The lonely man at the heart of mass killings

Beyond politics, social isolation is costing lives through mass murder as well as suicide.

PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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There's always a pile of bodies at these massacre sites. Whether it's at a synagogue, church, nightclub or school, there's always an assault weapon, or a bunch of them. There's always a group of survivors clutching each other, weeping in little clumps outside.

And there's always one other thing. A lonely man.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 31, 2018, with the headline The lonely man at the heart of mass killings. Subscribe