10-10-2015, 10:30 AM
(10-10-2015, 10:05 AM)Midwest Spy Wrote: Whether or not they were locked up shouldn't matter. If the parent and child (in this case) live in the same residence, that's all the proof that's required.
An easy law to pass, which should be somewhat of a deterrent, would be to make the weapon provider as culpable as the person that pulled the trigger.
In this case, she serves 8 life terms. And her property and assets are also subject to litigation.
I think a federal law like that is worth consideration if the person who provided the access can be proven to have done so intentionally and had definite knowledge of the mental illness, MS.
Like her son, the Oregon shooter's mother has Asperger's, according to media reports. Asperger's is not categorized as a mental illness (it's classified as a developmental disorder) and is not associated with an increased propensity towards violence, according to the medical experts. So, in that particular mass murder case, even though the mom knew of her son's Asperger's and blamed it for his troubles, she couldn't be considered culpable under your proposed law.
But, if it could be shown that the mom knew that her troubled son had been discharged from the Army for attempted suicide, your proposed law would apply to her if the wording of it included culpability for people who provide voluntary access to those with a documented history of violence against self and others (similar to what Gunnar suggested upthread).
Just thinking out loud again.