More Details of and Reaction to Tragic GSA Case

We've been following a tragic case in the news in which a man who apparently experienced reciprocal reunion GSA apparently murdered three people before committing suicide. We've previously linked to reaction from Jane and here's more recent reaction from her.

At post-gazette.com, Nicholas Rondinone and David Owens have more details.

A 911 call reveals that suspected killer Steven Pladl’s daughter, with whom he had a romantic relationship and had fathered a child, broke up with him on Wednesday, one day before police say he killed her, her adoptive father and himself.

Sadly, this sort of violence happens in all sorts of relationships all too often. It can hardly be blamed on GSA.

The 911 call was made in North Carolina by Pladl’s mother on Thursday morning. His mother, who is not identified, told the dispatcher that Pladl called her at about 8:45 a.m. after opening fire on his daughter and her adoptive father in New Milford. Shortly after he called his mother, Pladl killed himself.

This is so awful.

Adults should be free to have their relationships, and should also be free to end relationships. We can't know for sure what was going through the dead murderer's mind, but he was probably under extreme stress and despair. If the information provided is accurate, he killed his own infant, and then deliberately drove to stalk and murder his genetic daughter and the man who raised her (her legal and social father).

Therapists need to be prepared to help people experiencing GSA, and one way of helping to bring that about will be ending criminalization of GSA and discrimination against consanguinamory.