Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., warned on Saturday that America could continue to see violent crime sprees like Saturday’s Pennsylvania shooting and New Jersey standoff, where a lone gunman killed three people before being taken into custody hours later. During a segment on 'Fox News Live,' Fitzpatrick discussed the tense situation and said lawmakers need to prioritize addressing mental health problems, or they would continue to see violence permeate communities across the country.
'The reality is, in America, it’s stigmatized when we talk about healthcare from the neck up,' Fitzpatrick said. 'We focus on healthcare from the neck down and that needs to change. Mental health is an absolute crisis in America. It was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s being spiked due to expanded social media usage, increased drug use. A lot of these are interconnected issues.' He added: 'Until we start treating mental health issues like we do physical health in America, unfortunately, we are going to keep seeing crises like this. We have to fix it