Judy: New York's governor took
steps today that she said would
strengthen the state red flag
laws.
He comes after authorities said
the accused gunman in the
Buffalo massacre bought the
weapon he used despite being
held for a mental health
evaluation last year.
After saying he would commit
murder-suicide.
This has raised questions about
the effectiveness of laws that
are designed to get weapons out
of the hands of those who may be
a threat to themselves or
others.
Reporter: When the accused
gunman was evaluated, he said
his remark was a joke to get out
of class.
Authorities said he was not
dangerous.
They released him and they never
barred him from having a firearm
under New York's red fly ball.
-- Flag law.
He started with plans about a
racist shooting spree.
He said they did not know he had
spent $100 on ammo or that he
owned a shotgun.
Later he wrote I lied to them
for months.
This brings up a basic question.
Is there a way to detect and
deter mass shooters before they
act?
She is an associate professor of
criminalogy.
The prosecutor in the county
when the accused went to high
school defended the outcome of
that mental evaluation by saying
he did not have a long history
of mental illness.
This was the one isolated
incident.
What he said and everything else
we are learning, what does that
say about the effectiveness of
red flag laws?
>> It is pretty complicated.
We see this again and again and
the lives of perpetrators that
they are leaking their plans,
they are actively suicidal, they
are telling of the people they
are thinking about doing this
and an intervention just does
not occur.
I think he goes to show you how
these red flag laws on the books
that could be very effective if
they were put into place.
You also have to have the
training from the people in the
community.
Reporter: In this case it feels
like this was someone who was
intent on being deceptive.
Figuring out how to get out of
having said this in high school.
He acknowledged lying to his
parents.
Is someone who is intent on
deceiving just going to get
around these laws?
>> It is hard to say.
He can say that he was joking or
getting but he still said it.
We see that again and again.
They will say they are thinking
about this and then when
confronted they will say never
mind.
That is why we actually need a
lot more research I think into
how to conduct these interviews,
what information we should be
looking at and pulling out and
how do we figure out what is a
joke or a hoax?
Even if it is not a threat
today, it could turn into
something real a year from now.
I think the research in an area
is still emerging.
Reporter: There was a justice
department study that uses data
that your program generated.
They found that from 1966 to
2019, 70 7% of mass shooters got
their weapons legally.
Why is it so easy?
>> That is a great question.
We tracked every gun that was
used in every mass shooting
going back to 19 six six,
looking at how it was obtained,
Wayne, how it was modified.
Many of these perpetrators were
able to purchase the guns
legally even though they should
not have been able to.
There were things like lying
when doing a background check or
the background check not being
performed or crossing state
lines where the age limits are
different.
Maybe the history of ability was
not entered into the system
correctly.
A lot of the purchased guns
online or a gun shows or through
private sales or took them from
their parents.
Places that we do not regulate.
Reporter: I when you do expand
on something.
These laws were made to detect
mass shooters before they act.
Clearly in this case it did not
work.
What is the fix?
How can we detect and deter mass
shooters before they act?
>> It is a huge question.
We published a book in the fall.
We dove deep into all of the
data.
We came out with 33 different
solutions based on the data he
had.
None of them are perfect on
their own.
Everything from trauma straining
and schools to crisis
intervention.
Two and summoning red flag laws
and universal background checks.
There are a lot of things we can
be doing as individuals and
policymakers.
There is not just one thing that
will fix this.
It is really complicated.
Reporter: The governor of new
York asked the state attorney
general to investigate the
social media platforms that had
a role in this.
They say he got radicalized on a
website that is notorious as a
breeding ground for conspiracy
theories.
Talk a little bit about the role
of the internet and social media
in this.
>> We have seen mass shootings
really increasing over the last
five years.
We think that part of that
escalation is the role of social
media.
You have individuals who are
lost, angry, suicidal.
They go online and they are able
to find these dark communities
where a lot of the thinking has
been validated.
It was really difficult before
the internet to find these
people were saying these
terrible things.
But now you can find them and be
validated very easily.
We have cases of perpetrators
talking to other perpetrators in
front of chat rooms before they
go out and do this.
We note these shootings are
meant to be watched and
witnessed.
There are ways to make your
anger go viral.
The internet plays a huge role
in turning these perpetrators
into these notorious people who
we all know.
Reporter: Thank you very much.