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Omaha Shooter Led Troubled Young Life

He spent time in institutions for psychiatric problems

By Marcia Greenwood,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 6, 2007 10:42 PM CST
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(Newser) – The Omaha youth who went on a shooting rampage in a busy mall spent much of his later teen years in institutions and foster care because of behavioral and psychiatric problems, CNN reports. Robert Hawkins' trouble began five years ago, when he was sent to a treatment center after threatening to kill his stepmother, a state official said.

"He also had two psychiatric hospitalizations, and has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, mood disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and parent-child relationship problems," the official said. A friend of Hawkins', who found the 19-year-old's suicide note, described him as "kind of like a pound puppy that nobody wanted."

An unidentified person carries a candle and a sign with the name of Fred Wilson, who was badly injured in the Westroads Mall shooting, at a memorial ceremony for the victims of the shooting, held at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people were killed and...
An unidentified person carries a candle and a sign with the name of Fred Wilson, who was badly injured in the Westroads Mall shooting, at a memorial ceremony for the victims of the shooting, held at Creighton...   (Associated Press)
An unidentified person attends a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, Neb., held at Creighton University in Omaha, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people were killed and five wounded before the shooter, Robert A. Hawkins, took his own life. (AP Photo/Eric Francis)
An unidentified person attends a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, Neb., held at Creighton University in Omaha, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people were killed...   (Associated Press)
Robert Hawkins, who went on a deadly rampage at an Omaha, Nebraska, shopping mall before killing himself, had been diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric and behavior problems.
Robert Hawkins, who went on a deadly rampage at an Omaha, Nebraska, shopping mall before killing himself, had been diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric and behavior problems.   (Associated Press)
An unidentified person wipes tears during a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, Neb., held at Creighton University in Omaha, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people were killed and five wounded before the shooter, Robert A. Hawkins, ended the horror by taking his own...
An unidentified person wipes tears during a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, Neb., held at Creighton University in Omaha, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people...   (Associated Press)
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murder-suicide • violence • mental illness • suicide note • shooting • guns

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