Names of mentally ill provided to FBI

OLYMPIA – The state Department of Social and Health Services is supplying the FBI with names of mentally ill people prohibited from owning handguns.

The names of people disqualified by the courts from having guns will be added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, used by police and gun shop owners to screen people. On Tuesday, about 33,000 names were submitted to the registry, said Washington State Patrol Lt. Sean Hartsock.

The index will not identify people as mentally ill but rather “state disqualified,” to ensure a person’s privacy, Hartsock said Wednesday. The purpose is to give law enforcement officers more information when reviewing applications for gun ownership.