Advocates Say Equating Gun Violence With Mental Illness Is Wrong

Advocates at odds with President Donald Trump as he doubles down on comments blaming mental illness for the recent mass shootings in Texas and Ohio and calling for involuntary confinement to stop the deadly cycle of violence in this country say hate is not a mental illness. News4’s Doreen Gentzler reports people with serious mental illness commit a very small fraction of the violent crimes in this country — 4% or less according to research. The rates of mental illness are similar all over the world, yet mass shootings happen more often in the United States. Many believe that’s because of our access to guns in America.