A mentally disturbed man in Moscow, Idaho killed 4 people, starting with his wife, and wounded three others, one an armed civilian responding to the scene. Similarities to the Virginia Tech shooter include, a past history of mental illness and the use of assault weapons. A mental health worker heard the patient say if he killed himself, he'd take others with him.
So how did Jason Hamilton come across two automatic rifles? An AK-47 was found next to the body. It likely didn't belong to the church sexton.
The answer offered by gun enthusiasts is armed citizens answering the distress call. In this case the student responding to the sound of gunshots ended up a victim, shot 3 times. During his Courthouse rampage Jason fired at least 125 rounds.
Both mentally ill shooters' violent affair involved killings in multiple locations spanned over a number of hours. Once again, I ask where did Jason get his assault rifles? This is the third time a mentally ill person got access to weapons before shooting innocent victims, Ed Lui in a Walmart Parking lot in Arizona, Cho Seng-Hui at Virginia Tech, and Jason Hamilton in Moscow Idaho.
San Angelo had a recent case of a young man walking near our university and an elementary school brandishing a shotgun in broad daylight. Fortunately our community has a Mental Health Deputy program and the subject was detained without incident.
Keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of mentally ill people is a homeland security issue. That and providing them treatment and access to needed medications.
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