Gunman at Pa. health club was bitter over women

[journeygirl]

Sounds like he just got mad because no one paid him any attention when he wrote about his intentions on the internet.



BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- Friends mourned for three women fatally shot during their exercise class at a Pittsburgh-area gym by a man whose online diary revealed he felt ignored by women and had an "exit plan" to avenge his rage.

George Sodini went to a sprawling L.A. Fitness Club on Tuesday night, turned out the lights on the "Latin impact" dance-aerobics class for women, and opened fire with three guns, spraying dozens of bullets before committing suicide.

"He just had a lot of hatred in him and (was) hell-bent on committing this act, and no one was going to stop him," Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said Wednesday.

His 4,610-word Web diary appeared to be a nine-month chronology of his plans to end his misery with a shocking act of carnage at his gym. He couldn't understand why women ignored him, despite his best efforts to look nice. He wrote that he hadn't had a girlfriend since 1984, hadn't slept with a woman in 19 years.

"Women just don't like me. There are 30 million desirable women in the US (my estimate) and I cannot find one. Not one of them finds me attractive," the 48-year-old computer programmer lamented.

It was unclear when the Web diary was posted and whether it had been updated online repeatedly since November or posted in its entirety recently.

Two undated videos, apparently recorded by Sodini, surfaced on the Internet and are posted on Starcasm.net. In one, he tours his suburban Pittsburgh home, starting outside and moving inside the two-bedroom, brick rancher. In the other, Sodini recorded himself standing in a doorway talking about hiding his emotions and trying to "emotionally connect" with people.

During the tour, he points out his computers, living space and a basement where he highlights his handy work, hanging paneling and a suspended ceiling. Sodini notes that a sofa and chair in his living room match and says, "women will really be impressed." He also focuses on reading material on a table that include a books titled "Date Young Women" and a paper with "Office Politics" printed on the front.

Moving through the home, he talks about a newly purchased dining room set, and shows his bedroom, which includes a bed, computer and a dresser.

"It looks pretty clean," he said. "I'm sure she'll be impressed."

Speaking to the camera in the second video, Sodini talks about hiding his emotion, how he thought he had 15 years remaining and how his objective his to "be real and be emotional" and to be able to "emotionally connect with people."

He speaks about how, in a relationship with a woman 10 to 20 years younger, "she has to feel good about this thing."

The health club violence rocked the town of about 5,300 people just outside Pittsburgh.

Killed were Heidi Overmier, 46, of Carnegie, a sales manager at an amusement park; Jody Billingsley, 37, of Mount Lebanon, who worked for a medical-supply company; and Elizabeth Gannon, 49, of Pittsburgh, an X-ray technician at Allegheny General Hospital.

"She can't be gone," said Gannon's next-door neighbor and close friend, Carl Rady, who knew her for 35 years and said she loved to work out and pamper her dog. "It can't happen that way."

Six patients remained hospitalized, including the aerobics instructor, Mary Primis, 26, who was listed in fair condition. Primis is pregnant but said doctors told her the baby is fine.

Sodini did not have a relationship with any of his victims, according to police.

In his Web diary, Sodini wrote of planning the attack since at least November and said he tried to carry it out when the same weekly aerobics class met Jan. 6 but "chickened out," he wrote.

His anger stemmed from unfulfilled desire: The women at his gym "look so beautiful as to not be human," he wrote. He complained that women "don't even give me a second look ANYWHERE" even though he was tan and fit and claimed to dress well and smell nice.

He listed his status as "Never married." In a chilling addition, he recorded the date of his death as Aug. 4, 2009.

Sodini did not have a criminal record, and he legally bought the guns he used, police said.

Sodini's family issued a brief statement: "Our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families and we pray for the full recovery of the survivors."

Sodini graduated in 1992 from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in computer science and had worked as a systems analyst at a Pittsburgh law firm since 1999.

A neighbor, Connie Fontanesi, said Sodini was so anti-social that "we really didn't learn anything personal about him."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... 6-08-36-21

[Ehwmatt]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

[madsplash]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

[Ehwmatt]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

I mean, what's the thought process here...?

"Let's see, I'm a 48-year-old loser who has as many notches in my belt as your average 14-year-old virgin high school freshman guy. Women reject my ugly ass all the time... What should I do? Oh! I know! Let's post a blog about how much I violently hate women since I can't get one to fuck me and then I'll go kill people at a gym and off myself so the rest of the world can see how big of a loser I was... that'll show them"

[epresley]

Hell, I'm bitter over women, but I haven't pulled a gun on any.

[madsplash]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

I mean, what's the thought process here...?

"Let's see, I'm a 48-year-old loser who has as many notches in my belt as your average 14-year-old virgin high school freshman guy. Women reject my ugly ass all the time... What should I do? Oh! I know! Let's post a blog about how much I violently hate women since I can't get one to fuck me and then I'll go kill people at a gym and off myself so the rest of the world can see how big of a loser I was... that'll show them"

Sounds about right. What else could he have been thinking. You know, I'm honestly suprised(and happy) this stuff doesn't happen even more. People are more bitter and unhappy than ever, so it seems.

I've been way, way, way down in my life, but never did the thought of hurting anyone, especially innocent people that I don't even know, enter my mind. I just don't get it.

[Ehwmatt]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

I mean, what's the thought process here...?

"Let's see, I'm a 48-year-old loser who has as many notches in my belt as your average 14-year-old virgin high school freshman guy. Women reject my ugly ass all the time... What should I do? Oh! I know! Let's post a blog about how much I violently hate women since I can't get one to fuck me and then I'll go kill people at a gym and off myself so the rest of the world can see how big of a loser I was... that'll show them"

Sounds about right. What else could he have been thinking. You know, I'm honestly suprised(and happy) this stuff doesn't happen even more. People are more bitter and unhappy than ever, so it seems.

I've been way, way, way down in my life, but never did the thought of hurting anyone, especially innocent people that I don't even know, enter my mind. I just don't get it.

The only way I could ever hurt someone is if someone physically threatened me or my loved ones or probably if I came home and found some dude bangin my wife/girlfriend in my bed... he'd definitely get hurt at least, if not worse, heh.

[RossValoryRocks]

That particular LA Fitness is about 2 miles from where I work.

What a shame people have to die because that sick man couldn't get laid.

[Ehwmatt]

That particular LA Fitness is about 2 miles from where I work.

What a shame people have to die because that sick man couldn't get laid.

And the scariest part about it, as with Columbine, VT, random office shoot-ups, and other incidents of the like, is the quote from the police officer in the Post-Gazette, saying that the guy was on a mission and no one could have stopped him before he at least started on his mission... and he's exactly right. There's nothing anyone could have done short of seeing the guy pack his guns up in the morning and stopping him. What are we gonna need, metal detectors in every office, gym, restaurant, school, and sports arena pretty soon?

[Arkansas]

Maybe he was gay and just didn't know it, when everyone else did.


later~

[journeygirl]

Well, usually when I go to the gym I go about 5 am, this way it's not so crowded. And if I have to go to Walmart I'll go there in the early morning hours as well. But I'm thinking I might change my schedule. Maybe it would be better if there was a crowd around. But it didn't stop this man, crowd or not he was going to kill someone. He had his mind set on it!

[Ehwmatt]

Well, usually when I go to the gym I go about 5 am, this way it's not so crowded. And if I have to go to Walmart I'll go there in the early morning hours as well. But I'm thinking I might change my schedule. Maybe it would be better if there was a crowd around. But it didn't stop this man, crowd or not he was going to kill someone. He had his mind set on it!

Don't let guys like this win... live your life. Although I don't have any idea how any one works out at that ungodly hour... no way anything is functioning athletically for me at that point.

[madsplash]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

I mean, what's the thought process here...?

"Let's see, I'm a 48-year-old loser who has as many notches in my belt as your average 14-year-old virgin high school freshman guy. Women reject my ugly ass all the time... What should I do? Oh! I know! Let's post a blog about how much I violently hate women since I can't get one to fuck me and then I'll go kill people at a gym and off myself so the rest of the world can see how big of a loser I was... that'll show them"

Sounds about right. What else could he have been thinking. You know, I'm honestly suprised(and happy) this stuff doesn't happen even more. People are more bitter and unhappy than ever, so it seems.

I've been way, way, way down in my life, but never did the thought of hurting anyone, especially innocent people that I don't even know, enter my mind. I just don't get it.

The only way I could ever hurt someone is if someone physically threatened me or my loved ones or probably if I came home and found some dude bangin my wife/girlfriend in my bed... he'd definitely get hurt at least, if not worse, heh.

Wouldn't she be just as much, if not more, to blame? Maybe he didn't even know she was married? Who knows what she told him. I don't think I'd hurt either of them, but I would physically throw them BOTH out of my house.

[madsplash]

The thing I hate about this kinda stuff is that the losers always kill themselves at the end. I mean they deserve to die for what they did, but I wish some would stick around and tell us why they did it, and take the punishment like a man. Of course maybe it's easier for the victim's families if they're just gone.

Like those two loser dork/geeks at Columbine. To cowardly to stay around and face up to what they did.
"No one likes me and I don't fit in, wah, wah, wah". Shut the hell up and do something positve about it and don't kill innocent people. Garbage human beings.

All kind of kids didn't fit in when I was in school and they didn't kill people. While I was popular and had many friends, I made sure to never give those kinds of kids any teasing or ribbing and i made sure my friends didn't either. Still, even though some kids did give them grief, it sure doesn't give anyone the right to do that kind of sick, twisted shit.

Depressing stuff, indeed.

[stevew2]

This country is just getting really fucking unsafe. Now you can't go to college or even go jog a few miles on the fuckin treadmill without bringing your Glock and kevlar vest. Just unbelievable. I shudder to think of what it's gonna be like in another 20-30 years

Yep. Scary, sad, sickening stuff. What's the answer?

What a sick, sick piece of garbage this guy was. The world is obviously better off without him, but it sucks that he had to take innocent people with him. What a twisted, cowardly turd.

I mean, what's the thought process here...?

"Let's see, I'm a 48-year-old loser who has as many notches in my belt as your average 14-year-old virgin high school freshman guy. Women reject my ugly ass all the time... What should I do? Oh! I know! Let's post a blog about how much I violently hate women since I can't get one to fuck me and then I'll go kill people at a gym and off myself so the rest of the world can see how big of a loser I was... that'll show them"

Sounds about right. What else could he have been thinking. You know, I'm honestly suprised(and happy) this stuff doesn't happen even more. People are more bitter and unhappy than ever, so it seems.

I've been way, way, way down in my life, but never did the thought of hurting anyone, especially innocent people that I don't even know, enter my mind. I just don't get it.

The only way I could ever hurt someone is if someone physically threatened me or my loved ones or probably if I came home and found some dude bangin my wife/girlfriend in my bed... he'd definitely get hurt at least, if not worse, heh.

Wouldn't she be just as much, if not more, to blame? Maybe he didn't even know she was married? Who knows what she told him. I don't think I'd hurt either of them, but I would physically throw them BOTH out of my house.

Id check them sheets for pecker tracks just to be sure

[hoagiepete]

The thing I hate about this kinda stuff is that the losers always kill themselves at the end. I mean they deserve to die for what they did, but I wish some would stick around and tell us why they did it, and take the punishment like a man. Of course maybe it's easier for the victim's families if they're just gone.

Like those two loser dork/geeks at Columbine. To cowardly to stay around and face up to what they did.
"No one likes me and I don't fit in, wah, wah, wah". Shut the hell up and do something positve about it and don't kill innocent people. Garbage human beings.

All kind of kids didn't fit in when I was in school and they didn't kill people. While I was popular and had many friends, I made sure to never give those kinds of kids any teasing or ribbing and i made sure my friends didn't either. Still, even though some kids did give them grief, it sure doesn't give anyone the right to do that kind of sick, twisted shit.

Depressing stuff, indeed.

Just wish they'd off themselves, before they took the innocent lives.

[Ehwmatt]

The thing I hate about this kinda stuff is that the losers always kill themselves at the end. I mean they deserve to die for what they did, but I wish some would stick around and tell us why they did it, and take the punishment like a man. Of course maybe it's easier for the victim's families if they're just gone.

Like those two loser dork/geeks at Columbine. To cowardly to stay around and face up to what they did.
"No one likes me and I don't fit in, wah, wah, wah". Shut the hell up and do something positve about it and don't kill innocent people. Garbage human beings.

All kind of kids didn't fit in when I was in school and they didn't kill people. While I was popular and had many friends, I made sure to never give those kinds of kids any teasing or ribbing and i made sure my friends didn't either. Still, even though some kids did give them grief, it sure doesn't give anyone the right to do that kind of sick, twisted shit.

Depressing stuff, indeed.

I don't want to hear why they did it... it will all be bullshit reasoning anyway. As for taking the punishment, I'm with you there.

I love all the bleeding hearts who try to turn things around and excuse the bullshit by saying they were made fun of or whatever else. It's all a crock. I'd venture to say that nearly most EVERY kid has to bear some insults and humiliation at some point in his childhood/adolescence, even the "coolest" ones. Not every kid takes it upon himself to kill people. Whatever happened to a good playground fight to settle things?

[Sarah]

The only way I could ever hurt someone is if someone physically threatened me or my loved ones or probably if I came home and found some dude bangin my wife/girlfriend in my bed... he'd definitely get hurt at least, if not worse, heh.

Wouldn't she be just as much, if not more, to blame? Maybe he didn't even know she was married? Who knows what she told him. I don't think I'd hurt either of them, but I would physically throw them BOTH out of my house.

Indeed. Two of my friends (TWO!) have recently been conned by married men pretending to be single and dating them for over a year each until it blew up in their face. It's definitely possible the other guy wouldn't even know she was with someone else.



Also, regarding this killer and others: they've got mental disorders and schizotypal personalities ("characterized by a need for social isolation, odd behavior and thinking, and often unconventional beliefs"). It's not that they're cowardly or even give a shit about that, or that they're rational in their plans to take people out with themselves. With those types of problems, a simple comment can bring up a world of paranoia. They can't just "think positive," probably only medication would help. But these things honestly happen so infrequently that I definitely don't think anyone should be putting on the tinfoil hat and avoiding leaving the house at certain times a day. You'll either be in the wrong place or you won't, and most of the time these killings are so unpredictable, it's crazier to modify your life based on this guy's actions when there's so little a chance it'll happen to you.

[Don]

The only way I could ever hurt someone is if someone physically threatened me or my loved ones or probably if I came home and found some dude bangin my wife/girlfriend in my bed... he'd definitely get hurt at least, if not worse, heh.

Wouldn't she be just as much, if not more, to blame? Maybe he didn't even know she was married? Who knows what she told him. I don't think I'd hurt either of them, but I would physically throw them BOTH out of my house.

Indeed. Two of my friends (TWO!) have recently been conned by married men pretending to be single and dating them for over a year each until it blew up in their face. It's definitely possible the other guy wouldn't even know she was with someone else.



Also, regarding this killer and others: they've got mental disorders and schizotypal personalities ("characterized by a need for social isolation, odd behavior and thinking, and often unconventional beliefs"). It's not that they're cowardly or even give a shit about that, or that they're rational in their plans to take people out with themselves. With those types of problems, a simple comment can bring up a world of paranoia. They can't just "think positive," probably only medication would help. But these things honestly happen so infrequently that I definitely don't think anyone should be putting on the tinfoil hat and avoiding leaving the house at certain times a day. You'll either be in the wrong place or you won't, and most of the time these killings are so unpredictable, it's crazier to modify your life based on this guy's actions when there's so little a chance it'll happen to you.

I agree. This guy was a defective unit from the word go. His neighbors describe him a anti-social, yet he can't see that in himself. It's not like he committed the act to gain a material possession or for sadistic pleasure. The best thing to happen was having him kill himself. People like this don't even understand why they're being punished. It's just a waste of taxpayers dollars to even put these people on trial. It doesn't deter others because they don't even know what they're doing is wrong anyway.
You get a rabid or sick animal, you medicate it. If that doesn't work, you put it down.
Simple as that.

[walkslikealady]

Might sound callous, but when I heard he had a problem 'cause of sex, my first thought was "didn't he hear of hookers and barflies?"

Someone called someone a "sociopath" so I looked up the definition...that's where I got the line about conscience written below. Apparently, for a sociopath it's all about them...no empathy or conscience.

[madsplash]

I like Dennis Miller's theory on the insanity defense.

"Ok, your insane? We'll fry your ass in a fuckin' clown suit"!

[mmberry301]

Might sound callous, but when I heard he had a problem 'cause of sex, my first thought was "didn't he hear of hookers and barflies?"

Someone called someone a "sociopath" so I looked up the definition...that's where I got the line about conscience written below. Apparently, for a sociopath it's all about them...no empathy or conscience.

You know as bad as it sounds I thought the same thing.

I mean personally never had to do that when I single but there are women that would be happy to give you a little 'enjoyment' for a few $$$

Heck, had I known this guy and this could happen I'd taken up a collection to get him an escort or two.

It is truly sad....

We've all been very down in our lives (me included) but never thought of just showing up and shooting people.

[moangel58]

It just had to be his personality, because from that pic, blurry as it was, he really didn't look that bad, anti-social, a loner? That still doesn't cause you not to have girl friends, he did say he went out and had dates, so does that make one a loner? He might have taken them out and acted strange to them and they just didn't want to be bothered after the first date. I have been with out on dates and after that date decided to not do it again. Sometimes they have little flaws that come out on that date, whether it be their laugh, the way they eat, the way they kiss. Maybe he had issues with one of those things. BUT, still no reason to go and kill someone over it. And why the gym?, why not somewhere else, if he really wanted to get alot of women, where would you go? The MALL! Women love shopping. I think there was someone at that fitness center that turned him down and he knew she would be there, is it logical? Maybe! I use to live in PA, near Allentown area. Glad to be out of there.