Targeting Those with Mental Illness Will Not Prevent Mass Shootings

So now, according to the Washington Post, the Trump Administration is “…considering a controversial proposal to study whether mass shootings could be prevented by monitoring mentally ill people for small changes that might foretell violence.”1 As a psychiatrist, I keep wondering how many times the White House will scapegoat those with psychiatric illnesses rather than looking at the scientific data on mass shooters. To understand the problem, consider the case of “Tyler” (a composite of many mass shooter profiles). Tyler is a 19-year-old, single, unemployed high school dropout. He was working as a short-order cook and doing other odd jobs, but he was recently fired for showing up intoxicated at work. Tyler has always felt like “the odd man out” and that he’s always gotten “the short end of the stick.” He posts angry rants regularly on social media, arguing that “the whole damn system is stacked against me,” and complaining that “it’s always the minorities that get the goodies, even though they shouldn’t even be in this country.” Tyler has long held a grudge against the high school he attended, accusing the administration of “specifically targeting me for oppression and exploitation” and fantasizing about “a revolution born in blood to overthrow the elites.” He adds, “I’m the only true-born leader who can purify this world of its filthy elements.” Tyler has made a careful study of mass shootings in the U.S. and expresses admir...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Criminal Justice Mental Health and Wellness Stigma Violence and Aggression extreme risk protection order mass shooting Mental Illness red flag law Source Type: blogs