We have seen a number of violent incidents lately where folks said they saw little sign of problems before the individual did the sad deed. I am 'almost' convinced that the obsession OF the media with 'reporting' every horrible crime in detail, even if it happens 1000 miles away, exacerbates the problem. The more famous crimes get re-run and re-examined on TV programs incessantly. Perhaps the success of Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood" showed the market for it. We have one local channel where violent crime is 90% of their programming. How much exposure to that can cause an unstable individual to 'explode'? How often do people, even unconciously, seek to emulate or transcend what the see?
...right...no one knows, and we can't prove it in most cases, but I have little faith that it serves as an object lesson or deterrent.

Barring the reduction of availability of guns, I think that restricting the re-enaction and detailed coverage of violent crime is the simplest way to begin approaching the problem.

No outrage? *I* am outraged that some of the real, genuine ways to deal with societal violence are ignored because of perceived 'rights' to own dangerous weapons and dramatize the use of them on TV and in video games.

I agree with you, Bill, thanks for putting it so well.