Trump says Texas shooting due to 'mental health problem,' not a gun issue

[webfact]

Trump says Texas shooting due to 'mental health problem,' not a gun issue

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called the mass shooting in Texas that left at least 26 people dead a "mental health problem," not "a gun situation."

 

Asked what policies he might support in response to the shooting at a press conference in Tokyo, Trump said that based on preliminary reports, the gunman was "a very deranged individual, a lot of problems".

 

He said Sunday's attack "isn't a guns situation" but "a mental health problem at the highest level. It's a very, very sad event".The lone gunman carrying an assault rifle opened fire after entering First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, about 65 km (40 miles) east of San Antonio, killing people that ranged in age from 5 to 72.

 

(Reporting by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-06

[darksidedog]

If the guy had mental health problems, why then was he still allowed to purchase guns?

[mikebike]

<deleted>... Why do these idiots think we cannot see a false dichotomy?

 

There is a gun problem AND a mental health problem.

 

Neither of these will be solved or even contemplated by the current admin.

[Basil B]

21 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

If the guy had mental health problems, why then was he still allowed to purchase guns?

You do not make money from refusing a sale...

Edited November 6, 2017 by Basil B

[Jingthing]

Lame excuse for doing nothing.

 

[mikebike]

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Lame excuse for doing nothing.

 

Cut, cut, cut and bomb, bomb, bomb are more appealing to the base and the donors...

[Jools]

Logic like this is an insult to victims of guns. The mentally ill have no business buying guns. We have seen where that leades.

[InMyShadow]

Phew that's OK then.. Now we just need to test the 10 million gun owners for mental issues and everything will be sweet

[zaphod reborn]

44 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

If the guy had mental health problems, why then was he still allowed to purchase guns?

He was court-martialled and dishonorably discharged from the USAF for domestic violence.  Under the gun control laws, he was prohibited from purchasing firearms.  Apparently, someone fudged his background check.  Trump blames mental health, and that was a factor, but investigating how this shooter got around the background check is what needs to be done, so those regs are better enforced.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/06/devin-kelley-named-as-texas-church-shooting-suspect-was-court-martialed-by-us-air-force

[juice777]

Trump said that based on preliminary reports, the gunman was "a very deranged individual, a lot of problems

 

No s*** sherlock

 

If a physicist was writing about gun control it would be this.

 

More guns = more shotings =more shotings = more deaths

 

Why can't the Americans who love there guns just tell the Truth. We love guns that's it we love them. We value our guns over other people life's.

 

 

 

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[juice777]

Logic like this is an insult to victims of guns. The mentally ill have no business buying guns. We have seen where that leades.

When a mentally ill person can become leader of the free world. I sure any nutter can get a gun.

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[mikebike]

4 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

He was court-martialled and dishonorably discharged from the USAF for domestic violence.  Under the gun control laws, he was prohibited from purchasing firearms.  Apparently, someone fudged his background check.  Trump blames mental health, and that was a factor, but investigating how this shooter got around the background check is what needs to be done, so those regs are better enforced.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/06/devin-kelley-named-as-texas-church-shooting-suspect-was-court-martialed-by-us-air-force

He received a "bad conduct" discharge for assaulting his wife n kids, NOT a dishonorable discharge. He was still allowed to buy gun(s).

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm inclined to believe the Fake President...

 

After all, who's a greater expert on "mental problems" and being "deranged" than our Fake President...

[Phuket Man]

Was Trump referring to his own mental health problems?

[zaphod reborn]

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

He received a "bad conduct" discharge for assaulting his wife n kids, NOT a dishonorable discharge. He was still allowed to buy gun(s).

Nope, he could not legally buy guns, as reported by several news agencies.  The discharge was due to a violent crime which prohibits him from buying firearms.  A BCD only preserves vested pension rights, but grants no other benefits withheld by a dishonorable discharge.  Brady Act NICS disqualifier:

"Domestic Violence

• The potential buyer is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner;
• Has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence."

 

http://graphics.wsj.com/gun-check-explainer/

Edited November 6, 2017 by zaphod reborn

[DM07]

Someone has a mental health issue for sure!

May not be the shooter, though!

 

But let me get this straight:

IF we are witnessing a rare occasion of Trump, telling the truth and the guy HAD a mental health issue...how the #$@% did he get a gun?

He was also reported to have a documented history of violence- again: how the #$@% did he get a gun?

 

Guns don't kill people...people with mental issues and guns kill people!

[LomSak27]

Another shooting and no good guys with guns around, shocking. This is getting to be a broken record.

Maybe reducing guns in US society is the way forward, unless NRA members can stop talking the talk and actually walk the walk.

[juice777]

Sorry Americans your country has now turned into a real life espode of the Simpsons. Just when I thought I couldn't be shocked anymore on guns in America

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/06/texas-attorney-general-congregations-should-be-armed-after-church-shooting



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[ezflip]

Hello! Pot is calling; the kettle is black.

[Berkshire]

It's becoming a pattern with Trump.

 

White American dude kills a bunch of people:  Mental health issue.

 

Muslim kills a bunch of people:  Ban all Muslims!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

He had an assault rifle!!!!

 

That is a war weapon, only designed and used to kill people. It is not for hunting and there are many other firearms that can more effectively be used to defend your home.

 

I like guns and have many back at home but I do not believe anyone other then the military should have weapons of war.

 

The 2nd amendment is just that, an amendment. It was written long ago when no one could have conceived of today's firepower. It is time to radically emend this amendment again. 

 

Don't let money, power and stupidity dictate laws.

[mikebike]

57 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

Nope, he could not legally buy guns, as reported by several news agencies.  The discharge was due to a violent crime which prohibits him from buying firearms.  A BCD only preserves vested pension rights, but grants no other benefits withheld by a dishonorable discharge.  Brady Act NICS disqualifier:

"Domestic Violence

• The potential buyer is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner;
• Has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence."

 

http://graphics.wsj.com/gun-check-explainer/

There's some confusion in initial reporting whether it was a DD or a BCD, but that is irrelevant under 18 USC 922(g) question #6.

(6) a person who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;

 

He was convicted of V.UCMJ Article 128 x 2.  Assault.   It was reportedly domestic violence against his then wife and daughter.   Problem is military system doesn't have a specific violation/crime code for domestic violence assault like many States have enacted in recent decades.  128 is non-specific.  The other problem is, the military system doesn't use crime categories of Infraction, Misdemeanor and Felony like the civilian system does.  You would have to query deeper to find out the details of the case, and to determine equivalent crime category, find out what his confinement sentence was.  In this case, he was apparently awarded 1 year in the brig, which is right at the top of Misdemeanor category.    If the Domestic Violence classification had been crystal clear in the NICS system during the gun seller's background check, he would have been disqualified again under 922(g), question #9.

(9) a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

 

So he either lied on the background check, or he slipped through the cracks caused by vagaries between military and civilian language and terminology.   Or both. 

[DavidB4]

Just like it won't be a nuclear missile issue it WILL be a mental health problem! 

[juice777]

It's becoming a pattern with Trump.
 
White American dude kills a bunch of people:  Mental health issue.
 
Muslim kills a bunch of people:  Ban all Muslims!

I will tell the Truth I haven't even read anything about this story yet. But I know he is white because there is no one calling him a Terrorist.

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[hansnl]

3 hours ago, mikebike said:

<deleted>... Why do these idiots think we cannot see a false dichotomy?

 

There is a gun problem AND a mental health problem.

 

Neither of these will be solved or even contemplated by the current admin.

Pardon me for bringing this up....

In my country the gun laws are very,very restrictive, private ownership is only possible under strict rule, and then only for sports hooting and hunting.

Even so, this year, many people were killed, using guns and other means.

The guns used in those killings were all illegal!

The police has not the means to control illegal ownership and use of guns, not at all.

Nowhere in the world.

Gun laws can only work if there is a means to not only control legal owned guns.

If some nutcase goes on skilling spree using guns, the problem is not the guns but the nutcase.

Something must be done about the right people owning guns while excluding existing or new nutcases.

Which of course might also do something about illegal use of guns.

That said, how many people are killed in traffic on a daily basis?

I think very many more per day as we now see in these awful incidents.

When are we going to do something about these deaths?

[jcsmith]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If the guy had mental health problems, why then was he still allowed to purchase guns?

Trump got rid of a regulation that would have prevented just that after he took office. 

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm inclined to believe the Fake President...

 

After all, who's a greater expert on "mental problems" and being "deranged" than our Fake President...

The former president?

The intended democratic candidate?

Or face it, most politico's?

[FritsSikkink]

5 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Pardon me for bringing this up....

In my country the gun laws are very,very restrictive, private ownership is only possible under strict rule, and then only for sports hooting and hunting.

Even so, this year, many people were killed, using guns and other means.

The guns used in those killings were all illegal!

The police has not the means to control illegal ownership and use of guns, not at all.

Nowhere in the world.

Gun laws can only work if there is a means to not only control legal owned guns.

If some nutcase goes on skilling spree using guns, the problem is not the guns but the nutcase.

Something must be done about the right people owning guns while excluding existing or new nutcases.

Which of course might also do something about illegal use of guns.

That said, how many people are killed in traffic on a daily basis?

I think very many more per day as we now see in these awful incidents.

When are we going to do something about these deaths?

How many got killed where?

[Ketyo]

It makes you wonder why the invisible man that lives in the sky would let people get killed in a church. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by Ketyo
Correction

[Jools]

I've noticed that people who have friends and loved one murdered by gun nuts, tend to change their minds rather quickly.

Few are as vociferous in demanding their Second Amendment rights after someone they are close to is blown apart by an assault rifle. I am horrified at the attitude of many Americans who continue to defend this antiquated provision of a constitution drafted when the only guns around were muskets and flintlocks.