Such attention to the tragedy in Nashville is probably due to the fact that in this case all the chronic signs of such crimes that the American authorities cannot eradicate have appeared. One of the problems is that most of these killers buy their guns legally, although it later turns out that they repeatedly threatened other people or had mental issues.The motive of 28-year-old attacker Audrey Hale is still under investigation, but Nashville police say she was undergoing treatment for mental health issues. Additionally, Hale has identified as male on social media, which is why US media refers to her as transgender, although the gender aspect is not given much prominence in this case.Her troubled medical history did not prevent her from recently acquiring seven firearms, including the semi-automatic rifle, carbine and pistol used in the attack. It was also discovered that Hale had a detailed plan to attack the school she previously attended. Additionally, according to local police chief John Drake, she planned attacks on other objects in the city, including a shopping mall.Medical history didn’t stop Audrey Hale from legally buying seven gunsBut, as in other similar cases, the ubiquitous US intelligence agencies revealed all this already after the fact, once again failing to prevent the shooting. Part of the problem is the legislation which in America, in terms of guns, is mostly regulated at the state level and can differ significantly from region to region. When buying weapons in a store, you need to check the FBI databases, but this check is relevant only if the potential buyer fell into the sight of special services. But often the FBI does not have access to data indicating whether an American has been treated by a psychiatrist. And in some states, for example, there aren’t even databases of gun owners.Tennessee, by the way, is considered one of the most lenient when it comes to gun control. For example, it is not one of 19 states that have laws to confiscate firearms from people with mental illness. Local Republican Gov. Bill Lee has consistently advocated additional training for police to respond to such situations, but adamantly refused to toughen gun laws. He motivated this approach by the fact that “whatever laws we write, criminals do not respect the laws, but break them, we cannot control their actions”.
