Robbie used to go to my school, he was the kid that everyone was scared of, he wore chains everyday. he offfered my cousin drugs one time and even though he dropped out, kids still remember him really well. knowing that he went to school with us and then a year later this happens, all i can say is that all of this is a little to close for comfort

This boy lived in a group home, was depressed, and talked about killing people - yet he had a gun?
Maybe this will change some attitudes about gun control. Disturbed people don't kill - guns do.
Diane Gordon

Where is this kids father?

that mother f'ing bastard killin people for that

I only knew Robbie for a short time while he went to my high school, but I never thought he was the kind of guy that could do something like this. Lonely and troubled yes, but a murderer, no. So sad.

This is the result from bullies and bad childhood. Look at the pic, he was picked on alot in school I bet and didn't have friends. That's what the problem was with the other shootings.

I'm glad he's dead.

gun laws need revised

Dick

Guns are here to stay, the genie is long out of the bottle. The real question is, what is driving America into it's self destructive state?

Ultimately, I believe the very foundation of the US social construct has begun to show it's cracks. The resulting stress on youth in the pursuit of 'Made in America' happiness is too great. The social underdogs and psychotic who don't know how to deal will do so however they can, as has just been demonstrated. This is now a trend we will see much more of until the natural attrition of the political and religious right gains momentum over the next century.

The only thing gun control does is keep good people from owning firearms. Most criminals that obtain firearms get them illegally. Also, if you read other articles about this shooting you'll find out "Robert", yes he does have a name, took the firearm from his father's home - a whole day before shooting. Robert is ultimately accountable for his own actions. He committed murder nine times - the ninth murder was his own - and he will be accountable to God for his actions. Don't believe in God? Well then this event and all the rest of the evil in the world shouldn't matter to you.

Seriously...
First, this source needs to read up and get the story straight.
He wasnt living at home, but he also wasnt living in a group home. He didnt hand his 'mother' a note, he left a note behind and called the person he was staying with, told her where it was, and hung up.
And really, are you going to pay the taxes to allow your city to hire enough police to patrol every mall, store, etc. To pat down every person as they enter...

The problem with the United States
is that it's so easy for anyone
to get hold of guns. What's wrong
with your politicians? When are they
going to understand that they need
to change the laws!

yeah... in reply to Healths comment, Just cause u dont belive in god doesn't mean you dont care about good and evil in the world wtf?

I have some friends that dont belive in god and they do care...

so stfu and stop being so ignorant.

Given that boxcutters and planes were used to cause 9/11, we must outlaw and regulate boxcutters and airplanes as well, as they are very dangerous.

No, we go after the terrorists.

Likewise, in this case, a gun and a very disturbed person.

Go after the disturbed people and the source of their disturbance, often social / family breakdown as well as drugs.

The means to the end should never be the focus of our efforts, but rather, responsibility for actions rests with the people initiating the actions.

Ryan

First of all let me send my condolences to the friends and families of the people killed, injured or otherwise affected by this tragedy - including the friends and family of Robert Hawkins.

Mr Hawkins was clearly a disturbed and very distressed person. He needed psychiatric help. Had a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor picked up on the danger he represented to himself or others, he would have been confined to a secure hospital. In any case, the hope would be that with appropriate treatment and support this man's emotional turmoil might have been relieved enough to stop him from being a threat.

Last week we say another - in the end much less violent - drama - closer to my home in Massachusetts when a psychologically troubled man took hostages at a Hillary Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire and threatened to detonate a bomb (which turned out to be only road flares). This man claimed his actions were sparked by his wish to draw attention to his inability to afford psychiatric care for longstanding substance abuse and psychological problems.

In no way should what I have written be taken as a plea to excuse these men for the crimes they have committed or for the harm and terror they have caused. But it seems to me that as a country we need to look at the very high percentage of people in our prisons who suffer from mental illness and are not receiving adequate (if any) treatment. To the extent their illness contributed to the crimes they committed, both they and their victims are paying a horrific price for the woeful unavailability of high quality, free (or low cost) mental health care. And this says nothing of the misery mental illness causes to law abiding people who suffer with untreated or under treated mental illness. These conditions cause suffering not only to the people who have them but to their families - especially their children. Sometimes the cost of our failure as a society to even try to look after the wellbeing of each other confronts us in ways to awful to ignore, as it did yesterday in Omahau. Will we try to hear the lesson this time? Or push it away as too difficult, too much like socialism, etc?

Peace

David

GUNS ARE THE PROBLEM!
with out guns you can't shoot a person, regarless if you are insane or not. if you take the toy from the boy, the boy doesnt hurt any one with the toy!

crazy people these days

The day when the guns themselves can be at blame, is the day we invent guns that can somehow make decisions for themselves & go on shooting rampages by themselves. Put blame where it is deserving...the disturbed people behind the guns.
I do agree that bullying is a huge issue in school. I myself was always the shy girl in the corner & too embarassed to talk to the other kids. Of course, that made me a huge target for A LOT of bullying. That bullying is very psychologically scarring, even years later. I still feel sad when I think about it. So that said, bullying is a huge problem, but is not entirely to blame. There are plenty of bullied children that go on to have productive lives as adults (such as myself).

If guns were illegal, people will still kill using other methods such as knives, swords, bombs and many many other ways. Use COMMON SENSE that it's not gun's fault, it is people's stupid brains fault.

By the way, I don't believe in god because I have been dead for an hour and life is just a joke. You are alive to experience everything and when you die, you use all of your knowledges,experiences and visuals to make your "imaginary world" so awesome. When you die, DPT from your brain kicks in. If you don't know anything or have experienced DPT trip then start reading so you have nothing to be afraid of about death.

The truth is...nobody knows what the little spark was that made him say to himself..."Oh I think i will get a gun...drive to the mall...kill as many people as i can and then kill myself." Its, obvious that this kid was messed up...and for more than while. But the thing is, everything is getting so fucked lately, nobody cares or even notices the fact that kids like this are going nuts. By the time anyone cares to even say "oh maybe that kid needs some help," or "maybe i should ask him if he is ok," he has already going on a rampage. Same with the whole Va Tech shooting. It’s all the values of Americans today...we are so obsessed with our own opinions, getting our money...getting our way all the time, that we forget what is true. What is really important? There is so much pressure on kids today to be successful and get ahead...when one falls behind they feel like they have no hope. Some of them like Robbie.. begin to hate everyone who has passed him up in society. Let me ask all of you something...What good is money when there is nothing left to buy? Stop worrying about materials and possessions and about your money...start worrying about the real shit. I know that we are lost in this age. But there is always hope.
-Messenger of Tomorrow

i would kill him if he were alive now...that loser ass piece of shit

this idiot needed to die...sad he took 8 people...but glad he is gone

this idiot needed to die...sad he took 8 people...but glad he is gone

He wanted to famous and he is... When is the media going to stop posting these kids pictures. Its an easy formula if you want to be on the minds of the nation and "go out in style" then kill random people. the weapon does not matter the media will put your picture on every news station.

Chuck

The answer to all of this madness is very simple. Our emotions come from within. They are not created by other people or other things. They are chosen by ourselves. Once this is accepted, then, lashing out at others becomes nonsensical.

It is my belief that everyone, including Robert Hawkins, was not born believing that "happiness" (conversely unhappiness) comes from outside of ourselves. We are continuously receiving the message that other people or other things make us happy or sad.

I do not profess that overcoming these beliefs is easy. It requires difficult continual practice. However, the result would be the elimination of all hurtful actions towards others.

By believing that we choose who were are, we empower ourselves to become who we want to be.

This was one stupid idiot punk, that wanted to cry because he couldn't take it. Now he murdered innocent people and changed families lives forever. Then of all things he punked out by killing himself, because he thinks the world will remember him. His body should be taken out in a field and let the buzzards have there way.

Have a look at this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJN_NfyiH4

None of you really knew the poor kid, neither did I. I think it is pathetic what many of you are saying about him, like you could possibly know what was going on in his mind. Some of you saying you are happy he is dead, others saying you would have killed him yourself if he was alive. Those statements make you NO better than him. He took innocent lives that can never be replaced, including his own. It was a very sad day in Omaha, that none of us will forget, but you cannot judge someone when you have no idea what happened in his life that made a poor young man do something so horrific.

Take a look at what happened and try to help the children of our future to make better choices. Robert was teaching us something with his acts. He was teaching us to help children like him so we can in the future stop these things from happening. This is not a joke.

There is no need for a comment if you have no plans in helping change the future.