The Reason Behind Sandy Hook

Adam Lanza was a lonely boy: intelligent, yet extremely shy. On December 14th of last year, his profile changed into a monstrous serial killer, something that no one could explain. On the day of the shooting, Lanza killed his mother before going to Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut with his weapons. In less than five minutes, he killed 20 children, 6 faculty members, and himself. Struggling to find a sufficient explanation for this tragedy, scientists have turned to analyzing Lanza’s DNA in hopes of finding an answer. Although the researchers did not reveal many details regarding their study, the analysis has appeared shallow and hesitant. A thorough background check done after the shooting revealed Lanza’s troubled childhood and antisocial behavior. This supports historical evidence that a “serial killer gene” does not exist, despite links between DNA and certain behavioral traits. Behavioral patterns and genetics are too complex for identifying future criminals solely through DNA; thus, such research should only supplement complete studies regarding the criminal’s upbringing. 

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Over the years, there have been a number of studies that correlate certain genetic variations to criminality, such as the MAOA “warrior gene.” The MAOA gene variation, which was found to be highly heritable, naturally predisposes its carriers towards aggression (NPR). Another such study revealed that victims of the XYY syndrome, a disorder that results from an extra ‘Y’ sex chromosome, are much more likely to be violent and behaviorally troubled (Kraus). Even so, it is obvious that not all carriers of the MAOA gene or XYY karyotype will commit crimes of violence, and there are many obvious detriments in attempting to screen for such genes. Firstly, data results in research are based primarily on group averages which, when applied to individuals, will result in unwanted false positives and negatives. This alone would render the tests unreliable. Second, discrimination based on biological characteristics has been historically controversial, creating understandable concerns of stigmatization. More importantly, labeling someone as a potential criminal will have devastating psychological effects both on that person and those who interact with him. As you can see, even though these studies have associated genetic traits to criminal behavior, any kind of testing proves to be costly and ineffective. The discovery of these genetic factors has only proven the limited application of DNA research.

It is dangerous to oversimplify the complexity of behavior. There are way too many factors outside of genetics that form a person’s individual behavior, including childhood growth and environment. Genes like MAOA alone do not cause criminal activity, but they can create vulnerability in someone who has already had a rough childhood. Almost every psychopath or serial killer suffered physical or emotional abuse as a young child. Adam Lanza was bullied and ridiculed by his peers. Even then, no one knew that he would commit an act as horrific as the Sandy Hook shooting. There are some children that are very sensitive to maltreatment and others that are not. Additionally, brain structures can be altered by environmental factors (Smith). As you probably know, the brain is the central system for rationalization and decision making. Its shape and function can change based on different experiences, body chemistry, and natural growth. The presence of all these environmental factors makes it extremely difficult to attribute behavior to just one element.

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Even within genetics, there are countless numbers of intertwining elements that impact each other. Marinus Van Ijzendoorn, a researcher from Leiden University in the Netherlands, gathered a sample of about 160 children, all marked as at risk for natural aggression and disobedient behavior. He swabbed the inside of the children’s cheeks and analyzed the cells to see who had a variation of DRD4, a gene that regulates the amount of dopamine in the body. The purpose of this experiment was to see if this particular gene variation had a significant effect on how the children would respond to therapy. Half of the parents in the study were given lessons on how to be warmer while setting limits more strictly, but the other half of the parents did not receive this training. The mothers were also required to answer questionnaires in order to assess the severity of their children’s behaviors of aggression. After the investigation, the study reported “clear-cut evidence” that the children with the gene variation were “more open to the changes in their parents’ behavior,” according to the head researcher. Additionally, the children who showed the most aggressive behavior before the counseling displayed the least disobedient behaviors after the training (Smith). This study proves the danger of studying genetic components in isolation. Even though the children were predisposed to aggressive behavior, another factor was found to almost counteract the inherent trait.

Perhaps if Lanza’s behavior had been observed more closely, Sandy Hook might not have been a victim. Technology has given us a lot of power to do what we want, placing a lot of responsibility on our hands. DNA sequencing might be a neat tool for analyzing criminals, but it is over ambitious in what it attempts to accomplish. Due to the many obstacles and challenges this kind of research faces, it is unnecessary to utilize it without first obtaining thorough evidence and background research. No one is destined to be a criminal.

Works Cited

Kraus, R. T. (1995). “An Enigmatic Personality: Case Report of a Serial Killer.” Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine.

NPR. (06 July, 2010). “Can Genes and Brain Abnormalities Create Killers?” NPR science news.

Unknown. (2008). “Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nuture.” National Center for Crisis Management, article 213.

Smith, Julia Llewellyn. (10 April 2013). "Studying Adam Lanza: is evil in our genes?" The Telegraph.

Wagner, D. (27 December, 2012). “The Trouble with Adam Lanza’s DNA.” The Atlantic Wire,
technology.