The Florida shooter, like most mass killers, was an unhappy child. Nikolas Cruz, the young man who allegedly killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida like most mass killers, was raised in a toxic family environment.

Cruz, adopted while young, we now know was perceived by his peers and teachers as being a loner and socially awkward. His former classmates in numerous interviews reinforce the fact that he appeared unhappy and was considered a troublemaker. After his parents died, things literally fell apart for the young Cruz. At the time of the shooting, Cruz was expelled from school because of fighting with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. He had earlier been accused of abusing the young lady.

After the shooting, a school official stated that “we try to keep our eyes out on those kids who aren’t connected-in this case, we didn’t find a way to connect with this kid.”

Dylan Roof

We now know that available evidence shows that Dylan Roof who killed nine churchgoers in 2015, was not a popular or happy person while attending school. He was in fact, perceived as a kind of a loner by those who knew him. Roof was also from a dysfunctional family. Roof’s family members described the 21-year-old, who apparently received a .45-caliber pistol for his 21st birthday, as introverted. Roof’s uncle, Carson Cowles told his sister, Roof’s mother, that the young man was overly withdrawn, Reuters reported. Roof, from a divorced family, found himself frequently in trouble with the law. Those who knew him were not terribly surprised that he was capable of committing a heinous crime.

Charles Whitman

Remember Charles Whitman?  He killed his mother and wife on Aug. 1,1966, and traveled atop a University of Texas 300-foot tower with a cache of weapons he used to murder 16 people. He was ultimately killed by police who stormed the tower. Whitman introduced Americans to the concept of mass murderer. Whitman was raised in a toxic, abusive family environment where the father essentially considered himself as king of their household. He hated the authoritarian and dictatorial manner which he treated the family.

When he turned 18, he immediately joined the military — a decision that enraged his father. This was a successful attempt at getting away from his so-called perfectionist father. After going through court-martials and suffering other kinds of ignominy while serving his country, he ultimately left the military. Killing his mother, whom he dearly loved, before visiting the tower was a selfish attempt aimed at sparing her the embarrassment over his actions.

Are you detached or estranged from your child? Are lines of communication really open in your home? It is not too late — begin to open them today.