I have very mixed thoughts and feelings on situations like that. Mostly? I agree with you.

But I am hoping that we find some better way. Regardless, though, the fact of the matter remains that treating acts of violence like that as actions of a mentally ill person doesn't mean they get away with it. Contrary to what Hollywood likes to say, when you successfully employ the Insanity Plea, you're most likely never leaving the hospital they put you in.

With all that said, I've also had conversations about high profile serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. My views on the death penalty have changed a lot, but I still believe that execution was really the only reasonable way to deal with those two. The point with this semi-off topic tangent being that it's a really complicated issue, and I'm not sure what the right answer is at this point in time.

I do hope that, some day, we know enough about what makes kids do horrible things, how to identify the warning signs, and get them help ahead of time so that this isn't even a debate.

I think if we had a better system for mental healthcare and socioeconomic reforms, we could help a lot of kids and adults. Sadly I don't see that happening any time soon.

You make a good point, but the question had to be asked: was there a mental/psychological issue at the core of the act? Could the kid genuinely not understand the long term impact their actions will have?

It seems to me this will also bring other meanings to the ever notorious phrase "Windows has stopped working"

I had a choice between snatch and two smoking barrels...I had to go for snatch, not a barrels kinda guy. So what's this movie everyone's talking about?