And nothing about the real problem: the mentally ill.
The three men stabbed to death by Rodgers were his roommates in a “sheltered residence” apartment for the mentally ill. Supposedly he was supervised by therapists.
His parents and the therapists asked the police to check on him because he had been posting violent things on social media. The cops determined that he was ok...based on what? Are they psychiatrists? Plus they’re terrified of being sued if they order an involuntary committal, since the “mental health advocates” have made this practically impossible and a highly risky thing for the person or agency who orders it.
He bought the guns legally. If he was so ill as to have to live in a sheltered residence, why was there nothing in his record that would have enabled the gun dealer to see it when he checked the purchase? It’s not the dealer’s fault, or because the laws on guns aren’t strict enough.
It’s because there’s a problem on how to handle the mentally ill. Blaming “guns” is a convenient excuse.
“And nothing about the real problem: the mentally ill.”
Correct, and this guy was SO nuts that his own parents called the cops on him.
Clearly that was ineffectual (why, I don’t understand but so it was), but my guess is that was not the only thing they had done to try and get him help.
I know from personal experience that is it pretty much impossible to get help for a mentally ill person. Psychiatrists, etc. spend their days helping the neurotic while the psychotic are pretty much left to fend for themselves.
In the 2 cases I’m personally familiar with, involving a family member and a close friend, many, many caring family members sought fruitlessly to get help for people who had lost touch with reality.
The end result in both cases was suicide.
I can only suppose it could have been worse.
The laws pertaining to mental illness need to be changed.