TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the wake of the shootings at Florida State University and the killing of a deputy sheriff at the hands of an anarchist, mental heath professionals are saying more value needs to be placed on mental heath counseling. Florida ranks last or near the bottom on mental health and drug abuse funding.
Providing mental heal care for everyone who needs it would cost the state upwards of $600 million more a year. When patients aren't treated, they often end up in emergency rooms or jail.
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"Mr. May was in a state of crisis," said Tallahassee police Chief Michael DeLeo.
Two days later, 53-year-old Curtis Wade Holley opened fire on first responders.
"This person was anti-government, anti establishment," said Lt. James McQuaig, Leon County Sheriff Department's spokesman.
Friends and family had sought help for FSU shooter Myron May to no avail, even after the 30-year-old left bizarre voicemails for a fellow conspiracy theorist.
"Renee, look, I'm getting hit by direct energy weapons right now as we speak," May said in a message.
The problem is that as daily stresses increase, mental health funding has been stagnate.
"That infrastructure is crumbling," said Mike Hansen, with the Florida Council for Community Mental Health. "Resources have not been put in to keep pace with increased costs, and if we don't get additional resources, that existing system is going to fall apart. It is falling apart already."
When the friends of May reached out and sought help for what they perceived to be mental health issues, they were told nothing could be done. That's despite a state law that would have allowed a judge to order May to take medication without being institutionalized.
"We're paying for it anyway," Hansen said. "We're paying for it in an inappropriate way, and we get results nobody likes. I'm not saying we can ever prevent things like this, but there are probably things we can do to make it less likely to happen."
A state survey shows the state is meeting less than half the need for mental health care.