Capitol Hill shooter had mental health record

8ball · Jul 6, 2013

According to several accounts I've read, his friends and colleagues tried for six months to get him help, he was committed briefly but then released because he hadn't harmed anybody. Now it remains to be seen how he purchased his Glock 9mm given he had two commitments on his record. I'm guessing it will be fodder for the gun control initiative if it was a non FFL transaction. So far all that has been reported is that the gun originally came via a distributor in Spokane.

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Very disturbing that his friends were unable to get him any help for his problems. How many more people have to be a victim of mental illness?

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2013/07/friends-mourn-man-who-died-in-denny-way-standoff/

Dave Workman · Jul 7, 2013

Good start, 8ball.

Here's my take:

How anti-gunners will capitalize on Capitol Hill case

Looking at the reader responses in the Seattle Times and elsewhere Sunday morning to continued coverage of Friday's Capitol Hill shooting is like reading a strategy brief on how anti-gunners will likely capitalize on the incident to push their agenda.

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Dunerunner · Jul 7, 2013

We should all be watching this one very closely. I can't help but think these acts are planted, but then I have a good supply of "Tin Foil"! :s0114:

8ball · Jul 7, 2013

Good article Dave. I give WAGR 72 hours before they try and fundraise on the back of this tragedy.

Dave Workman · Jul 7, 2013

8ball said:
Good article Dave. I give WAGR 72 hours before they try and fundraise on the back of this tragedy.

I wouldn't give them that long, amigo.
First, somebody HAS to blame the NRA for this....

RoneKiln · Jul 7, 2013

Dunerunner said:
We should all be watching this one very closely. I can't help but think these acts are planted, but then I have a good supply of "Tin Foil"!

Sadly, given the state of our world, there's no need to plant such things. It's easier to just sit and wait for someone to do something stupid and horrible and hype up the real incident.

If such events were not a reality, we'd have little need for our right to bear arms.

quneur · Jul 7, 2013

You can't win with these folks. All those who advocated the SPD should have used non-lethal force are the same people who would be yelling for SPD officers heads if a bystander was shot & killed. Damn if you do or damned if you don't. Its coming to a point officers are too limited to do their duty; must be fired at first before returning fire.

The kicker; these people eventually become lawmakers. *cough* McDermott *cough*

SigPacker · Jul 11, 2013

Hey guys, I actually was a friend of Joels. Before he was diagnosed with lymphoma - he was an incredibly nice, normal person, but the cancer drugs, pain meds and knowing he had less than a year to live reallllllly messed with his head, and I personally made an SPD friend of mine aware of some of the issues so the crisis team can intervene, which they did and he was hospitalized, and unfortunately released. Sadly I missed his Facebook post on July 3rd about getting a gun, perhaps he would still be alive today.

I cannot emphasize enough that I do not support universal background checks, but it is so important to realize that someone who is mentally ill, doesn't always look like someone who is mentally ill... even criminally the seller cannot be liable unless they knowingly were aware of the buyers ineligibility and/or it was a straw purchase. Civilly the family can try to pursue the seller, they might not win, but still the seller would be out of a lot of money fighting. Something to think about...

I really have to give big props to SPD and the SWAT team for their patience all the way up to the end when they had no other option but to protect themselves and the public at large. The Joel that was on that balcony was merely the shell of a person that we cared very much about. We shall miss him quite a bit.