List of Shooters and Violent Perpetrators on Psychotropic Drugs

Alec McKinney and Devon Erickson – May 7, 2019, Denver, Colorado

Incident: Opened fire at STEM School Highland Ranch, killing 1 and injuring 8.

Drugs: McKinney was prescribed ADHD medication, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers in 2018, and had a history of mixing Xanax (benzodiazepine) with alcohol.

Nikolas Cruz – May 14, 2018, Parkland, Florida

Incident: Killed 17 and injured 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Drugs: Prescribed clonidine (ADHD drug), Focalin XR (stimulant), and Risperdal (antipsychotic) between 2012 and 2017. Possible withdrawal effects noted, though not substantiated.

Kendrex J. White – May 1, 2017, Austin, Texas

Incident: Stabbed four people at the University of Texas, killing one and wounding three.

Drugs: Zoloft (antidepressant), referred to as “happy pills.”

Myron May – November 20, 2014, Tallahassee, Florida

Incident: Shot and wounded three at Florida State University library before being killed by police.

Drugs: Wellbutrin (antidepressant), Vyvanse (ADHD drug), Seroquel (antipsychotic), and Hydroxyzine (antianxiety).

Aaron Ybarra – June 5, 2014, Seattle, Washington

Incident: Killed one and wounded two at Seattle Pacific University.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant) and Risperdal (antipsychotic) up to six months prior to the shooting.

Chris Plaskon – April 25, 2014, Milford, Connecticut

Incident: Stabbed Maren Sanchez to death at Jonathan Law High School.

Drugs: Unspecified ADHD medication.

Jose Reyes – October 21, 2013, Sparks, Nevada

Incident: Killed a teacher and wounded two classmates at Sparks Middle School before committing suicide.

Drugs: Generic Prozac (fluoxetine, antidepressant) found in his system at the time of death.

Sean Johnson – January 15, 2013, St. Louis, Missouri

Incident: Shot the financial aid director at Stevens Institute of Business & Arts and then himself.

Drugs: Unspecified drugs for an undisclosed mental illness.

Unnamed 15-year-old Girl – October 24, 2011, Snohomish County, Washington

Incident: Stabbed two girls at Snohomish High School.

Drugs: Unspecified medication for depression.

Christian Helms – September 21, 2011, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Incident: Shot and wounded a school resource officer at Socastee High School, planning a Columbine-style attack.

Drugs: Medications for ADHD and depression.

Unnamed 17-year-old – December 13, 2010, Planoise, France

Incident: Held 20 preschool children and a teacher hostage with swords at Charles Fourier preschool.

Drugs: Unspecified medication for depression.

Hammad Memon – February 5, 2010, Huntsville, Alabama

Incident: Killed a fellow student at Discover Middle School.

Drugs: Zoloft (antidepressant) and other unspecified drugs for ADHD and depression.

Matti Saari – September 23, 2008, Kauhajoki, Finland

Incident: Killed 9 students and a teacher, wounded another, then committed suicide.

Drugs: Unspecified SSRI and alprazolam (Xanax).

Jesus “Jesse” Carrizales – April 24, 2008, Fresno, California

Incident: Attacked a police officer at Fresno High School with a baseball bat, killed by the officer in self-defense.

Drugs: Lexapro (antidepressant) and Geodon (antipsychotic).

Steven Kazmierczak – February 14, 2008, DeKalb, Illinois

Incident: Killed 5 and wounded 21 at Northern Illinois University before committing suicide.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant), Xanax (antianxiety), and Ambien; stopped Prozac three weeks prior, trace Xanax in system.

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Pekka-Eric Auvinen – November 7, 2007, Jokela, Finland

Incident: Killed 8 and wounded 12 at Jokela High School before committing suicide.

Drugs: Unspecified SSRI.

Felicia McMillan – November 7, 2007, Tyler, Texas

Incident: Stabbed a student and wounded the principal at Robert E. Lee High School.

Drugs: Unspecified drugs for depression.

Asa Coon – October 10, 2007, Cleveland, Ohio

Incident: Shot and wounded four at his school before committing suicide.

Drugs: Trazodone (antidepressant).

John Odgren – January 19, 2007, Sudbury, Massachusetts

Incident: Stabbed a student to death at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Drugs: Ritalin (stimulant).

Travis Roberson – December 4, 2006, North Vernon, Indiana

Incident: Stabbed a student at Jennings County High School.

Drugs: Wellbutrin (antidepressant, in withdrawal).

Alvaro Rafael Castillo – August 30, 2006, Hillsborough, North Carolina

Incident: Killed his father, then shot and injured two students at Orange High School.

Drugs: Unspecified drugs for depression.

William Barrett Foster – April 24, 2006, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Incident: Took hostages at East Chapel Hill High School, fired shots, no injuries.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressants and antipsychotics (stopped without informing family).

Kenneth Bartley – November 8, 2005, Jacksboro, Tennessee

Incident: Killed an assistant principal and wounded two others at Campbell County Comprehensive School.

Drugs: Xanax (antianxiety) and Valium (benzodiazepine).

Jeff Weise – March 21, 2005, Red Lake, Minnesota

Incident: Killed his grandfather, grandfather’s girlfriend, 5 students, a security guard, and a teacher, wounded 7, then committed suicide.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant, 60 mg daily, triple the average adult dose).

Jon Romano – February 9, 2004, Greenbush, New York

Incident: Shot and injured a teacher at his high school.

Drugs: Xanax (antianxiety).

Mamoru Takuma – June 8, 2001, Ikeda, Japan

Incident: Stabbed 8 students to death and wounded 15 others at an elementary school.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressants (10 times normal dose before attack).

Cory Baadsgaard – April 10, 2001, Wahluke, Washington

Incident: Took 23 classmates and a teacher hostage with a rifle at his high school.

Drugs: Paxil (antidepressant, switched to Effexor, dosage increased before incident).

Jason Hoffman – March 22, 2001, El Cajon, California

Incident: Wounded three students and two teachers at Granite Hills High School.

Drugs: Celexa and Effexor (antidepressants).

Elizabeth Bush – March 7, 2001, Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Incident: Shot and wounded a fellow student.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant).

William Michael Stankewicz – February 2, 2001, Red Lion, Pennsylvania

Incident: Injured three adults and 11 children with a machete at North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary School.

Drugs: Four unspecified drugs for depression and anxiety.

Richard Lopez – January 10, 2001, Oxnard, California

Incident: Shot at a car and took a student hostage at Hueneme High School, killed by SWAT.

Drugs: Prozac, Paxil (antidepressants), and unspecified sleep medication.

T.J. Solomon – May 20, 1999, Conyers, Georgia

Incident: Wounded six classmates at his high school.

Drugs: Ritalin (stimulant).

Eric Harris – April 20, 1999, Columbine, Colorado

Incident: With Dylan Klebold, killed 12 students and a teacher, wounded 26, then committed suicide.

Drugs: Luvox (antidepressant, switched from Zoloft).

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Shawn Cooper – April 16, 1999, Notus, Idaho

Incident: Fired two shotgun rounds, injuring one student.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressant and Ritalin.

Kip Kinkel – May 21, 1998, Springfield, Oregon

Incident: Killed his parents, then killed two and wounded 25 at his school.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant).

Luke Woodham – October 1, 1997, Pearl, Mississippi

Incident: Killed his mother and two students, wounded seven others.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant).

Toby R. Sincino – October 12, 1995, Blackville, South Carolina

Incident: Killed a teacher and himself at Blackville-Hilda High School.

Drugs: Zoloft (antidepressant).

Stephen Leith – December 16, 1993, Chelsea, Michigan

Incident: Killed the superintendent, wounded the principal and a teacher at Chelsea High School.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant).

Calvin Charles Bell – September 18, 1992, Houston, Texas

Incident: Fired a gun at Piney Point Elementary School, wounding two officers.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressants.

Joseph T. Wesbecker – September 14, 1989, Louisville, Kentucky

Incident: Killed 8 and wounded 11 at his former workplace before committing suicide.

Drugs: Prozac (antidepressant).

Patrick Purdy – January 17, 1989, Stockton, California

Incident: Killed 5 children and wounded 30 at a schoolyard.

Drugs: Amitriptyline (antidepressant) and Thorazine (antipsychotic).

Seung-Hui Cho – April 16, 2007, Blacksburg, Virginia

Incident: Killed 32 and wounded 23 at Virginia Tech.

Drugs: Prozac and Paxil (antidepressants, discontinued before the shooting).

Christopher Pittman – November 28, 2001, Chester, South Carolina

Incident: Killed his grandparents with a shotgun.

Drugs: Paxil and Zoloft (antidepressants).

James Eagan Holmes – July 20, 2012, Aurora, Colorado

Incident: Killed 12 and wounded 70 at a movie theater.

Drugs: Zoloft (antidepressant, dosage increased before the shooting).

Robert Kenneth Stewart – March 29, 2009, Carthage, North Carolina

Incident: Killed 8 and wounded 3 at a nursing home.

Drugs: Lexapro (antidepressant), Ambien, Benadryl, and Xanax.

Christopher Wood – April 18, 2009, Middletown, Maryland

Incident: Killed his wife, three children, and himself.

Drugs: Wellbutrin, Elavil, and Pamelor (antidepressants).

Aaron Alexis – September 16, 2013, Washington, D.C.

Incident: Killed 12 and wounded 8 at the Navy Yard.

Drugs: Trazodone (antidepressant).

Dylann Roof – June 17, 2015, Charleston, South Carolina

Incident: Killed 9 and wounded 1 at a church.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressants.

James Wilson – September 21, 1988, Greenwood, South Carolina

Incident: Killed 2 and wounded 9 at Oakland Elementary School.

Drugs: Unspecified antidepressant.