In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut last week, the national conversation has turned to mental health.
While it's not clear whether gunman Adam Lanza had mental health issues, reports say he was on the autism spectrum.
Lanza shot and killed his mother in their home, then drove over five miles to an elementary school to kill 20 children who, contrary to initial reports, had no connection to either him or his family.
He left no note or diatribe, typical for rampage shooters who kill for a cause or an ideology or to achieve some political aim. No, Lanza's crimes bear all the marks of the actions of a disturbed young man.
In an effort to understand what may have driven Lanza to such grisly ends, attention has turned to his family, particularly his mother, Nancy. Lanza killed his mother, but did not involve his father, who lives in another city.
Nancy and Peter Lanza divorced in 2009, and Nancy was left to care for Adam. Reports say the young man was taken out of school for behavioral difficulties, that Nancy homeschooled him for a while, and that the family was considering moving to Washington State so Adam could attend a specialized school there.
In response to all the speculation about Nancy Lanza's life, freelance writer Liza Long wrote a blog post entitled "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother," about her own struggles with her violent and troubled son.
"I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me," wrote Long.
"A few weeks ago, Michael pulled a knife and threatened to kill me and then himself after I asked him to return his overdue library books. His 7 and 9 year old siblings knew the safety plan-they ran to the car and locked the doors before I even asked them to. I managed to get the knife from Michael, then methodically collected all the sharp objects in the house into a single Tupperware container that now travels with me. Through it all, he continued to scream insults at me and threaten to kill or hurt me," wrote Long.
Long recounts the difficult path leading up to the decision to place her son in an institution for dangerous youth.
The post struck a nerve, with many people applauding her for her bravery and candor, while others vilified her for outing her son as mentally ill.
The most prominent critic was fellow blogger Sarah Kendzior, who wrote, "Long has written a series of vindictive and cruel posts about her children in which she fantasizes about beating them, locking them up and giving them away."
Kendzior and Long have since come to an agreement, and they both posted a joint statement on their blogs.
"Whatever disagreements we have had, we both believe that the stigma attached to mental illness needs to end," it said.
"We need to provide affordable, quality mental health care for families. We need to provide support for families who have a relative who is struggling."
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
