It seems to me the essential error in the system is that the entire mental health establishment is focused on "the welfare of the patient".
There was an instant in this case where someone declared Cho a "danger to others". THAT should have been a pivot point, causing the establishment to concern itself with public safety over and above the rights of the individual.
It appears that, once treated and released, the university wasn't even informed of the findings. That's ridiculous! There should have been a procedure for informing the school. Given the cite that he was a danger to others the school should have expelled him on the spot. Lacking that, they should have at least monitored him after he was released.
Sadly, we've been saddled with a mental health establishment that believes its patients should be "mainstreamed". No worse---given special privileges to allow them to function in normal society. Public safety is way, way down their list...because in their minds it stigmatizes the mentally ill if we talk about them as "dangerous".
We have to take on that establishment and demand that schools, employers, et al have a venue whereupon they can simply decide an individual represents a risk to public safety and doesn't belong in their environment. To heck with all the politically correct concern about the individual's well being. If he can't conduct himself in a proper, non threatening manner...too bad.
We are in what the British fondly call a "sticky Wicket" regarding mental illness.
We must keep in mind that the person has what it know as a disease. A disease of the mind that in many cases can be treated successfully.
Granted, there is certainly a public safety issue. But how do you balance that with a persons rights. How do you force a person to seek medical care without damaging or inhibiting a persons desire to seek care voluntarily?
If we place a huge scarlet letter on everyone who exhibits or incurs some sort of psychological problem during his or her lifetime, we will push all of these people, and there are millions who would qualify, into a state of fear and apprehension. They would be forced to keep the problem a closely held secret and never seek help, for fear of being exposed and labeled as a danger to society. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
So there is the problem in a nutshell and why the current system relies largely on the voluntary nature of seeking medical care on your own.
Is there a happy and efficient middle ground?
Maybe....But it is a delicate balancing act.
Not a single person on the planet wants to be labeled with a crazy tag. Millions seek help on their own for depression and the related psychological problems, some of which obviously plagued this shooter. I believe that because of his ethnic heritage and Asian ways, he would never have sought help. Not in a million years, because of the stigma.
I think the best thing we can do as a free society and one that wants to remain free, is to do more to remove the stigma, and not make it worse.
But that's just me.