BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Mental illness is routinely blamed for terrible acts like the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
But the head of the Washington chapter of an organization that advocates for those with mental illness says that’s incorrect.
“Ninety-eight percent of gun violence is not caused by mental illness,” said Lauren Simonds with NAMI Washington. “Honestly, people with mental health conditions are more frequently victims of violence as opposed to the perpetrators.”
Simonds mostly blames untreated anger.
“Anger is an emotional state. It is not a mental illness. Hatred, which I’m going to tie to the Buffalo shooting, and racism, is not a mental illness,” said Simonds.
She makes the point that mental illness exists in every country but mass shootings aren’t common in most other parts of the world.
She says stigmatizing those with mental illness because of mass shootings is a real injustice and doesn’t do anything to prevent those tragedies.
To listen to the full interview with Simonds, visit our Podcast page.