Erm, no. A SAR shoots the same 7.62x39 that the AK-47 does. The AK-74 shoots the smaller 5.45x39. A SAR is just an AK-47 Type 4 without full-auto.

There are several rifles that shoot the same pack and weight that the AK shoots.
There is no difference between a regular gun and an assault, other than cosmetics.

True, I have no crystal ball, but it makes no sense... the facts of the suicide and what was explained about the kid don't just don't add-up. I don't buy it, there is more to it, IMO, than just not being able to go to after school activities for a while.

I had not even considered the age difference as a factor. However I am hoping wolf can pull up another sample of reading on this matter (she already did some destructive postings to my assumptions concerning pedophilia).

Previously child suicides were by 'lessers' who wanted to take others with them. This one involves a very accomplished and goal oriented student. Obviously, we don't have sufficient details to make any conclusions. So the question is really what are those missing details; what makes those details so more relevant?

'Bashing a mental midget' and posts in this discussion come from the same 'but what are the facts' attitude and demands. In the case of George Jr, his lies, the self serving agenda, hate for the troops, and a long term destruction to America were then and are now even more obvious. But this topic of suicide - asking why rather than hyped by 'how do you feel' or 'how did his fellow students feel' - remains a question almost completely devoid of facts.

What changed? In this case, so many are so emotional over the incident as to not ask that which is important. Why did and does this happen? What are details that never get reported by the 'local gossip'? As Griff noted, does age (adult mind verses a child or adult child mind) have significant factors?

This suicide happened in my county. I was not personally involved, so anything I have to say relates primarily to what was on the news. Of course, I do wish that his folks had been aware there was something up, but often, truly suicidal people do not give any indication of their intent, and will go to great lengths to hide any obvious signs. There is no one reason that people come to the decision to commit suicide. Kids do tend to be more impulsive about it than adults, but from all the information available, it appears that this kid planned, and planned carefully. He was supposed to have had a suicide note in his pocket, but I haven't heard anything about the content.

The young man was what is usually described as a good kid. He was an Eagle Scout at age 13. He volunteered with a local fire company as a junior firefighter. He had signed up for early entry into the military.

His grades were slipping. His parents decided that the situation was best addressed by setting some major limits. I think we used to call this "grounding." He was told to straighten up and fly right, and until his grades turned around, no firehouse, no scouting, and above all, no early entry into the army.

There was probably a pre-existing depression that started the grade slide, and it was all downhill from there.

The rifle was his dad's. It would appear that using it was part of his statement that he was angry at him, specifically. At 17 having your hopes dashed is a big thing. I've talked a number of adolecents through their first big relationship breakup, for example.

He was on the second floor of the school. When he fired into the ceiling he knew there was no one above him. He apparently fired the shots to make sure that no one would be near him (and therefore possibly injured) when he killed himself.

Thanks for the info Wolf. I knew it was more than just a few after-school activities for a while.

His "hate for the troops?" My (quart of) acidophilus.

Undocumented and present only in tw's fever swamp of a mind, given vent through being driven by his delusions and resentments, as he frantically resents any and all Republicans because they know how to treat Communists, while the Democrats don't. Were tw fully sane, acting in a way even Frank Herbert would have approved of as fully human, he'd treat Communists that way, too.