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Experts discuss ending gun violence

Posted at 7:47 PM, Oct 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-02 19:47:23-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- The mass shooting in Oregon has rekindled the debate about how to stop that kind of violence.

The man responsible for the shooting had legally obtained six firearms. The apparent intent of the 26-year-old gunman was to kill as many students as quickly as possible.

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"What law is going to prohibit or prevent that person from doing what they intend to do? There is no law to prevent that and people know it,” Guy Relford, a certified NRA instructor said.

Indianapolis remains on pace to have one of the highest homicide rates in recent history. Many of the 102 murders this year can be attributed to an underground criminal element, yet others point to dwindling resources to treat mental illness.

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Experts say 26 percent of the population is mentally ill and 1 in 17 is severely mentally ill. 10 percent of the homicides are attributed to mental illness and 1 in 2 mass shooters displayed some overt signs of being mentally ill.

The son of DeAndra Yates was shot in the back of the head 19 months ago. His injuries left him a quadriplegic, he can neither walk nor talk.

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"The states that have universal background checks have fewer domestics, less cops killed and less people with mental illness who are getting their hands on a gun," she said.