Mental Health Disorder Plays Role in Bomb Threat?

By: Holly Wagner

Updated: Thu 6:04 PM, Mar 18, 2004

Mental health experts talk about what role 17-year-old Joshua MaGee's apparent bi-polar disorder could have played in Tuesday's bomb threat.

MaGee took 20 homemade explosives and a loaded rifle to Malcolm School. Court documents say he planned to use them.

Dr. Matthew Nessetti of Nebraska Mental Health Centers says it could have been a number of factors. He says if it was, they say he probably hadn't been taking the medication for quite a while.

"Whatever might have been the lynch pin in this situation could have resulted in a magnified emotional response. If he's not taking his medication, what this means is a significant instability in mood. That's what bi-polar is."

Dr. Nessetti also says from a legal standpoint, just because you have bi-polar, doesn't mean your not competent to make a decision. He says it's likely law enforcement and or the attorney's in the case will request a psychological evaluation to help determine whether the disorder played a factor in Tuesday's bomb scare.

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