One of the first things that comes to mind when contemplating the salient features of the case of the 15 year old boy given the title of the Killer at Thurston High is the utter senselessness of the actions that led to his being sentenced to life imprisonment; almost 120 years. In the May of 1998, 15-year-old Kip Kinkel shot dead his father and mother, following an incident at school that led to his being expelled; he was found to have firearms in his possession. He followed up the double murder of his parents the next day by opening fire at his high school, the Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. This carnage resulted in the deaths of two fellow students with twenty-five others sustaining injuries. The shooting prompted Sarah Brady to state that the ‘shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon should bring every American to the realization that the tragedy of kids and guns will not go away - and is, in fact, escalating’ (Brady, 1998).

One of the most shocking features of the case, moreover, is that Faith and Bill Kinkel were both exceptionally likeable individuals who seemed to have an equally exceptional relationship with and regard for their son Kip. ‘Both loved books, languages, travel, and Kip -- which didn't prevent his gunning them down’ (Leonard, 2004). This is something that inevitably brings us to the issue of taking into account the possibility of any sort of socio-psychological theory that would be useful in concern to understanding, at least partially, why Kip ended up as the first juvenile to serve a life sentence in the state of Oregon. It would be useful to here consider that adopting a social conflict perspective would be of utmost relevance in concern to analyzing Kip’s condition.

Take into consideration, for instance, the fact that Kip indicated that one of the prime reasons due to which he behaved as he did on that fatefully gruesome day in May, 1998, was that he had a long-prevailing case of auditory hallucinations; he heard voices, so to speak. According to Dr. Orin Bolstad, moreover, whom is psychologist working with juvenile criminals, Kip said that the first time Kip heard the voices [they] were telling him that ‘you are a stupid piece of shit. You aren't worth anything’ (The Killer at Thurston High, 2000). It the increasing consistency of the voices, according to Kip, that made for the ever-building pressure that eventually began to erupted with his being expelled. Bolstad went on the state that the tests conducted indicated that Kip was an extremely ‘depressed, alienated child’ (The Killer at Thurston High, 2000). He added that the Kip tended to see ‘adults as unfair, arbitrary and untrustworthy. He has very low self-esteem, and is manipulative and paranoid’ (The Killer at Thurston High).

His stance on adults and self-esteem make it quite apparent, thus speaking, that Kip’s perspective of the societal surroundings within which he existed was one that was significantly warped, consequently making for something of a social conflict. The relevance of such a theory within the particular situation, furthermore, is accentuated even more strongly when considering some of delusional beliefs that Kim was plagued by. Contemplate, for instance, that Kip explained his fascination with and stocking up of explosives as result of his fear the Chinese were going to invade America. Even more ridiculous, moreover, was his belief that Disney was taking over the world; ‘Mickey Mouse on the front, would replace the American dollar; that there were chips planted in his head by the government’ (The Killer at Thurston High, 2000).

One of the things that has been made the most apparent in light of all that has been said and discussed is that Kipland Kinkel, the killer at Thurston High, committed the multiple murders as a particular result of having schizophrenic and/or psychotic tendencies. It is evident, thus speaking and considering that these tendencies caused him to develop and exceptionally warped, anger-filled and destructive perspective his socio-environmental characteristics. It would be conclusively apt, therefore, to acknowledge that the theory that applies in the case of Kipland Kinkel is the theory that conforms to the social conflict perspective or theory.