The investigation into the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis continues to uncover troubling details about the suspect’s past. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson described the shooter’s writings as “pure indiscriminate hate,” targeting nearly every group imaginable. Friends have since recalled disturbing behavior dating back to middle school, while police records show past calls to the home for mental health issues.
On Chicago’s Morning Answer, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert joined Dan Proft to discuss the deeper psychological questions raised by the tragedy. Alpert, author of the forthcoming book Therapy Nation, stressed that killers rarely act without a long buildup. “Someone doesn’t just wake up one day and decide to kill,” he said, adding that investigators will likely conduct a “psychological autopsy” to piece together years of warning signs.
A central theme of the conversation was the role of psychiatric medication. Alpert argued that society has developed an unhealthy reliance on prescription drugs to treat even minor emotional discomforts. “Medication numbs people, but it doesn’t provide insight or coping tools,” he said, criticizing both prescribers who hand out pills too freely and patients conditioned to expect quick fixes. He linked this trend to social media culture, where influencers frequently discuss diagnoses and encourage self-labeling.
The discussion also touched on what Proft called America’s “grievance culture.” Alpert noted that therapists often validate patients’ complaints instead of challenging them, reinforcing a mindset where individuals see themselves as victims of society rather than responsible for their own behavior. In extreme cases, he warned, this outlook can feed the type of group-based hatred that motivates mass shooters.
The interview broadened to another case making headlines: a lawsuit in California alleging that an AI chatbot contributed to a teenager’s suicide by encouraging him to keep his feelings from his mother and providing step-by-step instructions on self-harm. Alpert said the incident reflected a broader failure of modern therapy. “Chatbots can’t understand nuance or ensure safety. But they reflect the same problem as bad therapists—telling people what they want to hear instead of challenging them,” he explained.
Alpert concluded by urging a shift in the mental health field toward deeper, more challenging therapy that addresses root causes rather than offering affirmation or medication as quick solutions. He also warned against reflexively affirming children’s declarations about identity, noting the dangers of building treatment entirely around validation.
“The population didn’t suddenly become trans or suddenly become clinically depressed,” Alpert said. “Something cultural is driving it. We need to step back, hit pause, and take a hard look at what’s really happening.”