaware of any disturbances at the Lanza house in the three years that he and his family have been in the neighborhood.

He described the area as a subdivision of well-tended, 15-year-old homes on lots of an acre or more, where many people work at companies like General Electric, Pepsi and IBM.

Some are doctors, and his next-door neighbor is a bank CEO, said Kapur, a project manager at an information technology firm.

"The neighborhood's great. We have young kids, and they have lots of friends," he said. "If you drive past this neighborhood, it gives you a really warm feeling."

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On