Fame, isolation and terror: inside the mind of a lone mass killerFame, isolation and terror: inside the mind of a lone mass killer
All In The Mind
What is it that drives a person to mass murder? It's a question forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen has made a life's study of. While these devastating events can at times appear random — he says that taken together, from Port Arthur to Dunblane to Texas — patterns emerge that tell us about the motivations of lone mass killers. It's often to do with isolation, vengeance and fame. Which is why a growing number of people, including Paul, are pushing never to name the perpetrators of mass killings. Today on All in the Mind: insights into denying mass killers the glory they seek and preventing future massacres. Please note, this episode covers some heavy topics including massacres and suicide. Please take care while listening. Guest: Professor Paul E. Mullen Monash University Forensic psychiatrist Author, Running Amok: Inside the Mind of the Lone Mass Killer Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Antonia Gauci Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
30:25•20 Jun 2026
Inside the Mind of a Lone Mass Killer with Forensic Psychiatrist Paul Mullen
Episode Overview
- Lone mass killers are typically isolated, resentful men who feel they have failed in life yet see themselves as secretly special and destined for a dramatic end.
- Suicide and fantasies of military-style glory sit at the centre of many attacks, with perpetrators often seeking both death and fame.
- Terrorist attacks and lone mass killings can look similar, but terrorists are usually embedded in groups and driven by a cause rather than purely personal grievance.
- Threat assessment centres can use online behaviour, access to weapons and personal history to flag high-risk individuals and offer both mental health and police interventions.
- Paul argues strongly for never naming perpetrators in public reporting, to deny them the fame that can inspire future attackers, and urges people with concerns to contact police-linked threat management services.
“"Never at any stage name them. It matters because of the next one down the line who's watching what you're doing."”
What drives an isolated man to take a gun into a public place and plan to die among his victims? This episode of *All In The Mind* looks straight at that question, guided by retired forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen and hosted by journalist Sana Kadar. Drawing on cases from New Zealand’s Aramoana massacre to Port Arthur, Dunblane and Texas, Paul shares what decades of work with lone mass killers suggest about their psychology.
He explains that most are lonely, resentful men who feel they’ve failed in life, yet secretly see themselves as special: fascinated by guns, obsessed with military fantasies, and increasingly suicidal. As he puts it, "These people are full of anger and resentment." The conversation moves from the historical roots of "running amok" in Malaysia to how modern mass shootings have become a cultural script of their own, fuelled by publicity and a hunger for fame.
Paul argues strongly that we should "never at any stage name them," warning that each headline risks inspiring "the next one down the line who's watching what you're doing." You’ll also hear a clear breakdown of how lone mass killers differ from organised terrorists, and why some incel attackers sit awkwardly between the two.
Rather than sensationalising violence, the episode focuses on prevention: threat assessment centres, spotting early red flags in online activity and essays, and how a direct, concerned approach can sometimes pull someone back from fantasy into reality. This is a thoughtful, steady-paced conversation for people interested in mental health, forensic psychology and public safety, who want something more evidence-based than standard true-crime fare.
It may leave you asking: if you noticed these warning signs in someone you know, what would you do next?
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