Thread by @PsychBrownBag

Thread: 1/ As a scientist whose entire professional life is devoted to #GunViolencePrevention, let me say these few things:

(1) It’s not mental illness. That doesn’t mean those who kill others or themselves don’t ever suffer from mental illness.

2/ (2) It’s not video games. That doesn’t mean it’s great for kids to play first person shooter games all day long.

(3) It’s isn’t the lack of prayer in schools. That idea is so stupid it doesn’t even warrant a follow up comment.

3/ (4) It isn’t gun free zones. Trained law enforcement officers hit moving targets in non-chaotic situations at a low rate, so armed pedestrians in a mass shooting situation will not get it done. The Dayton shooter did his damage in 24 seconds.

4/ It’s access to firearms. For mass shootings it’s about AR-15s and similar models that have high capacity magazines and fire at a remarkably quick rate. For suicide, it’s ready access to handguns more often then not. Regardless, it’s the firearms.

5/ Legislation will go a long way. The bottom line is that there are more firearms than people in the US though, so legislation that only impacts the acquisition of new firearms will only help so much. What’s already out there is already accessible and doesn’t need to be acquired

6/ We need a culture change in which the risk associated w firearm access - particularly for suicide - becomes common knowledge and for firearm owners to promote safe storage away from home as the standard.

Oh yeah, and (5) Thoughts and prayers do not help.