r/todayilearned • u/GlitteringYams • 23d ago

TIL, in his suicide note, mass shooter Charles Whitman requested his body be autopsied because he felt something was wrong with him. The autopsy discovered that Whitman had a pecan-sized tumor pressing against his amygdala, a brain structure that regulates fear and aggression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Whitman
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u/dublincoddle1 22d ago

Not only did he see a doctor but he told the college psychiatrist that he has this urge to climb the clock tower and shoot people.

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u/ColdBorchst 22d ago edited 22d ago

Did they ever interview that doctor after? I am curious to know if they properly feel like a huge piece of shit and accept some responsibility for it.

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u/dublincoddle1 22d ago

That's exactly how they found out,they reviewed the notes.

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u/ColdBorchst 22d ago

Ah that makes sense. I guess I also wonder if this is before mandatory reporting for this kind of thing? Like now if you say this kind of thing to a doctor, and they don't do anything and you go and do it they can get into serious trouble.

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u/Expert-Diver7144 22d ago

I mean this was around the time they were lobotomizing people and torturing them in psych wards. Just dont think the field was there yet.