violent personality?

A 22 year old young man who used to work where I work  constantly talked about violent things like killing, stabbing people, etc. Twice he told another coworker that if he were fired he would come back and shoot everyone.  We could never be sure if he was kidding or not.  He watches wrestling all the time and plays those violent games.  Could this young man be a REAL threat?  By the way - he WAS fired for his comments.

[HFHS-M.D.-HG]

I can understand your concern particularly with the random shootings that have occurred in the work place. Watching wrestling games and playing violent games cannot be counted as predictors for violence. To predict violence without a clinical evaluation is difficult. If a person threatens a specific person or a group of people, he needs to be reported and subsequently evaluated. Violent behavior is seen in psychiatric conditions such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, major depression, Antisocial personality disorder and people with drug and alcohol abuse.  He needs a comprehensive evaluation by a trained mental health professional to determine if he is a threat to others.

This information is provided for general educational purposes only and should not replace evaluation by a physician.