In the midst of shock and sorrow, there is bewilderment. The mass attack Wednesday morning at Franklin Regional High School near Pittsburgh-with 19 students and a security guard stabbed or slashed, including at least one critically-leaves a host of unanswered questions.
While the shrieks and sobs still echo, all the questions boil down to one: Why?
What possessed the suspect, 16-year old Alex Hribal, to attack students before classes had begun? Why did he choose to use two 8-inch-long kitchen knives? Why at Franklin Regional, which seemed as safe a school as any? More profound still, what explains the mass violence that stalks America’s schools, this example different only in its horrific details?
Some of the answers should come over the next few days and they will provide a guide to answering perhaps the ultimate question: Can such a terrible event be avoided or are all children in America involved in a deadly game of chance, just potential random victims in a violent society?
Editorial, Pages 16 on 04/11/2014