Analysis of Aaron Alexiss Case - 996 Words

Aaron Alexis’s case could have been avoided if gun laws had been more reliable. Investigators believe that the victims of Aaron Alexis, the navy yard shooter, were selected at random because there was no evidence that a single event triggered Alexis’s violent outburst. Alexis shot twelve people with no indication of a motive. (Hermann) What he did have, though, was a mental illness. He had showed signs of psychosis, but never received any treatment. (Tanfani) Police knew about his delusions and were worried about them; however, there were no reports that he had been hospitalized, although he spent time in the Veterans Affairs Hospital for Insomnia. When doctors there asked if he was depressed or suicidal, he said no. Because there†¦show more content†¦This was unlike him. Stone was a very good-natured person who was cursed with his mental illness. He was the father of four young girls who he would have never decided to leave had he been in his right state of mind. (Agostine) In Indiana, law allows police to seize guns from people who are threatening to harm themselves or others without a warrant. (26) Regardless of whether or not they’ve been found to have a mental illness, it is a very effective method because it allows police to take away a weapon that has the potential to do quite a bit of damage in a very short time. Had Stone’s gun been confiscated, he might not have done what he did. One flaw: Stone acted on an impulse directed by his mental illness. If police were able to legally take away a person’s firearms because he/she was diagnosed with a mental illness, then less damage could have been done in regard to the firearm’s capability of destructi on. Many things can be done differently in order to provide a safer, yet fair way to manage who can and cannot purchase firearms. One change that could be made is a mental evaluation directly before a person can legally purchase a gun. This would help because people who pose an immediate threat would not be able to purchase a gun or other firearm during that time, when they might be considered the most dangerous. However, some people would have no