Analysis of Aaron Alexis's Case

Even if a mentally ill person is banned from buying a gun, there is still another means for them to obtain one. The Times Editorial Board (2016) backed themselves by typing, “The gunman who shot and killed five people in Santa Monica three years ago was banned from owning a gun, so he bought the parts and made his own.” (p. 2). Marcotte (2015) brought up the fact that, “There are as many guns as people in this country, and fully a third of people are armed. Even when shootings happen in gun-happy places, where armed people are sure to be nearby, this vigilante scenario simply doesn't work.” (p. 2). Although there are so many guns in America, mass shootings still happen and are not easily preventable because not everyone arms themselves. Marcotte (2015) also later reports, “A lot of Americans who struggle with mental health are undiagnosed, though, and putting them on a government list that restricts their rights is not a great inducement to get a diagnosis.” (p.

Coates brings up a situation in Chicago where a mentally ill young man, Quintonio LeGrier, was shot to death, by police, while attempting

The question of how to make our communities safer has a list full of solutions which seem to never end. The great debate begins with have any of these solutions worked, or have the right solutions been put to play. Gun control is a very popular topic today, and rightfully so. The media has shined light on mass shootings that have claimed many lives and destroyed families. The question is on who, or what does the blame fall on. Are the gun owners the responsible, or are the weapons themselves to blame? A solution that has been set forth concludes that in order to become a firearm owner, mental stability should be proved. Should government enforce mental health evaluations for gun purchase?

The United States should make stronger gun control laws because it is possible that guns can get into the wrong hands. Imagine an unstable person carrying around a gun, anyone is at risk. “In 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, used two guns to kill 32 people and wound several others in two attacks two hours apart on the college campus in Blacksburg. Cho, who had a documented history of mental and emotional health problems, had nonetheless been able to purchase guns because the state of Virginia had failed to share his history with NICS.” (“Gun Control”, 2016, pg. 5) Thirty-two families will suffer from losing their loved ones because there was not an extensive background check. There are mentally ill people who are not seeking treatment that legally buy guns

Across the nation, many states have begun to reassess their mental health policies and how they affect gun control. One state in particular is Maryland. In 2012, Maryland began a legislative task force to investigate the access of individuals with mental illness to regulated firearms (Maryland, 2013). Under current state law, access to firearms is denied to anyone who has been confined to a mental health facility for more than 30 consecutive days. The law also states that the individual must be determined to be dangerous to themselves or to others along with their mental illness in order to be denied access to firearms. The other question asked is what access law enforcement officers should have to mental health records. In an article by Gostlin (2011) he states “Successfully reducing firearms-related

“Guns don’t kill people, people do.” This is a well known statement that is oftentimes considered true. However, it is not completely true. Someone who is mentally ill may be unable to make logical decisions and the perception they receive of reality may be tainted by the illness. Gun laws pertaining to those suffering mental illnesses should be more restrictive. Weapons such as guns make committing an act of violence, especially when there are multiple victims, much easier. It is difficult to assess the probability of a person to commit a violent act that harms anyone including himself/herself. Therefore, gun laws need be monitored very closely and made more consistent throughout each state in order to prevent violence that could

Next time there 's a mass shooting, don 't jump to blame the people with a mental illness and the people responsible for them. Look first at the NRA services that gave them the guns that caused the chaos and death, and the laws in the state where the shooting took place. People are so angry at the fact that criminals with an mental illness kill people and blame them. When really the gun is the reason why people die. Sure they pulled the trigger, but considering that

A majority of the American people feel that gun control laws will help reduce crime rates because the waiting period would allow time for a person’s temper to cool down. They also feel that gun control will prevent repeat offenders because when a person tries to purchase a handgun, he will have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire. The questionnaire will include questions about the buyer’s past, for example, if they have a criminal record or a record of any mental illness. If there is a criminal record in that person’s history, he will not be able to make the purchase. Restricting handgun ownership would also reduce crime, because guns are used most often in robberies and murders (Mayer 28). They are very easily concealed under a coat, or even in the waistband of pants.

Every year 30,000 americans die from guns while others have the privilege to end up with a disability rather than dieing. The men and women who are diagnosed with a mental illness and obtain guns often commit suicide and crimes such as mass shootings, and murders. Because healthcare providers don't report the mental illness’ of many people to the FBI these people are able to pass a background check when they attempt to purchase a gun. Although the second amendment allows people the right to bear arms, it has become easy for the mentally ill to acquire guns and gun control should be strengthened for this very reason.

After recent tragic events, such as the mass shooting that took place at a musical festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 1st, 2017, which left over 50 people dead, and over 500 others injured (Bui, Zapotosky and Barrett), the topic of stricter gun controls in America has become a controversial topic for many people in our society. Those in favor of stricter gun controls believe that by implementing laws that would make it more difficult for the average person to purchase and own guns, the result would be a decreased number of mass shootings and other gun deaths in our country. Typically, with these proposed laws, it is suggested that potential gun owners should be required to undergo mental health screening, in addition to regular background checks to see if the person has a history of any mental illnesses or past crimes. However, reducing the number of mass shootings and other gun deaths in America is not as simple as just implementing new laws.

The main complication is that America’s corrupted mental health system is a liability to the safety of regular American citizens because mentally ill people do not get the proper help they need and are easily able to gain access to guns. A majority of people with mental illness show signs of having a mental illness and are often not given a proper diagnosis or any diagnosis at all. Only one-third of the people with mental illness who have committed mass shootings in the U.S. since 1900 had sought or received mental health care prior to their attacks. This information suggests that most shooters do not seek or receive care that they need (Duwe 1). If a person with a mental illness is left untreated they could end up hurting themselves or others. Sandy hook mass shooter Adam Lanza presented clear signs of schizophrenia but was not issued the proper care he needed. (Turndoff 5). Another instance where the mental health system has failed is in a case where an individual with mental illness may be diagnosed, but their case is not taken seriously and left untreated. For instance, the notorious Charleston Church shooter Dylann Roof was diagnosed with a host of multiple disorders by a

Since 1982, there have been over 85 mass shootings in the United States. Of those 85 shootings, three quarters of the weapons used were obtained legally. That means that our background check system has failed. If purchasers were required to undergo a mental health evaluation, numerous lives would be saved. Many mass shooters have shown previous signs of mental instability. Take Jared Loughner, the man who opened fire at a public constituent meeting in a Tucson, Arizona supermarket parking lot wounding 13 people and killing 6. Loughner had been showing signs of mental illness for years. He was even suspended from college for disrupting class and showing bizarre behavior. The college told him he needed to be cleared by a mental health professional before he could return. Instead, Loughner dropped out of school. In addition to his disruptions at school, he had many run ins with law enforcement. In fact, on the day of the shooting,

In the Columbine high school shooting he had a history of mental health issues and he still got his hands on guns. Im saying if we stop selling people that have history of mental health issues we don't need to give them the guns because there would be a big decrease in the school shooting population.

People who have mental illness can find ways to access these weapons; which can lead to murder, crime, and destruction. For instance, a senior English major Seung-Hui Cho was allowed to purchase bullets and a nine millimeter Glock 19 pistol from a firearms store in Roanoke Virginia. Considering Cho had a background history of a mental illness, which should have became known in a background check, he was still allowed to purchase this dangerous weapon. On April 19, 2007, Cho had shot and thirty two staff members and students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg (The Assault Weapons Ban). The students who went to school were not expecting someone to show up and start to kill innocent people. Now, families whose loved ones were killed in this horrific incident, left an indelible mark on their hearts because, the thought of not having their loved ones on this earth anymore is unbearable. Imagine having to lose a beloved family member who has been killed in a mass shooting. This horrific incident proves that these weapons need to be banned in order to ensure that they do not end up in the hands of the wrong people. Danger would be dispersed amongst the citizens of the United States if these weapons end up in the wrong

Of the 130 studied incidents, only one had evidence the shooter was barred by federal law from owning weapons due to severe mental illness. In 15 other incidents, there were concerns about the mental health of the shooter and had been brought to the attention of a medical practitioner, school official, or legal authority prior to the shooting. Otherwise every shooter had a clean bill of