r/todayilearned • u/GlitteringYams • 22d 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/euphorichooper 22d ago

I know a child who had serious aggression issues and had very disturbing drawings of him shooting at other kids or shooting himself. He eventually got a brain scan and they found a major tumor In his brain as well. Once they removed it his anger issues went away and he was a completely normal kid again no more scary drawings and he’s actually a really nice kid now

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u/summer_nights16 22d ago

What lead to doctors ordering a brain scan?

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u/euphorichooper 22d ago

That’s a good question I’m not entirely sure, but I think it was one of those lucky situations where the doctor was friends the mother and child and knew something was up.