The defense is abnormal

Today, the fear is rational

I am Danny Culotti's Uncle Joe. Danny made the front page of The Seattle Times on Oct. 10, 2006 ["Man killed at Westlake had set fire at mom's home in '01"]. He started a fistfight with someone who had a concealed gun on his person on a Saturday morning in downtown Seattle.

Witnesses say Danny's attack appeared random, but it was Danny who was shot dead. Initial reports painted Danny as a dangerous person who deserved it and the shooter as the victim.

Put aside the fact that Danny was a beautiful, intelligent child who became schizophrenic at age 18 through no fault of his own; then ask how you would respond to someone attacking you with his fists.

Most normal people would respond by instinctively running or using their hands to defend themselves.

However, the shooter was not what we would think of as normal — he was carrying a gun and his immediate instinct was to shoot his attacker.

Many "normal" people are capable of killing another person in a brief moment of extreme anger, but this is uncommon because most of us do not carry lethal weapons and our bodies are not killing machines — a .357-caliber Magnum is.

Schizophrenia, amazingly, affects one of a hundred people. Its major symptom is hearing voices, often telling the person to perform abnormal acts. Its cause is not understood, but it can strike anyone and is one of the worst scourges of modern society.

There is no doubt that Danny acted erratically that day, but he did have a diagnosed mental illness.

I am certain he would admit that what he did was wrong, if he were alive, but he was taken from us by a misguided man with a gun.

Danny won't be here to rejoice in a cure for schizophrenia, which we all hope will one day be found. May Danny rest in peace.

Joseph G. Culotti is a resident of Toronto, Canada, and professor of molecular and medical genetics at the University of Toronto.