Drug Control vs Gun Control vs Mental Health Policy

America experienced another mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The knee-jerk reaction of Obama and Hillary Clinton was more “gun control,” not improved drug control and not improved mental health laws. In the most recent ten shootings, a common theme emerges, and, no, it is not guns.

Charleston. Police reported the suspect, Dylann Roof, in the Charleston killings to be on the oral version of the drug Suboxone, a step down drug for the treatment of opiate and pain killer addictions. Suboxone is in the same class of drugs as oxycontin, heroin, and vicodin. Suboxone has been associated with irrational outbursts of anger and possibly bipolar disorder. Stronger drug laws may have been a deterrent in Suboxone distribution. Unfortunately, the direction of the Obama administration is to decriminalize drug use.

Washington Navy Yard.  Aaron Alexis shot twelve people at the Washington Navy Yard October 2014.  Alexis clearly had psychological issues. The prior August, Alexis reported to police that an individual he had a verbal argument with  sent “three people to follow him and keep him awake by talking to him and sending vibrations into his body.”  Alexis told police that the unseen individuals continued speaking to him through walls and the floor, and that they used “some sort of microwave machine” to send vibrations into his body to keep him awake. Clearly the police could have committed Alexis for evaluation with mental health authorities. The police did not. Is it because the mental health laws are not strong enough? Washington Police Officer Scott Williams killed Aaron Alexis. Was this a case of suicide by cop?

Hialeah, Fl.  On July 26, 2013, Pedro Vargas went on a shooting rampage, killing six people before the police killed him.  Vargas had no known criminal record. One tenant called Vargas an abusive person who didn’t have any friends. He used steroids and pumped iron at a local gym to channel his anger. Vargas had a troubled work history. Over time, Vargas’ performance, quality of work, adherence to deadlines and ability to follow orders rapidly diminished, causing his termination at one employer.  Vargas was also suspected of sending threatening messages to a former boss.  Were these warning signs of an increasingly debilitated mental state?

Santa Monica, Ca.  On June 7, 2013, John Zawahri killed six people in a shooting spree. Zawahri killed his father and brother and set fire to the home. At age 16 Zawahri attempted to buy assault weapons on-line. He was caught cutting class from the special needs Olympic High School. He had been admitted to UCLA’s psychiatric ward for evaluation.  Neighbors described Zawahri as “angry and crazy.” Zawahri’s mental health challenges were well known. The police attributed the shootings to his mental deterioration. Why didn’t family members see this worsening scenario?

Pinewood Village Apartments.  On April 21, 2013, Dennis Clark killed five innocent people. He had a police history of violence. The police killed him: suicide by police?  Why wasn’t a mental evaluation ordered for Dennis Clark?

Mohawk Valley Shootings. On March 13, 2013, Kurt Myer, recently released from a mental institution, killed five and injured two people. He was a loner.  Why was this individual even released from the mental institution?

Sandy Hook Shootings.  Adam Lanza had significant mental health issues. He had been diagnosed as obsessive-compulsive and having Asperger Syndrome. On December 14, 2012, after killing his mother Lanza went to the local school and killed27 students and teachers, and wounded two others. Why wasn’t he committed to a mental institution?

Accent Signage Systems.  On September 27, 2012, Andrew Engeldinger, killed seven and wounded one other. He was paranoid schizophrenic and resisted treatment. How can a mentally ill person legally resist treatment? Engeldinger was also described as a loner; he did not socialize with others.

SIKH Temple Shooting.  Wade Michael Page received an other than honorable discharge from the Army. He was a loner. He avoided eye contact. He associated with supremacy groups, an underlying factor in mental illness. On August 5, 2012, Page killed seven people, wounding three others. Was the Army aware of Page’s mental issues?

Aurora Theater Shooting. James Holmes was mentally ill. He had a schizoaffective disorder. On July 20, 2012, Holmes opened fire in a Colorado theater killing twelve people and wounding fifty-eight others. One of Holme’s psychiatrists suspected that Holmes was mentally ill and potentially dangerous. Dr. Lyle Fenton, one month before the shooting, reported to campus police that Holmes had made homicidal statements.  Why wasn’t Holmes committed for psychiatric evaluation?

Of the ten shooting described above, eight clearly involved mental illness and/or drugs. Interestingly, a 2013 report by the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange (CFIX) found “that 79% of the shootings since 2011 have been perpetrated by individuals with ‘demonstrated signs of continuous behavioral health issues and mental illness.’”

The radical left’s obsession with stricter gun laws is misplaced. Chicago, with its uber-strict gun laws, has soaring murder rates, especially in black on black crime.  The focus should be on enhancing and strengthening our mental illness policies and laws, making it easier for police to commit an individual for psychiatric evaluation. And instead of loosening drug laws and decriminalizing the use of drugs like crack cocaine, drug laws should be strengthened.

Restricting drug availability and treating the mentally ill go farther in reducing mass shootings than attempting to overthrow the Second Amendment.