When people talk about Jared Loughner and why he committed this monstrous act, it's important to realize that schizophrenia usually starts in people's early twenties. (See references below fold) Men with schizophrenia often have their first breaks with reality in early college, a few years later for women.
So when Loughner's ex-girlfriend says she doesn't know what happened, that is because he probably WAS a different person when she knew him.
Kelsey Hawkes, who dated Jared Loughner six years ago, emailed the Los Angeles Times about their relationship. Hawkes, who is a currently a junior at the University of Arizona, where President Obama will lead tonight's memorial for the shooting victims of Saturday's tragedy, emphasized that "he's not the same Jared Loughner that the world now knows as a mass murderer -- not the same person at all. What he chose to do with himself and his life between the time that we weren't dating and what he did on Saturday is far beyond me." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Fortunately, schizophrenia is rare in children, affecting only about 1 in 40,000, compared to 1 in 100 in adults. The average age of onset is 18 in men and 25 in women. http://www.schizophrenia.com/...
This is from schizpophrenia . com In my experience, the onset is more often in early twenties, not late teens...
These from wiki
The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood.
Late adolescence and early adulthood are peak years for the onset of schizophrenia. In 40% of men and 23% of women diagnosed with schizophrenia, the condition arose before the age of 19. http://en.wikipedia.org/...
40% before age 19, means 60% after...
Loughner was a young man with schizophrenia. Doesn't excuse his behavior but explains it...