Jason Chaffetz: To stop more shootings, stop erasing criminal records of juveniles prone to violenceFox News, Aug 6, 2019, Jason Chaffetz
The mass shooter in Dayton, Ohio who was killed by police early Sunday after he shot nine people to death and wounded more than a dozen fit the now-familiar profile of the troubled youth with a well-documented history of threats dating back to high school.
The Dayton gunman had a "kill list" and had interacted with law enforcement as a minor, authorities said.
Similarly, the man charged with killing 17 people and wounding 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last year was also well known to high school counselors and local police before he turned 18, police said.
They are not alone. The pattern of mass shooters whose violent rhetoric began as minors is not new. But once these kids reach that magical age of 18, no background check will detect the red flags that signal the potential for violence.
The time has come to change the way we deal with the records of troubled juveniles once they legally become adults. No longer should we simply expunge information symptomatic of violence that may be yet to come.
Every high school has students who are sometimes immature, easily triggered, or who simply make big mistakes. But beyond the typical drug and alcohol infractions, truancy issues, or fights in the parking lot, there are kids with much more serious issues.
These are students who issue explicit threats, engage in violence, torture or kill animals, assault a parent or sibling, or engage in a host of other more heinous acts of aggression.
More:
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jason-chaffetz-to-stop-more-shootings-stop-erasing-criminal-records-of-violent-juvenile-offenders
