tags: timeline 2012, Conspiracy Theory Terrorists, shooting at cars, attacking vehicles, fake mental case, Terrorist Incidents
October 16, 2012 Raulie Casteel Michigan Terrorist Freeway Shootings Raulie Casteel shot at 24 vehicles along the I-96 corridor over three days. One victim was struck in the buttocks and suffered a nonfatal injury; 23 others were uninjured. He was sentenced to 16 up to 40 years on terrorism charges. His cover story testifying in his own defense was that he was consumed with anxiety while in traffic, most likely from undiagnosed delusions. He said he believed drivers were part of a government conspiracy against him. In June of 2012, Kentucky police responded to his spurious complaints of low-flying planes when no one else complained. His lawyer said Casteel was diagnosed with delusional disorder.
Timeline:
Feb. 4, 2014: sentencing.June 2012 - Police in Kentucky said they had no contact with him until June 2012 when he became agitated and complained about aircraft flying too low over his house. No one else had reported low-flying planes.
Sources
Why Conspiracy Theories Provoke Violence - War On You
waronyou.com/forums/index.php?topic=25966.0
Jan 30, 2014 - 10 posts - 5 authorsAt the trial this week of Raulie Casteel, the Michigan man accused of .... it's easy enough to find that most are directly funded by Zionist interests.- Psychology
Why Conspiracy Theories Provoke Violence
Jan 30, 2014 09:32 AM ET // by Benjamin Radford
At the trial this week of Raulie Casteel, the Michigan man accused of going on a shooting spree in October 2012, Casteel's lawyer explained that his client shot at nearly two dozen people because of his conspiracy beliefs.
"Casteel thought drivers along Michigan's Interstate 96 were part of a government conspiracy against him," he said in court Monday, according to ABC News. So he started firing.
Casteel, a husband and father, is taking the stand in his own trial, which continues Tuesday.
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"To my way of thinking at the time, [the shooting] was to get rid of the demons so to speak. It was those thoughts — the fear, the anxiety," the confessed shooter said Monday.
After being fired from his job as a scientist, Casteel says he believed his phone calls were being monitored and that government helicopters were watching him.
Casteel is only one of many violent conspiracy theorists who have taken up arms and attacked innocent victims.
In 2002, Luke Helder, a Minnesota college student, left 18 pipe bombs left in mailboxes that injured six people in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas. Before the bombings Helder wrote a six-page letter to a university student newspaper discussing his belief in various conspiracy theories. Helder wrote that each person can create his or her own reality, and that "once you begin to realize the potential you have as a consciousness/soul/spirit, you will begin to harness the abilities you have to produce realities."
Helder stated that his bombs were designed as "attention getters" that would allow him to tell the world about his conspiracy beliefs: "I'm doing this because I care…In the end you will know I was telling you the truth anyway."
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Jared Loughner, the gunman who killed six people and injured 14 others including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a 2011 Tucson shooting, also advocated conspiracy theories. According to a profile in The New York Times, Loughner "became intrigued by anti-government conspiracy theories, including that the Sept. 11 attacks were perpetrated by the government and that the country’s central banking system was enslaving its citizens."
In addition to his beliefs associated with a co-called "New World Order," he was also convinced that many NASA programs were fake and that images of the Mars surface taken by the Mars Rover were hoaxed as part of a government conspiracy.
Aaron Alexis, a government contractor who killed a dozen people and injured eight others at the Washington Navy Yard in September 2013 told police that he had been harassed through a government mind control program using ultra low frequency microwaves. In one document Alexis wrote: "An ultra low frequency attack is what I’ve been subject to for the last three months, and to be perfectly honest, that is what has driven me to this."
Needless to say, there is no evidence that the U.S. government can control anyone’s thoughts or decisions using microwaves, though that claim is common in conspiracy theory literature.
Conspiracy Theories, Mental Illness, and Violence
Part of the reason that conspiracy theories are so popular is that we are hard-wired to find them. Our brains, even without the help of books, late-night talk shows, and web sites promoting all manner of conspiracy theories, have a tendency to generate conspiracy-type thinking. The human brain sometimes has a difficult time understanding why things happen, and two unrelated events can appear to be connected in some way.
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Seeing hidden connections and causes is a key element of conspiracy thinking. But that logic is a common fallacy with a Latin name: post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for "after this, therefore because of it"). Because the human mind seeks connections, people often mis-attribute causes, thinking that "B happened after A did, so A must have caused B." It makes sense, and it’s often true, but not always. It’s like saying "roosters crow before the sun rises, so the roosters must have made the sun rise."
Taken in extreme, this type of thinking can result in clinical paranoia. The "Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," the so-called bible of psychiatry, notes that in paranoid disorders "The persecutory delusions may be simple or elaborate and usually involve a single theme or series of connected themes, such as being conspired against, cheated, spied upon, followed, poisoned or drugged, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals. Small slights may be exaggerated and become the focus of a delusional system…. Common associated features include resentment and anger, which may lead to violence."
Paranoia and conspiracy thinking lead to feelings of powerlessness or helplessness. Those who believe in conspiracies often see themselves and those around them as victims, pawns in some sinister master plot. They often feel intellectually superior to others around them, especially the "sheeple," a pejorative term for the unenlightened masses who are routinely deceived by government lies and misinformation.
Yet even armed with that conspiracy "knowledge" they cannot attack their oppressors directly. They cannot take out their anger and frustration against a faceless conspiracy — there is no official New World Order or Illuminati spokesman or headquarters to attack — so as a result the anger is released on symbols of the government (such as elected officials) or random crowds.
Video: Top 5 Science Conspiracies, Theories and Hoaxes
Extreme acts of violence can seem to be a logical reaction to conspiracy beliefs. If one sincerely believes that President Obama is the Antichrist who at any moment will take away American's guns and trigger Armageddon, or that elected officials in the G.W. Bush administration murdered nearly 3,000 innocent citizens in a Sept. 11, 2001, conspiracy, then resorting to violence may seem reasonable and appropriate. This is especially true when conspiracy theories appeal to political extremists who already harbor a distrust of the government and a willingness to take up arms.
Of course it is important to remember that most violent people are not conspiracy theorists, most mentally people are not violent, and that most conspiracy believers are not violent.
Though conspiracy beliefs do not cause violence, they can give a name and form to generalized rage and helplessness and set the stage for violent action
Michigan highway shooter gets more than 6 1/2 years - Boston ...
www.myfoxboston.com/.../michigan-highway-shooter-gets-more-...
WFXT
Crimesider Staff — HOWELL, Mich. - A man who kept a swath of southeastern Michigan on edge for weeks by shooting at two-dozen vehicles along a busy ... Read Article
A man who kept a swath of southeastern Michigan on edge for weeks by shooting at two-dozen vehicles along a busy highway corridor was sentenced to 16-to-40 years in prison on a terrorism conviction Monday.
Raulie Casteel, 44, learned his fate in Livingston County Circuit Court, where a jury in January found him guilty of terrorism, rejecting his claim that the shootings were the impulsive result of uncontrolled delusions and paranoia.
Casteel is already serving a six-plus-year sentence that stemmed from a related case in neighboring Oakland County.
During the Livingston County trial, Casteel testified that he shot at the other motorists on Interstate 96 and nearby roads between Lansing and Detroit over a three-day period in October 2012. Testifying in his own defense, Casteel said he was consumed with anxiety while in traffic, most likely from undiagnosed delusions. He said he believed drivers were part of a government conspiracy against him.
Casteel said he never thought about the consequences of the shootings, only that he wanted "to send a message to back off."Defense lawyers pleaded for an acquittal on the terrorism charge, arguing there was no premeditation as required by law, but the jury disagree
...Casteel is a St. Johns, Mich., native who lived in Taylorsville, Ky., before returning to Michigan in 2012 to live with his wife's family.
- Detroit Free Press - 20 hours agoRaulie Casteel, 44, was sentenced to 16-40 years for terrorism, 21/2 to 4 years for felonious assault, 3-5 years for carrying a weapon with ...
- MyFox Detroit - 1 day ago
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Convicted I-96 shooter Raulie Casteel sentenced to 16 to 40 years ...
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WXYZ‑TV20 hours ago - HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) - A man who shot at two-dozen vehicles along a southeastern Michigan highway corridor has been sentenced to 16 to ...
Livingston County judge sentences Michigan I-96 highway shooter ...
www.mlive.com/news/detroit/.../livingston_county_judge_senten.html
18 hours ago - HOWELL, MI -- Raulie Casteel, the 44-year-old Wixom father whom a jury found guilty of terrorism and other crimes in January, is headed to ...
Michigan I-96 highway shooter Raulie Casteel gets up to 40 years in ...
www.mlive.com/lansing-news/.../michigan_i-96_highway_shooter.html
1 day ago - Raulie Casteel learned his fate in Livingston County Circuit Court, where a jury in January found him guilty of terrorism, rejecting his claim that ...
Raulie Casteel Michigan Terrorist Freeway Shootings Raulie ...
https://plus.google.com/109653972168033357790/.../FfJkFDfG...4 mins ago - Raulie Casteel Michigan Terrorist Freeway Shootings Mich. man sentenced to up to 40 years for freeway shootings Crimesider Staff — HOWELL, Mich. - A man ...
Raulie Casteel (RaulieCasteel) on Twitter
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The latest from Raulie Casteel (@RaulieCasteel). This Profile is not affiliated with any of the individuals, or local, state or federal agencies it reports on.
Raulie Casteel « CBS Detroit
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WWJ10+ items - Raulie Casteel. Raulie Casteel (Booking photo)
A man who confessed to shooting at cars along the I-96 corridor has been ...Raulie Casteel testified that he shot at motorists because he thought they were ...
I-96 shooter Raulie Casteel faces up to life in prison today ...
www.livingstondaily.com/.../I-96-shooter-R...
Livingston County Daily P...1 day ago - Raulie Wayne Casteel faces up to life in prison for terrorism in connection with 23 shootings that occurred in Oakland, Ingham, Shiawassee and ...
Raulie Casteel sentenced 16 to 40 years in prison for terrorism - Fox ...
www.myfoxdetroit.com/.../raulie-casteel-sentenced-16-to-40-years...
WJBK1 day ago - A man who shot at about two-dozen vehicles along a Michigan highway corridor is sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison for terrorism.
Raulie Casteel, I-96 Shootings Suspect, Believed Other Motorists ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../raulie-casteel_n_46762...
The Huffington PostJan 27, 2014 - Raulie Casteel, who testified for more than two hours, told jurors he was filled with fear and anxiety while in traffic, most likely from undiagnosed ...
Highway shooter Raulie Casteel sentenced in Livingston County ...
www.abc12.com/.../highway-shooter-raulie-casteel-sentenced
WJRT‑TV1 day ago - (03/03/14) - Convicted highway shooter Raulie Casteel has been sentenced to spend 18-40 years in prison in his Livingston County case.
Who is I-96 corridor shooting suspect Raulie Casteel? | MLive.com
www.mlive.com/news/.../2012/11/i-96_corridor_shooting_suspect_1.ht...
Raulie W. Casteel's mother confirmed to the Detroit Free Press Tuesday that ... on November 06, 2012 at 10:45 PM, updated November 08, 2012 at 12:43 PM.
It's unclear what may have motivated Casteel — if he is found responsible — to shoot, seemingly randomly, at 24 vehicles along the I-96 corridor since Oct. 16.One victim was struck in the buttocks and suffered a nonfatal injury; 23 others were uninjured.Lana Hunt, 62, of Brooksville, Fla., who identified herself as Casteel's mother, told the Detroit Free Press she had concerns that her son, who is a loving father, might be mentally unstable, but Hunt couldn't convince him to visit a doctor.
“I guess my first thought was, oh dear God, thank you for letting him not kill anyone and maybe now he’ll get the help that he needs,” she told The Free Press. "It’s not in his character to go around shooting at people. That’s just not him. That’s somebody else. That’s somebody that’s disturbed.”
Raulie Casteel, Michigan I-96 Shooting Suspect, Faces Arraignment ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/.../raulie-casteel-mic...
The Huffington PostDec 27, 2012 - Raulie Casteel, a 43-year-old unemployed geologist from the Detroit suburb of Wixom, appeared on a video link during a brief arraignment ...
Raulie Casteel, I-96 Shooting Spree Suspect, Charged And Jailed
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/.../raulie-casteel-mic...
The Huffington PostNov 7, 2012 - Prosecutors believe that Raulie Casteel, a geologist, is responsible for the shootings last month that mostly targeted moving vehicles or near ...
Raulie Casteel Michigan Freeway Shootings Ninjapundit Terrorism
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