I'd say that 90% of these could be prevented via the red flag laws.
How many would here would object if a kid had been red flagged over the incident that actually happened rather than the version first reported that was wrong (before he went on to become a mass shooter or if he had never done anything violent)?
Initial reports quoting an “anonymous source” said he had threatened to shoot up the high school graduation ceremony or related events. But that was in error.
What actually happened according to the official police spokesman was this: In answer to an economics class question asking what he planned to do after he retired, he typed “murder-suicide”. The school reported it, LE sent him to the hospital for a psych evaluation, he claimed he was only joking and being stupid, and that was the end of that. His grades were good and he had no record of violence or disruptive behavior.
Boys that age do goofy things, stupid things like that. It’s hard to tell at the time whether it’s a boy being goofy or a sign of a troubled mind. The psych evaluator sadly guessed wrong in this case.
This kid was apparently real slick when he wanted to be, a skilled manipulator and liar.
The New York State Police said they get hundreds of calls per year about such incidents.