Suspect's Killing of Cats Was an Ominous Sign
Boston Herald July 27, 1998
What initially piqued psychiatrists' interest in Russell Eugene Weston
Jr., charged with gunning down two policemen at the U.S. Capitol on Friday,
was another shooting that Weston committed the previous day in America's
heartland, 1,000 miles away.
His father said Weston picked up a shotgun and killed a dozen or more
cats in his hometown of Valmeyer, Ill., although he maintained yesterday
the younger man had been asked to "to do something" about the
felines on the family property.
Dr. Harold Bursztajn responds:
Killing animals certainly is a good indicator that someone might
escalate their behavior against other human beings. It is a very steep,
slippery slope.