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Tuesday, April 19, 2005

INFLUENCE

Sad doings at William and Mary. In a very short time, two sophomores have killed themselves, in almost exactly the same way, with a gun each bought at Wal-Mart.

"Between midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday, Jason A. Long of Virginia Beach shot himself in a restroom with a firearm he purchased at a local Wal-Mart just hours before, W&M spokesman William Walker said. On March 17, another sophomore, Adam McCool, took his life in a similar manner, said Walker, also shooting himself in a restroom with a gun he purchased at Wal-Mart."

UD has suggested [see UD, 4/2/05] that many college-age suicides are impulsive, and the first one here may have been. But the second student must have looked carefully at the first student's approach and copied it.