"The crisis of American violence is framed through political and cultural lenses: the availability of weapons, the prevalence of bullying, or the breakdown of the family unit. Yet, as one man's harrowing journey from a school shooting to spiritual awakening reveals, the core of the issue lies in a spiritual and emotional void that culture and policy often fail to address."
"Thirty-six years after he walked into Lake Braddock Secondary School in Virginia with a Mossberg hunting rifle, given to him by his mother as a Christmas gift, Stevens sat down with me to recount the events of November 10, 1982. The act, which led to a 21-hour hostage siege, was not, as initial headlines suggested, simply about a "lovelorn teen." It was a culmination of unaddressed childhood trauma and spiritual isolation."
TJ Stevens entered Lake Braddock Secondary School with a Mossberg hunting rifle and triggered a 21-hour hostage siege in November 1982. He did not kill anyone; a spiritual breakthrough converted his rage into profound peace and halted the violence. The violence stemmed from unaddressed childhood trauma, including severe physical abuse by a stepfather and abandonment by his biological father, creating emotional isolation and the burden of adult responsibilities in childhood. The narrative emphasizes the role of compassionate intervention, positive mentorship, and surrendering to faith as crucial factors that transformed Stevens and that could prevent similar tragedies.
Read at Psychology Today
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