Howard wasn't overly popular in high school but he also wasn't a loner. He had his own little circle of friends and, as he grew older and more confident in himself, he began to take part in high school sports and date some of the girls that caught his eye. He couldn't understand the reason why some students would intentionally kill their classmates in mass, knowing full well they'd either be arrested, or worse yet, be killed. Howard read about serial killers over the years and although he didn't have the traits or characteristics of one, he still fantasized about how it would be to kill someone.