A Crime of Insanity

A Crime of Insanity It’s just another day of class, at least which is what is going through your head. You think schools are a safe place, not a place where you can get shot or killed at. What is going through your mind when you’re their sitting in class? Nothing other than what is going on. But it was all different for these students that day. On December 14, 1994, 26 year old Ralph Tortirici walked into a history class at State University of New York. Underneath his clothes he had a hunting knife and a Remmington 270 hunting rifle with which he took the classroom hostage. One of the hostages said he told everyone to stand up and get to the side of the classroom. Tortirici also told the professor to leave the classroom. He wanted everyone to know he was serious by firing off a round from his rifle and used a fire hose to tie the doors shut. Tortorici told the hostages in the classroom he had a computer chip in his brain and penis and wanted to see the president. If everyone cooperated nobody would get hurt, but 19 year old, Jason McEnaney, rushed the gunman and it discharged. McEnaney was seriously injured, shot in the leg and groin. Once arrested, Tortorici repeatedly said, “I did what I had to do.” They took Tortorici to Albany Medical Center to be treated for a knife injury he got during a struggle with the students. He also tested positive for cocaine. Afterwards he was released into police custody and taken to the Albany Court jail and charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and attempted murder. His lawyer claimed not guilty by reason on insanity. Larry Rosen, presiding judge, had to decide if he was even competent to stand his own trial. His brother Matthew Tortorici said Ralph suffered from delusions for many years. His delusions led to a conspiracy theory that he told his father and Matthew that the cops were out to get him. Ralph was born with a defective urethra and went through a series of operations to fix it. After a