Trump admin mulls tech answer to mass shootings

By James Reinl

NEW YORK (AA) - President Donald Trump's administration is mulling a proposal to monitor mentally ill people for signs of impending violence in a bid to tackle the growing menace of mass shootings, according to The Washington Post newspaper.

The plan reportedly involves creating a research agency to brainstorm new approaches to national health problems, including a spate of gun violence that has included recent deadly shooting sprees in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.

The proposal was reportedly hatched by Bob Wright, a former chairman of the NBC television network, and could involve using technology like phones and smartwatches to monitor whether the mentally ill are about to turn violent.

The White House office for media affairs did not immediately reply to Anadolu Agency’s request for clarification on the nature and extent of the plan, which was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday.

Trump and Republican lawmakers have repeatedly linked mass shootings to mental health problems of the perpetrators, as opposed to many Democrats who call for sweeping gun restrictions and background checks.

The country has witnessed a wave of gun violence in recent weeks. Last month, a gunman killed seven and wounded 21 others after fleeing a traffic stop near Odessa, Texas. The mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton claimed another 31 lives.