This morning’s The Exchange radio program with Laura Knoy focused on the connections between mental illness and gun violence. After last Sunday’s shootings at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Spring, Texas, this is on the mind of many of our congregations:
In the Texas church shooting the perpetrator did have a history of mental health problems and violent behavior. But mental health professionals warn such incidents are complex, people with mental illness are far more likely to be victims, and other factors are more predictive of extreme violence.