Donald Trump called the shooting suspects in the El Paso and Dayton gun massacres “mentally ill monsters,” which left 31 people dead.
During his speech on Monday in response to the massacre, Trump said, “We must reform our mental-health laws to better identify mentally disturbed individuals who may commit acts of violence and make sure those people, not only get treatment, but when necessary, involuntary confinement.”
Most states already have three tiers of involuntary commitment and all states have civil commitment. In certain states, “involuntary commitment does not limit firearm possession.”
Trump blamed the press and violent video games while addressing the nation after two suspects left more than 30 victims dead over the weekend. However, Twitter users criticized his comments.
While addressing to the nation, Trump said “America must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” adding that the FBI would investigate “hate crimes and domestic terrorism.”
Responding to Trump’s comments, the American Psychological Association (APA) said, “Blaming mass shootings on mental illness is unfounded and stigmatizing.”
The association also said that people diagnosed with or being treated for mental health issues commit a very small percentage of violence. The APA said, “The rates of mental illness are roughly the same around the world, yet other countries are not experiencing these traumatic events as often as we face them.”
Trump also proposed bipartisan gun legislation and condemned white supremacy. Former President Barack Obama said on Twitter, “Americans must soundly reject language from any leader who feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments.” He added, “Until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening.”
