In a strange way, America may be developing its own particular brand of suicide criminals.

We hear constantly about the “suicide bombers” in the Middle East, Asia and even in parts of Europe. They are allegedly devoted members of a faction that puts a premium on dying for a cause, however flawed it may be. They use bombs taped to their bodies, explosives in motor vehicles and all sorts of other ruses to kill and maim innocents with no regard for their own lives. They usually die at the scene.

Then we have our office and mall shooters in America who pursue a criminal venture with no regard for their own well-being. Just recently in Salt Lake City, an 18-year-old with a Bosnian background went into a mall and killed five people and wounded at least four before he was brought down by police fire. One has to conclude that the Utah assailant had “suicide by cop” in mind – the goal of having someone else kill him so he wouldn’t have to do it himself.

Just after the Utah incident, more killings occurred in an office to the east. And as long as people who care nothing about living are willing to launch attacks, law-abiding people, in America or anywhere, are at serious risk.

There is steady reference to insurgents and religious fanatics in Iraq, Afghanistan and the like who will do anything they can and pay any price to make perceived enemies pay dearly for mere existence. But in a way we have been developing our own “suicidists” whose goals are never clear but whose behavior is devastating to decent people. Consider how our openness and permissiveness may have assisted in encouraging such people.

Mall and school shootings were occurring here before the suicide attackers began to operate so effectively in other parts of the world. But as the latter have increased the frequency of their assaults, we can’t help wondering whether misfit shooters in our midst are following the copycat route and how long this trend will continue.