Knees jerk and some reflexively blame the NRA. Problem is, nobody wants to talk about the issue of mental illness and apparently, the Santa Monica shooter had mental health issues:
The gunman’s rampage began at a home in this beachfront city, leaving two dead inside. Then he carjacked a woman and fired at a public bus. It all ended when police shot him dead at Santa Monica College as students studied for finals, a mile from the house.
His blood trail, however, left four people dead Friday in Santa Monica, which abuts Los Angeles and is renowned for its liberal openness.
A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN on Saturday that the gunman had suffered mental health issues. A couple of years ago, he was hospitalized for treatment after allegedly talking about harming someone, according to the official.
It’s not clear whether the state government or his family committed him for treatment or whether he committed himself. It’s also unclear under what circumstances he was released. The gunman has yet to be identified.
Once again however, I suspect this will take a backseat to more calls for pointless expanded background checks.