Trump shooter’s history underscores the need for more mental health resources in schools | Editorial

“He was bullied almost every day. He was just an outcast.” That observation by a former classmate of the 20-year-old man shot and killed by Secret Service agents after attempting to assassinate Donald Trump should have quelled all the loose talk spewed by the former president’s supporters to persuade voters that the tragic incident was politically motivated.

Profiles of Thomas Matthew Crooks thus far instead resemble those of other young mass shooters going as far back as the 1999 murders of 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado. Since 1980, the median age of a mass shooter in this country has dropped from 39 years old to 22. Most mass shooters of any age are also non-Hispanic white men.

Could Crooks have wanted to leave life in a blaze of glory? A Secret Service sharpshooter fatally shot him within moments after he wounded Trump and shot three other men, one of whom died.

The lack of evidence leading to a specific motive for Crooks may leave that question unanswered forever, but that hasn’t stopped unsubstantiated accusations that he was stirred to action by anti-Trump comments made by President Joe Biden and other Democrats. It’s true that Crooks donated $15 to a Democratic organization on the day Biden was inaugurated in 2021, but later that year he registered to vote as a Republican.

While the search for Crooks’ motivation continues, we should return to a topic that, like the need for better gun laws, our nation has yet to adequately address. America’s overburdened, underfunded mental health system still lacks enough resources to both help people before they become mass shooters and address the neglected needs of the general population.

Our high schools, in particular, where students spend as much as seven hours a day or more, need trained staff members who can provide appropriate counseling before a student hurts themself or others.

“He sat by himself, didn’t talk to anyone, didn’t even try to make conversation,” said another classmate of Crooks. “He was an odd kid, but nothing about him seemed dangerous.” Figuring out which “odd kid” needs help requires more guidance counselors and advanced mental health professionals at our schools. Instead, many school boards have reduced those positions to save money.

The American School Counselor Association recommends at least one counselor for every 250 students, but only Vermont (186) and New Hampshire (208) meet those criteria. Both Pennsylvania (353) and New Jersey (337) fall under the national average of 444 students per counselor, but their schools also fail to meet the ASCA standard.

That means even when an overburdened school counselor notices a student has issues beyond bad grades or choosing a college, the demands of assisting dozens of other students may give them little time to intervene effectively. Even if time isn’t an issue, most guidance counselors are not specifically trained to help a student who exhibits behavior that may indicate they might commit a violent act.

School districts need more resources to intervene when they recognize that a student needs mental health assistance.

The National Association of School Psychologists recommends schools have one psychologist on-site for every 500 students, but the national average is only one psychologist for every 1,127 students. In Pennsylvania, the average is one school psychologist for every 1,022 students. New Jersey averages one psychologist for every 663 students, but that doesn’t meet the NASP standard, either.

Most students who need help don’t become a danger to others, but many harm themselves, and some die by suicide. Students’ mental health was further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed schools, limited children’s interaction with peers, and increased their time on social media sites. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared a mental health crisis among children in 2021 and issued another warning last year about social media’s adverse impact on young people.

School districts need more resources to intervene when they recognize a student needs mental health assistance. One avenue may be funding provided through a federal grant program that is part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law last year by President Biden. It includes $1 billion to be competitively awarded to school districts implementing programs to “prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate.”

Urgency, however, should also spur state and local governments and school boards to act beyond stringent security measures.

Schools not only need teachers, administrators, and support staff, they also need enough guidance counselors and mental health professionals on-site to help prevent a school from becoming the scene of an avoidable calamity.