Minnesota slayings follow tragic pattern of killings by children

The homicides in rural Minnesota that included seven fatalities at Red Lake High School are a grim reminder of how dangerous children can be, especially when they have access to guns.

FBI agents said 16-year-old Jeff Weise -- who apparently wrote to a neo-Nazi group last year that he has "a natural admiration" for Adolf Hitler -- acted alone Monday when he used his family's .22-caliber gun to kill his grandfather and his grandfather's girlfriend before going on a shooting spree at Weise's Red Lake Indian Reservation school.

Nationally, children and teenagers younger than 18 committed 26,020 homicides from 1980 through 2002, according to FBI computer records.

Weise's attacks followed many common patterns in such killings, although he acted at a time when homicides by juveniles are generally declining.

FBI reports show that children and teenagers younger than 18 annually committed an average of 612 homicides from 2000 to 2002, less than half the average during the 1990s that peaked at 1,990 killings by juveniles in 1994.

"At this time, we believe he acted alone," FBI Agent Michael Tabman said yesterday.

Although the case instantly drew comparisons to the 1999 rampage at Colorado's Columbine High School by two ostracized teenage boys, the Minnesota attacks this week follow a more common pattern of a lone assailant. Juvenile killers act alone almost three-quarters of the time.

During the 23-year period of available FBI records, juveniles committed 744 multiple homicides. In nearly two-thirds of those, they acted alone.

Weise's attack on his grandfather also is not unusual. In 14 percent of all homicides by juveniles, the assailant was related by blood or marriage to the victim. Although the FBI data do not specifically count attacks against grandparents, there have been at least 606 cases of fratricide and 353 cases of matricide since 1980.

The FBI files indicate that juveniles killed friends and acquaintances 38 percent of the time and strangers 24 percent of the time.

That Weise used his grandfather's gun is even more common. Juveniles are more likely than adults to use a firearm when they kill.

Handguns were reported in 54 percent of all homicides by juveniles, followed by 14 percent in which a rifle or shotgun was used and nearly 4 percent with unspecified types of guns.

Fifteen percent were committed with a knife; 5 percent by youths who used their bare hands, feet or even teeth; and 4 percent by killers who used a blunt object.

Authorities have said they do not yet know why Weise chose to kill. However, the FBI reports that in 12 percent of all homicides by juveniles "the facts don't permit determination" or a motive.

But 30 percent of all killings by children occurred after they argued with their victims.