How do you prevent such travesties in America? The hard truth is, you can't. No amount of gun control can prevent incidents like these. Acute psychosis happens to thousands everyday in this country(not defending this guy by any means). If a family member has, let's say schitzophrenia, the signs another member of his/her family usually show up in that individual between the ages of 18-25. In a lot of cases it will show up later in life. Acute psychosis can be caused by a number of factors. High stress factors are a major cause. Who is to say that a factor won't present itself in the life of you or I tomorrow? I can buy 25 guns over a 25 year period and pass all the background checks required, but if "snap" tomorrow, who's gonna know it, and who would stop me? The sad reallity is that if acute psychosis sets in, there is no telling what the individual is capable of doing. Being a Paramedic for 16 years, I have seen severe cases of perfectly sane individuals, turn in an instant. We use the term "Superman" in those cases because in a sense, they are. PTSD is another one. Should people with PTSD be barred from gun ownership? In my way of thinking, yes. It is a mental defect as described by the gun governing laws. It's been my experience that there are a number of individuals with PTSD and certain social disorders that are in fact gun owners. I hate that these incidents make you and I look bad, but the truth is, I don't believe they can ever be completely prevented. Like I said earlier, mental disease strikes thousands of people everyday. They may be perfect law-biding persons with a great social history who are avid gun enthusiasts who carry everyday and make us proud, but if the psychosis hits, they could become this guy at a moments notice. I seriously hope that the "gun-grabbling" liberals understand this point and would be reluctant to punish us all for the actions of those stated individuals. Besides, if he hadn't had a gun, he could have just as easily made an EID to utilize. I also hope that they understand that the need to protect one's self is always present. Incidents like these should make that clear to them. Just my 2 cents worth.
"If an awalu [freeman] should blind the eye of another awalu [freeman], they shall blind his eye."
-Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.E.)