Up Close: Gun Control

NEW YORK (WABC) -- From President Obama to New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo, there's been a call to action on gun control.

But what about the role of mental health in gun violence and mass shootings?

We'll take a closer look at proposed changes and new laws dealing with the mentally ill, and whether they will make a difference in preventing future tragedies.

The shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre, Seung Hui-Cho, was able to purchase guns even with a history of mental problems.

We'll talk with the head of the school's English department, Lucinda Roy, who alerted university authorities about Cho after noticing his strange behavior and writings.

She chronicles her experience in a memoir called "No Right to Remain Silent: The Tragedy at Virginia Tech".

New York State's new gun control law requires therapists and social workers to report to authorities if they think a patient is a threat to himself or others.

We'll discuss it with Dr. Sam Tsemberis, a clinical psychologist and CEO of Pathways to Housing, an organization that provides housing and treatment for individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness.

We'll also be joined by two members of a group called One Million Moms for Gun Control.

On Monday the group is holding a symbolic march across the Brooklyn Bridge, followed by a rally in City Hall Park, to call for new gun control legislation and what they call a sensible interpretation of the Second Amendment.

The event will begin at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of Middagh Street and Cadman Plaza West with brief remarks and a moment of silence.

At 9:35 a.m. the march will begin across the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway and end at City Hall.

Watch Up Close with Diana Williams every Sunday morning at 11:00 on Channel 7.

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