The judge did not certify his commitment in court, so he doesn't land on the federal background check systems list of prohibited persons. But because i admitted him to the hospital, he does meet criteria for a five year prohibition. Just within california, that prohibition will expire in a couple of years. And were he to move to another state, he would still be able to buy a firearm there. You can live with one, not the other.
After a series of deadly mass shootings in the United States, the National Rifle Association and some Republican leaders and conservatives are pointing to mental illness.
This approach raises a question: How can the mental health system stop gun violence when mental illness is so rarely the cause of it?
We revisit a conversation from 2018 with a psychiatrist who is wrestling with that challenge.
Guest: Dr. Amy Barnhorst, the vice chairwoman of community psychiatry at the University of California, Davis.
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Background reading:
- Many Republicans opposed to more gun control have called instead for investing in mental health programs, increasing funding for law enforcement and bolstering security at schools. Many Democrats say they are missing the point.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.