NEW ORLEANS - In less than 24 hours, two men each allegedly murdered the people who gave them life.
One in Metairie, the other in Michigan.
Forensic Pshychiatrist Dr. Sarah DeLand says although we don't know specifically what triggered these two men, warning signs are there.
"Unfortunately, we've ended up with a number of people in these forensic mental health systems who never came to mental health treatments until something bad like this happened," Dr. DeLand said.
While situations may differ, there are a few common factors.
"One thing is, that I run across the most intensely, is somebody that has mental illness. And they're psychotic. Mainly, they get paranoid and think their parents or those closest to them are trying to do something to them," Dr. Deland said.
Substance abuse, or abuse in the household could also play a role.
"Sometimes we see that there's this long history of abuse. And finally, they just snap," Dr. DeLand said.
Then there are times, Dr. DeLand says, where the suspect shows signs of irritability or withdrawal, no matter if they grew up rich or poor, Black or White.
"It cuts across all socioeconomic boundaries. There may be different motivations. Although, if it's due to mental health or substance use, it doesn't really matter," Dr. DeLand said.
Dr. Ashraf Esmail, Criminal Justice Professor at Dillard University says this impulsive act of violence not only needs to be monitored, but discussed more.
"That middle ground in terms of how to address this is something we're going to have to deal with. Cause, we're seeing more of this and more shootings, whether it's young people, and in general," Dr. Esmail said.
Statistics on kids committing violence against their parents are hard to find. But in a study done in 2012, Kathleen M. Heide, a criminology professor at the University of South Florida published a book on the subject and found that on average, five parents are killed by their biological children in the United States every week.