Psychiatrists say mass shootings follow a "script."
In that script, there invariably comes a point when we as nation reflect and look where to cast the blame.
America found itself at that point once again after a man allegedly shot and killed four people [1]at a Tennessee Waffle House on April 22. The 29-year-old had previously displayed bizarre behavior that pointed toward mental-health issues. He'd also had several run-ins with law enforcement and wasn't supposed to have access to firearms.
Once again, mental illness and gun violence were at the forefront of our national gun dialogue.
The issue was also brought up for discussion in "Guns: An American Conversation," an initiative by Advance Local newsrooms from across the country in partnership with Spaceship Media.
The month-long project has brought together 150 engaged readers with a broad spectrum of opinions to talk about guns in an honest and civil way. The conversation has been ongoing since the beginning of April inside a closed Facebook group where participants post links to articles, ask questions and discuss issues.
Today's topic: How do we keep guns away from the mentally ill?
Mass shootings account for a very small percentage of gun deaths each year compared to the daily "drip, drip, drip" of daily firearm-related deaths, says Dr. Jeffrey Swanson, a Duke University Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the lead author of the 2015 study on mental illness and gun violence.
The real gun-violence crisis related to mental illness is suicide, which accounts for about two-thirds of all firearm deaths, according to Swanson.
The extraordinary nature of mass shootings leads to more media attention than daily gun violence, however.
