Enforcing existing laws

After reading the story about Aaron Alexis, the Navy Yard shooter, and seeing the surveillance photo of him in action, I am inclined to point out a few things:

1. Alexis was clearly mentally ill and had personally contacted the police regarding voices and low-frequency sound waves telling him to do things. The police did nothing.

2. He purchased a weapon using phony identification.

3. The weapon was either a shotgun or a vintage World War II Army rifle, not an “assault weapon.”

4. He was able to gain access to the Navy Yard with legally obtained photo ID.

As always, the cause of this incident was the failure of the government to use existing legislation to head off this tragedy. We don’t need more laws; we simply need to enforce the laws we already have.

Jim Foley

Spokane Valley