Psychoanalyst: We are all capable of being pushed to the edge

MILWAUKEE -- The latest tragic images appearing in New York City have many people asking familiar questions about the shooter.  How could someone do that?  What was he thinking?  I would never do that.  But one Milwaukee psychoanalyst has a scary realization saying "we are all capable."

Dr.Ashok Bedi says all humans can be driven to do evil.  "Under the right circumstances, no individual is immune from the dark side," says Bedi.

2 people, including the shooter, and eight others were injured on Friday, August 24th outside the empire state building in New York City after the gunman killed a co-worker and got into a shootout with police.

Milwaukee is familiar with workplace violence.  On August 2nd, 23-year-old Thaiv Xiong walked into Trans-Coil International and killed his 58-year-old former boss George Hites.  Xiong then killed himself.

Dr. Bedi calls work place violence an American phenomenon in a society with high expectations and high unemployment.  He says many times employers are not doing enough when trimming their staff.

"Was there adequate efforts to prepare this person for the layoff.  Was it done in a respectful manner.  Were out placement opportunities offered?  Were adequate benefits given?" says Bedi.

Bedi says workplace shooters share a common bond of a feeling of hopelessness.  He believes the problem can be helped with better services offered to exiting employees from their bosses.

"It should be balanced with fairness and humanity," says Bedi.

Related stories: