The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County commends the efforts and research of Jillian Peterson and James Densley of The Violence Project in their March 26 column, “Why mass shootings stopped in 2020.”
Oftentimes when there is a mass shooting, mental illness is blamed. However, individuals with mental illness are more likely to be victims of crimes than the perpetrators. Using mental illness to justify the actions of a mass shooter is stigmatizing to individuals living with mental illness. The column states that mental illness plays a role in a minority of mass shootings and that “psychosis played … no role 70% of the time.” It also indicates that a majority (80%) of shooters had a recent crisis and/or experienced childhood trauma. The writers suggest a community approach to prevention, including crisis intervention and suicide prevention training.
Source: Cleveland.com
Authors: Other Voices