This is an inherently societal (and by extension, political) issue as some have pointed out. Realistically speaking, legislative solutions do not appear imminent.
Technological solutions could still be of use as follows:
1) predicting/detecting behavioural problems well in advance of the individual(s) in question becoming locked into a violent path (this would be challenging on both technical and ethical/privacy fronts)
2) more narrow-window prediction/detection of violent intent, and/or materials that would constitute threat to life (guns, as a prime example) and immediate notification of first responders. Essentially what some folks call a "sense and respond" system.
3) Environmental deterrents/safeguards coupled to the detection systems described in (2) above.
A multi-pronged strategy would likely deliver the best outcomess w.r.t minimising the loss of life. Solutions at each level could also be re-purposed for emergencies that aren't gun related, so the overall benefit to society would be meaningful.
Disclosure: I founded a startup over a year ago with the express purpose of solving such problems (== preventing loss of life in violent scenarios in general) and had to shut it down due to lack of funding. I have thought about these issues for a couple of years now and have some specific ideas on the subject. Happy to discuss further with anyone interested in collaborating, pointing me to funding opportunities etc.
This is an inherently societal (and by extension, political) issue as some have pointed out. Realistically speaking, legislative solutions do not appear imminent. Technological solutions could still be of use as follows:
1) predicting/detecting behavioural problems well in advance of the individual(s) in question becoming locked into a violent path (this would be challenging on both technical and ethical/privacy fronts)
2) more narrow-window prediction/detection of violent intent, and/or materials that would constitute threat to life (guns, as a prime example) and immediate notification of first responders. Essentially what some folks call a "sense and respond" system.
3) Environmental deterrents/safeguards coupled to the detection systems described in (2) above.
A multi-pronged strategy would likely deliver the best outcomess w.r.t minimising the loss of life. Solutions at each level could also be re-purposed for emergencies that aren't gun related, so the overall benefit to society would be meaningful.
Disclosure: I founded a startup over a year ago with the express purpose of solving such problems (== preventing loss of life in violent scenarios in general) and had to shut it down due to lack of funding. I have thought about these issues for a couple of years now and have some specific ideas on the subject. Happy to discuss further with anyone interested in collaborating, pointing me to funding opportunities etc.