Let’s talk about mental health
The problem and the solutions
It was ‘only a matter of time.’ It was ‘predictable and preventable.’ It should have been ‘flagged.’ When have we heard these laments before? After nearly every shooting involving a mentally ill perpetrator. One of the most recent such incidents took place at Houston’s Lakewood Church on Feb. 11, when Genesse Moreno opened fire between services at the megachurch. Two were injured in the shooting, including Moreno’s young son, and Moreno herself was killed by two off-duty law enforcement officers working security.
Moreno was a complicated case. She had a criminal record and had expressed antisemitic views as well. Despite her troubled history and documented mental health issues, court records suggest Moreno legally obtained the AR-15 and .22-caliber rifle in her possession at the time of the shooting. She was essentially a walking timebomb, and the people in her life knew it. Not entirely unlike Robert Card, the Lewiston, Maine, shooter whose family reported their concerns about his mental health. Card himself told cops he felt ‘capable’ of ‘something.’ That ‘something’ ended with 18 dead.
While the contribution of mental illness to mass shootings has declined over time, it’s not at zero. Red flag laws, or Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), are intended to offer recourse in those situations. But Texas doesn’t have one, and Maine’s so-called yellow flag law is ‘useless,’ according to a gun expert. And, of course, enforcement is key.
When effectively implemented, ERPOs don’t just reduce the likelihood of a tragedy. They create an opportunity to connect individuals in crisis with resources and support services, improving mental health outcomes and reducing the likelihood of future crises. Thus, ERPOs not only address imminent risks of gun violence but also promote a holistic community approach to mental health.
Americans want to protect the Second Amendment, but 80% of us also support laws that would allow police to remove guns from those who pose an immediate danger to themselves or others. Timely identification, intervention, and a collaborative response between law enforcement and healthcare professionals can help at-risk individuals like Moreno and Card receive support for untreated conditions that could otherwise lead to violence.