Gun Control Laws & Mental Health
By Raquel Floyd. Berman & Tsombanakis LLC web site contributor
A look at the Sandy Hook Elementary case, Juveniles & Guns, & the Autism link to Mental Health
To further control or not to control guns is of major concern in the United States. It is also of major concern in many other nations all over the world. The right to bear arms is defined in the second amendment of our constitution and is deeply rooted in American history. This issue was forced to the forefront after the mass killing at Sandy Hook elementary in Connecticut this past December. It is the leading topic of discussion amongst Politicians, Judges, teachers, police officer & parents the like.
The lawyers at the Fort Lauderdale Law Firm of Berman & Tsombanakis LLC., have handled many felony cases involving guns. Some of these cases involved juveniles, many involved adults. The cases ranged from where guns were merely displayed as a sign of threat in robberies, to cases where they were used in crimes, to cases that we tried and successfully won in Stand Your Ground scenarios. We have represented clients all over Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties in gun related crimes and even cases involving guns in schools.
This horrific and mind boggling crime, resulted in the murders of 20 children between the tender ages of six and seven years old. The gunman also killed six teachers, as well as his mother. He killed his mother at point blank range while she was still asleep, before going on his deadly rampage minutes later at the elementary school. The gunman turned one of his many firearms on himself, killing himself. Further investigation uncovered that the guns and assault rifles used during this massacre had been previously purchased by his mother and that she had frequented a local gun range with her son.
The Sandy Hook Elementary, mass murderer, Adam Lanza was known around the community as strange. He was also referred to as very smart, yet quiet young man, who was removed from the normal everyday activities of a typical 20 year old. He loved video games and played them obsessively. His mother was very protective of him and had recently told her close friends of her plans to move to Washington State with her son. He was going to college there and she wanted to live nearby so that she could always be close by to offer him support, if needed. His parents were divorced and his father and brother were estranged from the family. He and his mother remained in Connecticut, while his Father and older brother lived in New Jersey. Both father and brother appeared to be very successful, “normal” individual.
Lanza was diagnosed with a form of autism as a child. It is speculated that he may have suffered from some serious form(s) of mental illnesses. The most common mental illnesses that are often linked to deadly crimes are paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) and even some milder forms of depression. Depression has been the cause of many suicides, domestic disputes and murders. Linking autism to mental health, has sparked a debate amongst mothers, the NRA, and the state and the federal government. Parents, Doctors & Advocates of children with autism are outraged at these studies and the media coverage concerning the Sandy Hook killer and his alleged mental illness(es) and his autism disorder that was diagnosed from an early age.
Autism advocates have stated that autistic children are good children and they simply think and learn differently. They are often very gifted in certain subjects in school, the arts and or even sports. Autism is defined by Autism Speaks as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both terms are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development.
If you or a family member have been arrested for a crime involving guns or any crime related to gun violence or possession of a firearm, anywhere in Broward County, Miami-Dade County, or Palm Beach County, please emailor call one of the lawyers at the Criminal Defense Law Firm of Berman & Tsombanakis LLC. at (954) 764-6099 or (954) 524-6911. We will be happy to discuss your case with you at length and chart the best course of action and put forth the best and most aggressive legal defense.