Sorry in advance for the long post, but I’m as sickened by the latest massacre of innocents as you all are and have been thinking about how to prevent them. If you thought this was another thread about the gun debate, it isn’t and I hope it doesn’t turn in to that. My question has to do with whether we as a society really have the tools in the mental health field to stop mass shooters before they act. So far it seems the LV shooter left few clues about his motives, but a large number of other recent mass shooters apparently had made disturbing comments to or taken disturbing actions towards family, friends, or co-workers on a number of occasions before they ever committed their terrible deeds, but nothing was done about them.
Charles Whitman is a case in point from long ago. At least four years before he went on his rampage, he told a fellow student that someone on the Tower with a rifle could do a lot of damage. He also told a University psychiatrist what he was thinking about doing just four months before he did it.
What are we to do with such people? The obvious answer is to “report them,” but report them to whom, and what are those people prepared to do with the “suspect”? Can they medically treat or institutionalize the “threat” against his will? And for how long? Maybe those on this board in the mental health field have some answers that I’m unaware of or others have actual experiences dealing with people like this. But it just seems to me there are opportunities to prevent these tragedies in advance that are not being taken advantage of, but I don’t currently have a good answer as to what can be done. Other OBs?
Charles Whitman is a case in point from long ago. At least four years before he went on his rampage, he told a fellow student that someone on the Tower with a rifle could do a lot of damage. He also told a University psychiatrist what he was thinking about doing just four months before he did it.
What are we to do with such people? The obvious answer is to “report them,” but report them to whom, and what are those people prepared to do with the “suspect”? Can they medically treat or institutionalize the “threat” against his will? And for how long? Maybe those on this board in the mental health field have some answers that I’m unaware of or others have actual experiences dealing with people like this. But it just seems to me there are opportunities to prevent these tragedies in advance that are not being taken advantage of, but I don’t currently have a good answer as to what can be done. Other OBs?
