MARK BARTON meant to be a helpful murderer. He left a neatly typed, detailed letter with the bodies of his wife and children. It was meant as an explanation for what he had done. It hinted at revenge against unnamed greedy people who wanted to destroy him, it talked of his depression, of the downward spiral his life had taken, of his fear that the dark moods he had inherited from his father would be passed on to his children. But no explanation, not even from his own hand, will be adequate to make the world understand.

The text of a note found in Mark Barton's apartment along with the bodies of his wife, son and daughter.

THE ATLANTA killings shocked because of their scale and savagery: nine people shot dead at random in their brokerage offices; a wife and two children bludgeoned in their home. But Mark Barton's killing spree was just the eye-catching headline to yet another murderous day in the United States of America.

MARK BARTON meant to be a helpful murderer. He left a detailed letter with the bodies of his wife and children. It was meant as an explanation for what he had done. It talked of his depression, of the downward spiral his life had taken, of his fear that the dark moods he had inherited from his father would be passed on to his own children. But no explanation, not even from his own hand, will be adequate to make us understand.

Sir: Why are the British and US media concentrating on gun control when it is obvious that the capitalist marketplace was behind the latest American shooting massacre (report, 30 July)? Money is notorious as a cause of murders, suicides and no end of despair. The gunman, Mark Barton, became engrossed in online trading along with 7 million other non-rich Americans desperate to make Wall Street-size profits.

The recent phenomenon of day trading - where private investors try to make profits from buying and selling a stock over their PCs within a matter hours - has taken off as the cheap and fast trading has become available over the Internet. Such traders will often trade on margin - putting up only a small percentage of the value of their purchases with on-line brokers and selling the shares for profit before the rest of the money is due - leaving them facing huge losses if their share gamble goes wrong.

Atlanta massacre: Lone trader first killed family, then drove downtown with three guns to shoot staff at two offices

A SHOCKED America plunged into renewed agony over its violent gun culture last night after a disgruntled trader killed 12 people in Atlanta - amongst them his wife and two young children. He was later found dead in his car in another part of the city.

ANOTHER CITY, another state, another multiple shooting. In Atlanta yesterday, yet another American resorted to the gun to take out his life's frustrations. And within minutes of the Mayor of Atlanta announcing the preliminary death toll - five in one office block, four in another, three at the presumed killer's home - the rest of America was rejoining its battle for and against gun control.

Outlook: Bottled drinks

by John Walsh

THE SCANDAL over the lengths cities go to in the hope of becoming an Olympic host took another turn yesterday when the organisers of the 1996 Atlanta Games released a report containing a list of gifts the organisers gave to members of the International Olympic Committee who chose the games venue.

A CONSTRUCTION worker trapped on top of a swaying, 250ft-high crane above a raging fire (left) for more than an hour was rescued by a firefighter who dangled perilously from a helicopter cable.

Boxing's compressed and explosive drama has made some great movies. Southpaw isn't one of them.