Defusing random gun violence

Sunday’s traumatic violence in Toronto’s Danforth district is nothing new or novel, sadly. Shootings and gun violence are already far too common. But the crime does revive persistent questions about mental health, gun control and public safety. The perpetrator, 29-year old Faisal Hussain, is said to have struggled his whole life with mental illness, including depression and psychosis. Sunday night, unknown motives caused him to kill a young woman and a 10-year old girl and wound 13 other people before apparently shooting himself. Given his name, cultural vigilantes jumped to conclusions: he must have been a Muslim extremist or had terrorist links. So far, no such links have emerged, and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the investigation is not a national security matter. Whatever the motive, the Danforth shooting is what experts call a “signal crime,” an act that stirs public outrage and fear. Already, there are demands to flood the streets with police and arm them with new powers to stop and question anyone deemed suspicious. Others suggest more stringent supervision of the mentally ill, an idea that is much easier to prompt from the sidelines than to put into practice. Any such controls could pose grave constitutional concerns. Canadians don’t lose their rights just because they’re sick. But more can and should be done to identify and treat those who are dangerous to themselves or to the public. More can be done for their families, who often bear the heaviest burdens. And what of the weapon itself? Mayor John Tory expressed the feelings of many Canadians when he wondered: “Why does anyone in Toronto need a gun?” That question could be asked anywhere in the country. Polls have suggested that a clear majority of Canadians would approve a total ban on handguns in urban areas. Goodale said that Ottawa was looking at potential reforms. Details aren’t known yet, or at least police aren’t saying, how Hussain got his gun but it’s likely he obtained it illegally. That doesn’t prove that stringent gun laws don’t work; in fact, they might need to be tightened. Even the legal gun trade merits greater scrutiny. Police are reporting a marked increase in the use of legal licences to purchase multiple guns, which are then sold profitably on the black market. Prior to 2012, 75 per cent of illegal guns came from the U.S. That figure is down to about 50 per cent. The federal government has introduced legislation to further restrict such illegal transactions and has pledged $325 million for programs to fight gun violence. And while Canadian cities remain mostly safe, there are some troubling indicators. The overall crime rate rose by one per cent in 2017, but murders were up by seven per cent. Crimes involving guns also increased. The tragedy on the Danforth didn’t raise new issues or pose novel problems. Depending on what emerges from the investigation, it might suggest shortcomings in the current rules. It certainly reminds us of the need to improve diagnosis, care and treatment of mental illness. Above all, everything possible must be done to keep guns out of the hands of truly troubled people.

An editorial from the Chronicle Herald.