School Shootings Mystery? Connect the Dots Between Psychiatric Drugs and Violence
The Santa Fe New Mexican June 27, 2014 By Tina Olson, Director of CCHR New Mexico According to news sources, since the shootings at Sandy…
The Santa Fe New Mexican June 27, 2014 By Tina Olson, Director of CCHR New Mexico According to news sources, since the shootings at Sandy…
Instances of mass violence and mass shootings occur undoubtedly too often. When shootings such as those in Sandy Hook, Columbine, Aurora, and Virginia Tech happen, the blame often falls on gun ownership, violent media, or violent video games. I believe, as a whole, people are overlooking a variable that could very well be at the root of this problem — psychotropic drugs.
While state and federal lawmakers frantically push for massive mental health reform and sweeping gun control laws, two Connecticut mothers recently took to the streets of Newtown, connecting with local residents and gathering signatures on a petition that asks a simple but essential question -did prescription psychiatric drugs play a role in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting?
Seems like an easy and obvious question that, remarkably, has escaped the consideration of legislators who seem hell-bent on legislating increased mental health services without first having all the necessary information to make thoughtful, fact-based decisions.
A mother who is an advocate certified under the state General Assembly, Sabato suspects Lanza may have been taking psychiatric drugs that triggered the mass shooting. She’s organized a petition drive and garnered more than 200 signatures in two days around Newtown calling for the state to release Lanza’s autopsy/toxicologyrecords. She’s also testified before a state legislative sub committee studying mental health services in the wake of the Dec. 14 shooting.
“Adam Lanza wasn’t born evil,” Sabato said. “We want the records before they ask for more money for mental health, which could be dangerous. We want the records to know what kind of mental health treatment he was receiving. We need to know what he was taking.”