role of Asperger's syndrome in school slaying

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaki ... ar_ov.html

“One of the facets of Asperger's syndrome is often an obsession with weapons and so on,” Shapiro said. “That would undermine the idea that this was premeditated.”

um...thats not true is it???

I don't think AS had anything to do with it.

I agree its not true, he must have had other problems. People with AS know right from wrong.

I concur. No slack should be given.

Why the hell do they have report these things and include Asperger's as if it's the sole reason for the behavior? It makes me furious. Why does mainstream society always have to vilify what they cannot understand?

I don't see how an obsession with weapons has anything to do with homicidal behavior.

I can see how an ASD can lead to someone indiscriminately murdering a whole heap of people (Martin Bryant, the dude with the tattoo "AX" on his arm, etcetera). Anger and frustration at social rejection and bullying do terrible things to the mind.

I take it that AS is a popular defence.
I don't deny the kid has AS though.
Sometimes when I was younger I'd wish pianos fall
on people that gave me constant grief.

hey I have a couple of sword catalogs and stuff but thats just because I think they're cool, I'm not planning to cut up anybody,as a matter of fact although I think swords are cool I'm actually afraid of cutting myself and couldn't imagine cutting someone else on purpose.
This guy may have aspergers but you have to put a little planning into taking a knife to school and stabbing someone in the HEART, I mean did they even look into the possibility that the guy he stabbed once made this kid angry.

I wonder if he was given drugs by his parents. I know AS isn't treatable with medication, but a lot of people like to do it anyway. Meds have behind many school shootings and murders in the past,

Having read about this case, I have formed the following opinion:

He does not have Asperger's, he is a psychopath (some psychopaths look AS - I met one who was misdiagnosed with AS) and he must stay in prison for the rest of his life.

Lack of a sense of right and wrong is not a symptom of Asperger's Syndrome. In my case the opposite is true, I have an extremely strong sense of right and wrong (far beyond that of most NTs).

Even if he does have Asperger's Syndrome (which is unlikely), it certainly doesn't prevent him from being able to premeditate the crime. I've found that I try to plan out every major action days, if not weeks in advance.

I really hope someone on the jury personally knows someone with Asperger's Syndrome. It would really make the ruling more accurate.