He Was Almost A Mass Murderer-Now He's Helping STOP Teen Violence

The TRUE story of a teen who nearly became the biggest mass murderer ever - and how his life was turned around by a holocaust survivor

ST PAUL, MN (PRWEB) May 15, 2004 --Long before the Columbine shooting, Tim Hutchinson put on military fatigues, stole some assault weapons, and started out to "get even" with some kids at his local high school.

Hideously humiliated at a party the night before, raised in an abusive household and constantly using violence-the only tool he understood-Hutchinson saw no other options that day than his plan to set off explosives and then shoot people as they fled. Fortunately, he was stopped just minutes before the attack.

Hutchinson continued a life of crime for several more years: kidnapping, assault, drug dealing, and attempted murder, to name a few. And his roommate turned out to be a suspected serial killer, now serving a life sentence. Hutchinson even assumed a new identity and became a coordinator of high-level events like visits by foreign heads of state and national sports events.

But then he turned his life around. With the love he found through his wife, Jennifer, and the couple's children-and guidance from a mentor who had survived an extended encounter with Hitler-he resumed his own name, survived a life-threatening illness, learned to advocate within the system to get what he needed, and became an EMT who has saved lives. He even co-founded a successful nonprofit that teaches self-sufficiency and organizes donation of food, clothing, and medical supplies in Zambia. Now, he speaks to groups of teens and parents about stopping the cycle of violence. His new book, Battle Scars, is available from Riverstone Publishing.

Interview Tim Hutchinson to show your readers:
· Why Columbine happened-inside the mind of a teen mass killer
· How to keep teen violence from breaking out again
· Stories of his two personal turnarounds: first, to break the cycle of violence and rediscover his joy and faith in the good of himself and others...and second, beating the odds after being told he had only 60 days to live, and refusing to take no for an answer from an unsympathetic medical establishment
· How his journey of discovery and love helped him rebuild relationships with his mother and with the son he'd been told was dead

Disturbing Facts About Teen Violence: 2.3 million juveniles are arrested in the U.S. every year

Violent crimes committed by teens have shot up in the last 15 years-as much as 98% for Assault·   

Every year, over 5,000 crimes with guns or knives take place at U.S. high schools

Book Summary:
Battle Scars: The True Story of How One Teen Nearly Became the Biggest Mass Murder Ever, by Tim Hutchinson
Publisher/Pub date: Riverstone Publishing, St. Paul, MN, November 2003
ISBN 0-9721-928-1-6, LC CIP 2003005791
$16.95, 336-page trade paperback, 5.5 x 8.5
Testimonials and additional press info at www.AmericanYouth.net
Wholesalers: Baker & Taylor, Blackwell's, Eastern Books

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Contact: Tim Hutchinson, 651-340-2089, media@americanyouth.net