Man who said he was ‘almost a school shooter’ reveals what stopped him

Aaron Stark, who penned a letter titled "I was almost a school shooter," joins CNN's Pamela Brown to react to some of the recent mass shootings in the US, and discusses the mindset behind mass shootings. #CNN #News

68 comments

  1. This is some really powerful stuff, getting to know some of the emotions behind these acts. I’m really glad this guy is out there, speaking up.

  2. Great guy. He clearly has ’emotional intelligence’ allowing him to reflect upon himself and make a thorough analysis. His words could change young people who are struggling just like he did …

  3. Men like this who show their vulnerability and articulate their struggle, have a strength and character ALL men should aspire to. Bravo!

    1. @PeaceLoveHarmony well technically it was more of an accessory ban the initial platform was still available for sale. By the way after extensive research its effects were determined to be negligible at best.

  4. Thank you soooo much for your insight. This is the most insightful piece I have heard on this issue. I applaud you for turning your life around and for coming forward to help others.

  5. I almost teared up hearing that little segment. This was very brave of him to do such a public forum like ted talk

    1. @Hunter Bidens Coke Dealer thanks for showing us who you are. You should avoid human contact until you get help.

  6. So brave to come forward and express these emotions. Good for you brother, you do have have a purpose and are brave enough to step forward and hopefully reveal some insight into figuring out how to address these lost souls. You most likely are aiding in saving innocent people, God bless .

  7. This was revealatory to me. At one point in his discussion, I stopped the vid and just thought about what he said that hit me emotionally and why. I too was a very troubled kid who eventually came out just fine. But listening to him made me realize that it’s only because I held on way longer than most troubled kids to look for that person who was the turning point in my life.

    I think he’s 100% right. Someone who may not approve of your trajectory but who cares enough to help you out of it is really what makes the difference.

    I know angel but thanks to someone else’s kindness I may yet earn my wings. 🤞

    1. @Alex Jones ROFLMFAO I see the 12 year old is back. Use your words, like they tell you in your kindergarten class.

  8. I recently watched a documentary about a former skinhead leader, and his story sounded basically identical to this guy’s.

    1. @Destrate so how the hell did Columbine happen? Stop with this AR rigle bullshit. He couldve got Sooo many things to do whatever he wanted

    2. @J P hmmmm assault weapons specifically, the availability of guns generally are a part of the problem. There are many threads, so simplifying it to one element is doomed to fail. Also, saying it’s complex so don’t start the change step by step is also duplicitous don’t you think?

  9. He’s absolutely right! I spent years suicidally depressed and wanting to end my life. I would only have killed myself, not others, I never identified with destruction and I’m a female, but I swear I spent years waving a metaphorical gun around my own head, and indeed human connection is a powerful antidote. For me the things that saved me were my purpose/mission that I continue to faithfully pursue and having my son/becoming a single mom.

    1. Wanting to harm yourself is one thing… but wanting to hurt others because of your issues is sick and evil… and anyone that feels it’s okay is sick as well

  10. My mother and her husband have always treated my siblings and me, as of we are totally worthless. My sister has eating disorders and lies a lot, my brother lies and steals and is a psychopath and I have problems being in a relationship. As this gentlemen said: Parents who treat their children as worthless create monsters. And yes, please show everyone that they are worth something. That can make someone’s day a better day.

    1. I’m so sorry you guys were treated so bad. 😥 You deserve so much better. I hope things get better. ❤

  11. Man, big ups to you my guy!! I’m so glad you were able to take a different path life. I’m genuinely happy for you.
    I had the worst year of my life two years ago. I lost everything and everyone. I was living in my car for four months during the hot summer in GA. I wasn’t thinking about doing a mass shooting or hurting anyone but I was suicidal. I also went to social services and entered in a drug rehabilitation program. They treated me so well and was so understanding that it changed my whole outlook on life. I’m not doing better and mentally feeling better than I ever have before. Treating others well goes a long way and simple acts of kindness can change someone’s life. We need more of this.✊🏾✌🏾

    1. *now. Your message reads “not doing better…” (in case you wanna edit that). I’m happy to hear your positive ending story! Glad you’re okay, dude! ✌🏼❤️

  12. Damn, we get so caught up in the darkest moments of the mass shooter and what monsters they must be but forget that these people have been crying out for help for years. What’s scary is that there are many out there trying to get on with their lives, pushing these thoughts from their minds and in the meantime being pushed closer by their environment. What can we do to make their lives better? To get to them before they tip over the edge? To recognize who these people are? But at the same time there needs to be way tougher laws in place to prevent people from accessing these weapons. Maybe a cooling off period needs to occur at the purchase, perhaps 3 or 6 months and make private sale of these weapons illegal. This would stop a lot of people buying a weapon and using it the next day or week. Preferably a ban altogether would be best, but in the shorter term maybe this could be an interim solution? Of course, convincing a Republican state would be next to impossible, but if enough people in these red states got out there and made lots of noise, maybe this might push them to change their ways. This is an important enough issue for people to cross party lines to get them out of office, we are all citizens after all and everyone’s safety is being risked. It doesn’t need to be partisan.

  13. Thank you, Aaron Stark for mentioning the “men aren’t supposed to cry” aspect. I HATE it when I see men (and even women) on television holding back tears and apologizing for being emotional! There’s nothing wrong about a little boy, a teenager, or a grown man crying. Let it out! There’s nothing like a good cry!

    1. Yes I remember when we were kids and my brother cried when our dog died and he apologised for crying and my parents said “it’s ok for boys and men to cry”. We had a really healthy upbringing thank goodness….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.