Mass shootings can happen here too

THE EDITOR: At least 12 people were killed and several injured on Friday in a mass shooting at a government building in the US state of Virginia. The suspect, described by officials as a disgruntled city employee in Virginia Beach, fired indiscriminately in a municipal building. The gunman was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police. His identity has not been released. Officials said an officer was wounded when a bullet struck his vest.

What happened in Virginia, US, could happen here in TT. Not enough is being done by this present government to deal with the rising number of cases of mental health disorders in Trinidad and Tobago. Government has the power and the resources, and they can and must do a great deal in tackling the stigmatisation of mental ill health in the workplace and everywhere, and we need to ensure that people receive education about this problem on a continuous basis. I am suggesting that we need a government that is serious about offering a holistic approach that deals with mental health.

Simon Wright, CHAGUANAS