The horrific killings in Nova Scotia has resurfaced the concern with firearms controls prior to knowing what type of weapon was actually used and it may have been a regular and legally owned hunting rifle. While there is always an understandable tendency to lean the discussion toward the weapon(s) used, we can lose sight of another important possible contributor, Mental Health.

As this crime will require a lengthy investigation, it may be some time before the public becomes aware of the circumstances leading up to the shootings. With the perpetrator dead, we may never get a full accounting for the “why”.

We can however hopefully ascertain if they were any red flags regarding Mental health that may have been missed and learn from that. 

Although the anti-gun lobby may push for more control measures, from my perspective there needs to be an equal, if not more, attention given to addressing the ever-increasing population with mental health problems. Some aspect of mental health must have been a factor in this tragedy.