Texas Sen. John Cornyn addressed mass violence while touring the newly-opened Community Health Center of Lubbock Wednesday. The senator says efforts to help the mentally-ill can help prevent mass shooting sprees. It's not a complete solution to mass shootings.
"Now I realize not everybody who suffers a mental health crisis is going to be violent or a danger to themselves or others," Cornyn said.
According to Cornyn, it's a step to stop shooters who have a mental health background from getting their hands on guns. The senator referred to the shooters at Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech.
"Under existing law if you're a mentally-ill person you cannot legally purchase a firearm," Cornyn said. "Many times I've found that even people with adjudicated mental illness, well documented, there's no question they have it they're still able to purchased firearms."
Current law prohibits sale of a firearm or ammunition to a person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution. The bill would instead prohibit the sale to a person who has been formally declared mentally incompetent or committed to a psychiatric hospital as defined by the proposed legislation. Which would keep those who are mentally-ill from accessing guns while not limiting the second amendment rights of others.
"So part of what I've tried to do as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment is to make sure that we don't encroach upon law-abiding citizens and their rights under the Constitution, but we do try to address the problem; and that's give families more tools by which they can get help for their loved ones who's experiencing mental health crisis," Cornyn explained.
The Mental Health and Safe Communities Act works to award grants for mental health programs and related law enforcement programs including court ordered assisted outpatient treatment.
"Right now there's very few choices," he said. "You can try and have them voluntarily committed after which they can get let out and if they're not willing to comply with their medication and doctors orders they're going to continue getting sicker and sicker."
Sen. Cornyn recognized this is only a band-aid for a wider national issue.
"I'm not suggesting this is a panacea or a complete answer," he said. "All I'm saying is by helping the communities deal more effectively with mental health issues by helping families, giving families additional tools to help their loved ones get the help they need perhaps we can prevent people from becoming a danger to themselves and to others."
