Fame, isolation and terror: inside the mind of a lone mass killer

2026-06-20

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What is it that drives a person to mass murder?It's a question forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen has made a life's study of.While these devastating events can at times appear random — he says that taken together, from Port Arthur to Dunblane to Texas — patterns emerge that tell us about the motivations of lone mass killers.It's often to do with isolation, vengeance and fame. Which is why a growing number of people, including Paul, are pushing never to name the perpetrators of mass killings.Today on All in the Min...

What is it that drives a person to mass murder?

It's a question forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen has made a life's study of.

While these devastating events can at times appear random — he says that taken together, from Port Arthur to Dunblane to Texas — patterns emerge that tell us about the motivations of lone mass killers.

It's often to do with isolation, vengeance and fame. Which is why a growing number of people, including Paul, are pushing never to name the perpetrators of mass killings.

Today on All in the Mind: insights into denying mass killers the glory they seek and preventing future massacres.

Please note, this episode covers some heavy topics including massacres and suicide. Please take care while listening.

Guest:

Professor Paul E. Mullen Monash UniversityForensic psychiatristAuthor, Running Amok: Inside the Mind of the Lone Mass Killer

Credits: