Looking Back at the Fatal Shooting at Fairview
The tragic shootings that occurred at Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa July 30, followed by the arrest of Michael Rahming, have led many of us to speculate on how--with the advantages of hindsight--this tragedy could have been prevented. It is noted that Mr. Rahming did have a psychiatric evaluation before the event and that, even though he was unhappy and disgruntled, he was not considered dangerous.
One thing might have been done--and might be done in similar situations in the future. After the psychiatric examination, couldn’t Mr. Rahming have been asked, in exchange for a clean bill of health and permission to return to work, to voluntarily surrender his firearm?
JACK LEVITT, M.D., Former Chief of Service at Fairview, Santa Ana
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