Uvalde mourns, and we mourn with them. The tragedy that occurred in that small Texas town is unthinkable. We pray for the parents who have had to bury their children and the loved ones of the two teachers who were lost.
Since the Uvalde school massacre, 33 mass shootings have killed 34 more and injured 157 more Americans. Indeed, the number of mass shootings is climbing. The Gun Violence Archive reports that data collected daily from over 7,500 law enforcement, media, government, and commercial sources reflect a steady rise: 417 in 2019; 610 in 2020; 692 in 2021. As of June 6, 2022, the country has already experienced 247.
This is a complex public health epidemic that to be addressed must be better understood. Contrary to widely held belief, mental illness is not the cause of these horrific tragedies. A number of factors contribute. As psychiatrists and health care providers, we offer clinical and medical resources to those suffering with mental health problems in our community. Undiagnosed and untreated emotional trauma in a person’s formative years may lead to a person acting out as a teen or young adult, but emotional baggage does not necessarily lead to mental illness.
It is crucial that we, as a community, do not focus on prior diagnoses of mental illness. The empirical data is clear: people with psychiatric diagnoses are more likely to be victims of gun violence, rather than perpetrators. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, most people with mental illness are not violent, and only 3% to 5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness. In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.
Though publicity about these shootings is inevitable, it is a contributing factor. The potential shooter sees news coverage of a shooting as a means to fame. Some have even viewed their heinous acts as a competition. Denying them notoriety is one step. Do not say their names.
Some shooters have telegraphed their intentions verbally, or through written plans and social media. Children and adults should be encouraged to say something if they see, hear, or read something. That also represents a measure of control we can each exercise.
Safe gun ownership is another factor. We respect the Second Amendment and responsible gun ownership. Raising the age of gun ownership has been proposed. Biologically, our brains continue to develop well into adulthood. While the amygdala, the area of the brain that is responsible for aggressive behavior, develops early, the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls reasoning and forethought, develops much later. Teens are certainly able to distinguish right from wrong, but they often act impulsively, misread social cues, and engage in inappropriate behaviors.
Beyond these factors lies a less tangible contributor: lack of respect and compassion for others. No one is safe from gun violence. Students in classrooms, the elderly, worshippers in church, shoppers in grocery stores, moviegoers, those attending high school graduations — none of them are immune. That was displayed recently at the Morris Jeff Community School graduation festivities on Xavier University’s campus here in New Orleans. Shortly after the ceremony concluded, shots were fired as the graduates and their friends and families spilled out into the parking lot, resulting in the death of a graduate’s grandmother. Instantly the day turned from one of celebration to one of loss and tragedy.
Mental health can be a factor in gun violence, but it is not the only consideration. Our country must respond forcefully to this public health crisis. As a society, we must strive to see the humanity in everyone. Until we shift our focus from mental health to these other contributors, we will continue to live with the anguish and anxiety of systemic gun violence that affects so many of us today.
Rahn K. Bailey, MD, is chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Steve Nelson, MD, is interim chancellor of Ĵý Health New Orleans School of Medicine.