Most mass public shooters are suicidal, and their crises are often well known to others before the shooting occurs. The vast majority of mass shooters leak their plans ahead of time. People who see or sense something is wrong, however, may not always say something to someone owing to the absence of clear reporting protocols or fear of overreaction and unduly labeling a person as a potential threat. Proactive violence prevention starts with schools, colleges, churches and employers initiating conversations about mental health and establishing systems for identifying individuals in crisis, reporting concerns and reaching out — not with punitive measures but with resources and long-term intervention. Everyone should be trained to recognize the signs of a crisis.
Source: Op-Ed: Nearly all mass shooters have 4 things in common – Los Angeles Times
Related: Many well publicized shooters were under the care of a mental health professional or doctor, for afflictions related to their actions, at the time of their shooting. Often stated comment after a shooting is we need more access to mental health care services (which is true, in general) but so often, the shooter was, in fact, already receiving care.
Update: It is confirmed the Nashville terrorist was under a doctor’s care for an unspecified “emotional disorder”. There is a belief that “if only someone had sought care”, these actions could have been detected in advance.
Update: 1 in 20 American adults owns at least one AR-15 type rifle.
