A recent arrest tied to an alleged New Orleans attack points to the influence of prescription drug use and abuse as an overlooked factor in what drives people to violence, according to retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer on Newsmax Saturday.
"Any community where violence is prevalent, I think you can trace it back to a series of cocktails that have been prescribed to them," Shaffer said in a panel discussion on Newsmax's "The Count." "We don't look deep enough at the effects of psychotropic drugs."
Last week, federal authorities arrested Micah Legnon, 29, a Marine veteran and former police officer, who investigators alleged was linked through a Signal chat to a broader case and was traveling toward New Orleans with weapons and gear, according to an FBI criminal complaint.
Legnon, who is transgender, faces one count of "threats in interstate commerce" after a post that showed a picture of what appeared to be the weapons, armor, and anti-ICE messaging, according to the complaint.
"Legnon intended to travel to New Orleans to carry out an attack by means of weapons shown in the picture above," according to FBI special agent Paul Sellers' complaint dated Saturday.
As the show discussed the arrest and broader threats, Shaffer said medication use deserves closer scrutiny when violent incidents occur.
“This is a common factor in a number of shootings, especially with kids who are diagnosed with ADD," said Shaffer. "They put them on psychotropic drugs."
The same thing holds with some transgender patients, said Shaffer.
"You have mental illness. Well, this puts you on a drug. So I don't think it's the guns. I think it's actually the drugs that has a great deal to do with what happens when these people turn violent and either participate in or contemplate acts of violence,” Shaffer said.
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