The prevalence of psychotropic medications among notorious mass shooters in the U.S. raises questions about potential connections to violence. Notably, commonly prescribed antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been linked to several shooters involved in incidents that left three or more dead. On August 28, Robert Kennedy Jr., the Director General of the Department of Health and Welfare (HHS), announced an investigation into possible links between these drugs and violent behavior, a concern echoed by skeptics including Kennedy himself.
“Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of research into the role psychiatric drugs play in large-scale violence,” stated Dr. Joseph Whitt Doring, a psychiatrist and CEO of Taperclinic in California. “The side effects can be so rare and subtle that they’re hard to spot in small clinical trials. We really need to assess individual cases more closely,” he added.
A spokesperson from HHS declined to provide specifics about the ongoing research. .
Currently, various international studies concerning psychopharmaceuticals yield mixed results. For instance, a 2019 Swedish study indicated SSRIs could be linked to increased suicide risk, although it did not explicitly state that they caused it. In contrast, a more recent study from New York in 2022 found no significant evidence linking SSRIs to aggressive behavior.
“It’s quite difficult to pinpoint whether drugs are a factor in violent actions, and without comprehensive investigations, we’ll never fully understand how often medications impact behavior,” noted Witt-Doering.
Interestingly, some investigations into mass shooters have shown no drug use at all. For example, when the Islamic extremist who killed 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando in 2016 was examined, no drugs were found in his system. Similarly, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter—who took 27 lives in 2012—also tested negative for drugs.
Paxil Case
Take the case of Donald Shell, who started taking Paxil in 1998 and quickly spiraled into depression. Just two days after starting the medication, he killed his wife, daughter, and granddaughter before taking his own life. His case has become a reference point in discussions about antidepressants and violence.
Shell’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, claiming he had no history of violence prior to taking the drug. Testimonies revealed he had previously experienced hallucinations while on Prozac. Ultimately, the court held Paxil 80% responsible for his actions, awarding Shell’s family $6.4 million, though an appeal by the pharmaceutical company was later denied.
Columbine High School
Eric Harris, one of the shooters involved in the Columbine High School massacre, had Luvox in his system when he and Dylan Klebold killed 13 individuals in 1999 before taking their own lives. While therapeutic levels of the drug were found in Harris’ body, no medications were detected in Klebold’s system.
Luvox, which treats obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, was FDA-approved in 1994. In a notable twist, a survivor of the Columbine shooting sued Solvay Pharmaceuticals, contending that the company should have known the risks of Luvox in children. The case eventually was dropped, but not before drawing attention to potential drug side effects.
Aurora Cinema Massacre
In the tragic Aurora cinema shooting of 2012, police discovered clonazepam and sertraline at James Holmes’ residence. Testimonies revealed he had expressed thoughts of murder frequently in the months leading up to the attack. In a twist, psychiatrist David Healy, who met Holmes, alleged that the prescribed drugs played a significant role in his actions.
Parkland School Shooting
Following the Parkland shooting in 2018, perpetrator Nicholas Cruz had been prescribed various medications over the years, beginning at age 6. A doctor testified that these included several aimed at treating ADHD. This raised questions about the impact of these prescriptions on his actions.
Contract School
Audrey Hale, identified as transgender, began mental health treatments at a young age and, despite being on various medications, exhibited increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A report indicated that her negative interactions with the drugs were only when mixed with alcohol, implicating broader concerns about the efficacy of these medications.
Ongoing Concern
Long before Kennedy’s HHS took action, the federal government expressed concerns regarding psychiatric medications. In 2004, the FDA mandated labeling for some antidepressants warning about adverse effects like anxiety, impulsivity, and mania, though it stopped short of definitively assigning causality.
“These risks are not mere speculation—they’re already detailed in FDA drug labels,” Witt-Doering stated. While most individuals on psychiatric medications won’t become violent, these drugs can substantially alter emotional regulation and impulse control. Moreover, a 2018 study indicated SSRIs could dampen emotional responses in certain scenarios.
Physicians often prescribe multiple medications without thorough monitoring, which potentially fuels side effects seen in extreme cases. This reluctance to delve deeper into potential links between medication and tragedy comes from a fear of appearing to excuse horrific actions.
“It’s the government’s responsibility to look into public health threats,” Witt-Doering concluded.
