Metro Detroit psychiatrist speaks out after Nashville school shooting
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - For children, the lasting implications of a mass shooting are high.
CBS News Detroit talked with Dr. Gerald Shiener, who's practiced in the Metro Detroit area for decades.
The psychiatrist finds the latest Tennessee shooting puzzling and believes the issue could stem from something dealing with the shooter's childhood.
"Why someone would even want to get even over on other children and why someone couldn't get over that in their 20s is the question because most of us do," he said.
Although Tennessee authorities haven't revealed a motive for the incident, Shiener believes unaddressed trauma from childhood could be having an effect in adulthood.
"Sometimes those innocent children remind them of the naïve part of themselves that was easily exploited abused or manipulated and they hate that part of themselves."
According to the gun violence archive, there have been over 100 mass shootings in 2023.
"She knew something was wrong deep down inside. Very often people are ashamed to get help, very often people don't know where to get help," Shiener said.
Nashville police say the tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Those 14 minutes caused lasting effects on students and faculty.
"Kids who are wounded, kids who see their friends wounded, kids who see their friends killed are going to carry those memories for life," he said.
The healthcare professional believes strengthening mental health awareness in schools and lawmakers creating tougher gun laws can help solve the issue.
His advice for parents and guardians who may encounter children that have been through something traumatic is to listen.
"The most important question you can ask that child is what happened. And the next most important question is what was it like to go through that? And give that child a chance to put that into words," Shiener said.
