America's worst mass murderer
Understanding motive
There is a lot of bafflement regarding the motivation of Stephen Paddock, America's worst mass murderer, but to my mind there is a very rational reason for his actions wrapped up in this very sentence.
He was - in my opinion - a psychopath, like his father. He led an empty life, a bored man, a gambler, an individual with an affinity for figures, and when he decided he'd had enough, he wanted to be remembered, rather than commit suicide in some anonymous way.
By deliberately setting out to exceed the total number of dead of any of the previous brutal mass murders in the US, he has achieved his aim. He is 'America's worst mass murderer' - or in his mind, 'most successful mass murderer'.
His face is known around the world, his name on the lips of millions, his actions broadcast in the news many days after the event.
And even after the publicity dies down, the hundreds of victims, their families and friends, the people in that crowd affected by the things they saw and felt that night - none will ever forget him.
A legacy of infamy.
For most of us, infamy is not something we would pursue as a life goal - to be vilified in memory - but for a man who sees his fellow humans as nothing more than numbers, a tally to be counted like mere figures on a spreadsheet, his rationale becomes clear.
No remorse. No guilt. Coldly calculating.
So disconnected that he has no empathy for the victims. No concept of the emotional pain he has caused, other than as a measure of his effectiveness.
Like father, like son
So, rather than put his face on here as I am sure he would want, I am linking to this article about his father - image below.
Genetics do have an influence on the development of psychopathic personalities - a theme I explore in Gaslighting, the final novel in The Remorseless Trilogy.
He was - in my opinion - a psychopath, like his father. He led an empty life, a bored man, a gambler, an individual with an affinity for figures, and when he decided he'd had enough, he wanted to be remembered, rather than commit suicide in some anonymous way.
By deliberately setting out to exceed the total number of dead of any of the previous brutal mass murders in the US, he has achieved his aim. He is 'America's worst mass murderer' - or in his mind, 'most successful mass murderer'.
His face is known around the world, his name on the lips of millions, his actions broadcast in the news many days after the event.
And even after the publicity dies down, the hundreds of victims, their families and friends, the people in that crowd affected by the things they saw and felt that night - none will ever forget him.
A legacy of infamy.
For most of us, infamy is not something we would pursue as a life goal - to be vilified in memory - but for a man who sees his fellow humans as nothing more than numbers, a tally to be counted like mere figures on a spreadsheet, his rationale becomes clear.
No remorse. No guilt. Coldly calculating.
So disconnected that he has no empathy for the victims. No concept of the emotional pain he has caused, other than as a measure of his effectiveness.
Like father, like son
So, rather than put his face on here as I am sure he would want, I am linking to this article about his father - image below.
Genetics do have an influence on the development of psychopathic personalities - a theme I explore in Gaslighting, the final novel in The Remorseless Trilogy.
Benjamin Hoskins Paddock.
Like father, like son...
Like many psychopaths, Paddock Junior was apparently an upstanding citizen for much of his life, but in reality he was just another ugly, self-absorbed chameleon hiding in plain sight.
My thoughts are with his victims, and I hate that he has achieved what he set out to do - methodically and with a rational mind to callously win the title of 'America's worst mass murderer'.
My thoughts are with his victims, and I hate that he has achieved what he set out to do - methodically and with a rational mind to callously win the title of 'America's worst mass murderer'.