As lawmakers on the federal and state level scramble to use the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings as a justification for the adoption of sweeping new gun control measures, one group, AbleChild, is asking a critical, and overlooked, question: Were psychiatric drugs a causative factor for the Sandy Hook shooter and for dozens of other school shootings?
While state and federal lawmakers frantically push for massive mental health reform and sweeping gun control laws, two Connecticut mothers recently took to the streets of Newtown, connecting with local residents and gathering signatures on a petition that asks a simple but essential question -did prescription psychiatric drugs play a role in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting?
Seems like an easy and obvious question that, remarkably, has escaped the consideration of legislators who seem hell-bent on legislating increased mental health services without first having all the necessary information to make thoughtful, fact-based decisions.
investigators remain silent on the questions regarding Adam Lanza’s reported history of psychiatric medications. Some classes of these drugs have clearly linked to violent behavior. Other scientists regard the drugs as causative of episodes of violent behavior. The Los Angeles Times reported Lanza’s former babysitter said Lanza was on some sort of medication since age 10. The former baby sitter, Ryan Kraft, is now an aerospace engineer in Hermosa Beach. Kraft said: “I know there was something administered. I’m not sure what.”
ANAMA CITY — The man who held the Bay District School Board hostage before killing himself last year had an antidepressant, acetaminophen and foot fungus medication in his system, his autopsy revealed.
The report on Clay Duke was released Wednesday by the Bay County medical examiner’s office.
Duke, 56, killed himself Dec. 14 after firing several shots at school board members during a public meeting. Duke was brought down by three bullets from Mike Jones, the district’s chief of safety.
A toxicology report revealed that at the time of Duke’s death, he had atropine, a drug commonly used in emergency rooms to resuscitate dying patients; acetaminophen; Terbinafine, used to fight fungal infections in fingers and toes; and Citalopram, an antidepressant found in Celexa, in his system.
Forest Laboratories Inc., which makes Celexa, notes on its website the company urges patients to “call a health care provider right away if you or your family member has any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying, attempts to commit suicide, new or worse depression, new or worse anxiety, feeling very agitated or restless, panic attacks, trouble sleeping (insomnia), new or worse irritability, acting aggressive, being angry, or violent, acting on dangerous impulses, an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania), other unusual changes in behavior or mood.”