Texas Governor Walks Back Support Of ‘Red Flag’ Laws To Take Guns Away From People Who Pose An Immediate Threat
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Texas Senate also came out forcefully against the idea. In other news, media outlets offer a deeper look at the men behind two mass shootings.
The Associated Press:
Texas Republicans Squelch 'Red Flag' Gun Law Prospects
Texas schools have been adding metal detectors and armed personnel in an effort to improve campus security in response to the deadly May attack at a Houston-area high school that left eight students and two teachers dead. Among the steps that Texas apparently won't be taking anytime soon is tightening restrictions on gun access for people deemed dangerous to themselves or others. (8/5)
The New York Times:
Parkland Shooting Suspect Lost Special-Needs Help At School When He Needed It Most
Nikolas Cruz was an 18-year-old junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., when a spate of disturbing behavior led to a fateful meeting about the future of his schooling. Education specialists told Mr. Cruz he should transfer to Cross Creek, an alternative school for students with emotional problems where he had thrived in ninth grade. His mother, Lynda Cruz, agreed. (Mazzei, 8/4)
The Associated Press:
Psychiatrist: Much Is Still Hidden In Theater Shooter's Mind
A psychiatrist who spent hours talking with mass murderer James Holmes says that what led Holmes to open fire in a crowded Colorado movie theater was a one-of-a-kind vortex of his mental illness, his personality and his circumstances — and some other, unknown currents that will probably never be uncovered. "A big part of it is, it's hidden in Holmes' mind, and he can't see it either," William H. Reid said in an interview with The Associated Press about his new book, "A Dark Night in Aurora: Inside James Holmes and the Colorado Mass Shootings." (8/5)
