The Uvalde school shooter: uncovering the dreadful story behind an antisocial profile

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Abstract

Introduction: The case of the Texas shooter is an event that marked human history, as an 18-year-old young man cold-bloodedly murdered 21 victims. Objective: To analyze the psychological factors that could explain the antisocial behavior of the case under study. Methodology: Through clinical behavioral analysis and data collection from the case, a psychological profile was constructed to identify specific factors that provide greater clarity regarding the risk factors associated with the violent act, which enabled the development of this perspective article. Results: The study delves into several factors that could be considered determining and causal to the antisocial behavior in this case, including child abuse, family violence, bullying, animal cruelty, the impact of maltreatment on brain development, and the relationship between antisocial behavior and the use of violent video games. Discussion: The analysis concludes by emphasizing the need to identify the causal factors of antisocial behavior in the early stages of human development. Additionally, it highlights the importance of implementing early interventions that can positively influence the factors described in this article.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1593203
JournalFrontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Volume19
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2025 Ramos-Galarza and Obregón.

Funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This perspective article was funded by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador under research project number PEP QINV0468-IINV531010200, within the framework of the project Procesos ejecutivos de regulación del comportamiento y la cognición, administered by Cerebro y Mente: Grupo de Investigación en Neuropsicología Clínica.

FundersFunder number
Grupo de Investigación en Neuropsicología Clínica
Pontifical Catholic University of EcuadorPEP QINV0468-IINV531010200

    Keywords

    • animal cruelty
    • antisocial behavior
    • child abuse
    • family violence
    • mass shooter

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