We failed Heather Heyer by not identifying killers

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says there was no way to prepare for the fatal car attack in Charlottesville. I disagree.

After the shootings in Dallas, Orlando and many others, I argued for stronger programs to identify killers. The perpetrators come in different shapes and sizes — white supremacists, gang members or radical Islamists. But they have common characteristics: individuals with worrisome backgrounds, including domestic abuse, violent misdemeanors, and drug and alcohol abuse.

The little information we have on James Fields Jr., the alleged driver of the car that killed Heather Heyer, corroborates that picture. The Washington Post reported that his mother had called 911 to alert authorities to his potential danger. He had been taking medication for schizophrenia. His high school history teacher was alarmed by his neo-Nazi views and writings. Fields enlisted in the Army after graduation but was discharged in four months and had not completed basic training.

As a retired Army general and clinical psychiatrist, I know that his discharge marks him as likely being a troubled young man. Fields was probably released from basic training when it became apparent he suffered from a pre-existing serious mental illness that disqualified him.

Fields was sent off to be someone else’s problem, as we have all so sadly learned. This is not a slam against the Army, but a criticism across the board for our failure as a country to tackle mental health problems, particularly in our young people, and enact programs and treatments to protect against violence.

The overriding debate about white supremacy has marginalized the core issue of personal violence. This is especially worrisome when we are having a national debate about health care and funding for it. Proposed Medicaid cuts would hit hard at mental health coverage. Personal violence goes beyond ideology and political convictions. It is an issue of mental state and potential for dangerous behavior. More often than not, the perpetrators have left telltale signs that they are threats — evidence of domestic abuse, harassment and open statements endorsing violence.

Any research has to tiptoe around the gun lobby that is systematically opposed to funding it. It takes courage for politicians to risk their careers and act against individual violence that could involve access to guns. Ironically, it is more politically savvy to talk about racism, white supremacy and social problems. But talking about those issues — as important and compelling as they are — doesn’t protect us from the lethal perpetrator next door.

We need to support community-based programs that bring together the health clinics, mental health services, law enforcement, schools and social agencies to identify problems and intervene as soon as they arise. We have the capabilities to connect these agencies and coordinate their services. What we need now are commitment and leadership.

Stephen N. Xenakis is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, a retired Army brigadier general, and the author of A Better Way to Find the Killer Next Door.