In Howard County, parents of Jacksonville shooting suspect had been desperate to find psychiatric ca

[H2O Man]

34. That's sad,

but not uncommon. The article provides some information that should give us all pause, yet it doesn't answer several important questions.

It is important to keep in mind that people suffering from mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence, than to commit it. Indeed, only one serious and persistent mental illness has a noted comorbidity with violence, that being paranoid schizophrenia. Though the article provides some clues as to the young man's illness, it does not include what diagnoses he carried. Hence, one can only speculate, although it may be a semi-informed speculation.

More, laws differ from state to state on issues involving hospitalization and long-term institutionalization. Being from NYS, I can really only comment on the rules and regulations here. However, in no state is mental illness a crime; hence, what law enforcement and/or the courts can do is limited -- unless the person has committed a crime. It is limited to if that person poses an immediate risk of doing harm to him/herself or others. If so, that situation can be addressed by an involuntary hospitalization -- usually up to three days, but longer if that risk persists.

Once this fellow reached the age of 21, even if he remained financially dependent upon one or both parents, his status becomes that of any adult. Thus, the parents cannot command treatment, unless there is that immediate risk to self or others. Knowing that a person likely poses a long-term risk, as in this case, is not enough to result in hospitalization or institutionalization.

The truth is that there are people similar to this guy living in the towns and cities across our country. Most paranoid schizophrenics will not kill others. But they will often view those who attempt to lead them to treatment as part of the conspiracy against them. This brings us to the fact that this fellow appears to have been above normal intelligence (though disorganized per education). It makes it that much harder.

The solution would seem obvious: he should never have had access to a gun. Without that gun, this would never have happened.