Prosecutor: Seattle campus shooter went off meds
Source: Las Vegas Sun
SEATTLE The man charged with killing one student and wounding two others at a small Seattle college last week had stopped taking his medications because he "wanted to feel the hate," and he detailed his plans in a handwritten journal for two weeks before the attack, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
"I just want people to die, and I'm gonna die with them!" Aaron Ybarra wrote the day of the shooting, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said.
Satterberg released new details of the allegations as he filed charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault against Ybarra, 26. Satterberg is seeking a sentence of life in prison.
Ybarra gave an hour-long police interview after his arrest, saying he didn't specifically target any of the students but had a "hatred for the world in general," the probable cause statement said. He told detectives he had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and transient psychosis but had stopped taking his medicine about six months earlier because he wanted to feel his hate, it said
Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/11/prosecutor-seattle-campus-shooter-went-meds/
There needs to be a system whereby mental health professionals can report potentially dangerous people and their weapons can be temporarily removed while their mental health is assessed to see if they represent a threat to public safety.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)it's far past time-
heaven05
(18,124 posts)right?
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)pnwmom
(108,925 posts)unless and until a "cure" is ever achieved for these illnesses.
hack89
(39,171 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)without registration, it's hard to know what guns they may or may not have. And the system is difficult to trigger. Which is both appropriate from a due process standpoint, and deplorable from a 'holy shit why can't we get obviously needful people some help' standpoint.
It won't be long and the shooter in the OP will probably be better, and regretful. Opportunity to get him some help was clearly missed.
hack89
(39,171 posts)and they had the power to search for guns then it would not require registration.
An alternative would be to license gun owners so it was clear the person potentially had guns.
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Much better with a list. "Where is X. Ok, now Y. Where is Z?"
hack89
(39,171 posts)and they are pro-gun control as it comes.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)ok..let's pretend you are a qualified Mental Health therapist, working at a Mental Health center, as I was for many years.
Joe Blow as been given some "meds" ( we don't what kind, in the news story). At that point, one of several things can happen:
1. the doc who gave him the meds gave him a 6 months script, Joe does not have to be seen by anyone for 6 months., and he goes off meds, no one knows.
There are plenty of regular doctors..good old GP docs, with no Mental Health training, who can and do prescribe psych. meds to people, with 6 mos and even 12 month follow up.
Let's assume that he is actually being seen by a psychiatrist at a Mental Health clinic, and gets the 6 month script.
He stops the meds, no one is the wiser. His homicidal thoughts are not known by anyone.
2. He is being seen correctly, at a Mental Health clinic, gets meds and also has to meet with a MH therapist monthly for a progress check.
this is very common. The Therapist sees him for 45 minutes, ( billed as one hour, legally, for Medicaid purposes, cause filling out the chart takes 15 minutes of the hour). During the visit, the therapist tries to see if the guy is harboring any dangerous thoughts. If he is off his meds, it will be noticeable.
EXCEPT...
he does not keep the appointments ( so very very common when people go off meds) and no one sees him for 6 months.
The therapist notes in the chart, every failed appt. and if she is smart, attempts to call patient or family, and notes the outcome of those calls.
If the patient lives alone, and refuses to call back, or to answer calls, there is not much the Mental Health clinic can do., legally.
He might even answer each call, promise to come in, and fail to do so.
the guy can be collecting weapons and never tell anyone ( sound familiar?). In fact, keeping it a secret is very common..these guys are not stupid.
The one thing that MIGHT be possible, is if the patient is on probation,
the Mental Health Clinic can tell the probation officer the guy is missing appointments
( Naturally, the patient has given written permission for such communication)
Then it is up to the PO to decide what to do.
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)Do we really want to go back to that? Locking up everyone with a mental condition because they "might" be dangerous?
I don't think that is the answer.