Loughner reveals descent into madness in YouTube video

Walking around the Pima County Community College campus, the suspected shooter talks of "Genocide in America"

By Adam Clark Estes

Published January 17, 2011 1:17AM (EST)

In this image taken from a YouTube video posted by Jared Lee Loughner and released by Pima Community College to the Associated Press , a campus books station is shown at Pima Community College, with the reflection of Loughner in Tucson, Ariz. The video shot by the suspected gunman in the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others showed the former community college student touring campus at night and at times rambling about free speech and the Constitution. (AP Photo/Pima Community College) (AP)
In this image taken from a YouTube video posted by Jared Lee Loughner and released by Pima Community College to the Associated Press , a campus books station is shown at Pima Community College, with the reflection of Loughner in Tucson, Ariz. The video shot by the suspected gunman in the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others showed the former community college student touring campus at night and at times rambling about free speech and the Constitution. (AP Photo/Pima Community College) (AP)

Pima County College recently relased this video of Jared Lee Loughner, the suspected shooter from Saturday's attack in Tucson, Ariz.

The video appears to show Loughner touring the campus and "examining the torture of students." Truncated by fits of soft laughter Loughner talks about "genocide in America" and seems increasingly deranged:

If the student is unable to locate the external universe, the student is unable to locate the internal universe. Where is all my subtext? I could say something sound right now but I don't feel like it…

Thank you, this is Jared -- of Pima College.

"60 Minutes" excerpted the video  Sunday night in an attempt to assemble the jigsaw backstory of  Loughner. After news broke last Friday about Loughner photographing himself holding guns and wearing a red G-string, the New York Times published a lengthy profile of the young man.

More friends and acquaintances from the past emerge each day -- like Loughner's ex-girfriend who insisted that he was "faking it." But Loughner's own voice provides perhaps the most accurate, if chilling glimpse into his psyche.


By Adam Clark Estes

Adam Clark Estes blogs the news for Salon. Email him at ace@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @adamclarkestes

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