In the headlines today is another example of obsession and possession.

A 25-year-old man who mounted a deadly shooting rampage at a downtown Montreal college had posted pictures of himself on the Internet with a rifle and said he was feeling "crazy" and "postal" and was drinking whiskey hours before the attack.

The man, identified by police as Kimveer Gill, also said on a blog that he liked to play a role-playing Internet game about the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado and wanted to die "in a hail of gunfire."

In the end, Gill — dressed in a black trench coat like the Columbine shooters — put his own gun to his head and pulled the trigger during a shootout with officers at Dawson College on Wednesday, police said.

Gill, wielding a rapid-fire rifle and two other weapons, had already wounded 20 other people by the time he took his own life. One of his victims, an 18-year-old woman, later died. Four others remained in critical condition Thursday, including three in extremely critical condition and one in a deep coma.

The Internet postings and neighbors' accounts reveal an angry, solitary young man who lived with his mother in Laval, near Montreal. He sported a mohawk, dressed in black and was filled with hatred for everyone from jocks to preppies and everything from country music to hip-hop. He once worked for a carpet company and more recently an auto parts business.

Commentary

This is a sad event that we are seeing repeated in many places in the world. Whether the person shoots in a school or kills himself to terrorize others, it is a clear case of obsession and possession. Many people in the health industry know about this problem and spiritual teachings and religious teachings have talked about this for thousands of years. Now, it is clearly visible and the problem is huge. It is not the specific religion that is to blame but the depth into which the person submerges himself or herself in demeaning and inhumane thoughts and activities. These unfortunate persons who commit such horror have lost their hearts and souls and have sold out to evil.

For readings on this very important topic, see Obsession and Possession by Torkom Saraydarian.