I want to chime in with another concern: identification of, and care for, emotionally and mentally disturbed people. From the descriptions I have read of the shooter, he was "different" enough that someone should have realized he needed psychological help.

We leave emotionally and psychologically disturbed people to fend for themselves, perhaps with family care perhaps not, but without the professional intervention they so desperately need. As the police told me when I called regarding the mentally ill man next door, "Until he does something that clearly shows he's a danger to himself or others, there's nothing we can do." By that time it may be too late.

I do believe that we also need to address the issue of lethal weapons. There will always be comments about the sanctity of the 2nd amendment, but may I point out that even the 1st amendment has been interpreted to exclude harmful speech (e.g., yelling "fire!" in a crowded theater). By analogy, there needs to be some boundary to the right to bear arms and I'm sure intelligent, thoughtful people can come up with acceptable limits. Their only fear will be being blown away by some NRA nut who wants to prove his point by exercising his right to kill.

That's what guns are for, aren't they? The threat of lethal force? Who better to turn them against than defenseless children.?