Mourning the Orlando Shooting

By Roma Blackham, Marketing —

With 49 dead and another 53 wounded, the shooting in Orlando is by far the worst shooting in American history. This tragedy has initiated a number of global discussions on national security and gun laws, among other things. And to add another level of controversy, this act of terrorism was committed by Omar Mateen, a native U.S. citizen, and Islamic extremist.

The FBI Investigation

What may surprise many people is that the FBI had investigated Mateen earlier in 2013. Although Mateen had been thoroughly investigated for claiming relations to both Al Qaeda and Hezbollah — two conflicting extremist groups — the results of the investigation did not imply that he would necessarily turn to murder. Unfortunately, despite the thoroughness of the investigation, the FBI could not predict his future actions.

Gun Laws

This recent shooting has many people thinking about the security of our nation, especially in relation to gun laws. What worries many people is that although Mateen was on the FBI watch list, he was still able to purchase the assault rifle that killed and injured so many people. The intense discussion on gun control laws has passionate advocates on both sides. But in light of this tragic shooting, those in favor of stricter gun control laws are pleading for a more rigorous vetting processing for gun buyers.

Preventing Further Shootings

What has been made clear is that there needs to be heightened level of security somewhere — whether that is with the FBI, U.S. gun laws, or through another avenue. EyeDetect has the potential to help elevate security and to prevent further tragedies. While it’s hard to anticipate a person’s motives and intentions, EyeDetect can help determine whether they intend to harm others. This lie detection test is more affordable than polygraph tests and so can more easily be used on a wider scale. If EyeDetect was used in the gun buying process to vet gun buyers, tragedies like this one might be prevented.

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Photo courtesy of Mark Zastrow.