Video game killer was able to buy guns in Maryland despite his mental illness

BALTIMORE — The young man who opened fire at a Florida video game tournament had shown abundant signs he was struggling with a mental disorder: He was prescribed an antipsychotic drug as an adolescent and had been hospitalized at least twice for mental illness.

Yet David Katz landed at the foggy intersection of America’s mental health and legal systems when it came to buying the two handguns that police say he carried during the attack, which killed two people and wounded 10 others during the “Madden NFL 19” competition in Jacksonville, Fla. The rampage ended when the 24-year-old Baltimore man fatally shot himself.

Experts say the gunman’s history of mental illness apparently would not have stopped him from buying guns in Maryland, where buyers cannot pass a background check if they were either involuntarily committed for any period of time or voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric facility for at least 30 consecutive days.

Court papers filed in his parent’s divorce do not clearly indicate whether Katz was hospitalized voluntarily or involuntarily, and the two hospitalizations were both shorter than 30 days.

In addition, Katz’s hospitalizations may have occurred before the Maryland General Assembly revamped the state’s firearms laws following the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech.

A Maryland legislator said the attack highlights the need to review laws governing the length of time someone can be voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric facility and still pass a background check for firearms.

“That clearly is an area in need of reform,” said Democratic Sen. Robert Zirkin.

Maryland lawmakers will gather in January for their annual 90-day legislative session in Annapolis.

Under federal law, people are generally prohibited from acquiring guns if they have ever been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility. Nationally, there’s no federal requirement for psychiatric hospitals or courts to report involuntary commitments to the FBI for inclusion in a database used for gun-purchase background checks.

In Maryland, where Katz purchased a 9mm handgun and .45-caliber handgun, state law requires courts to report to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System whenever people are declared mentally incompetent to stand trial or assigned a guardian because they cannot manage their affairs.