THIS WEEK IN GUN VIOLENCE

We really need to change gun ownership laws to prohibit people with serious mental disorders from getting their hands on weapons.

Police: Hospital shooter mentally ill, had grudge
Apr 20 01:45 PM US/Eastern
By BETH RUCKER
Associated Press Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A mentally ill gunman who killed a hospital worker and wounded two others was upset with a doctor he thought had implanted a monitoring device during an appendectomy in 2001, police said Tuesday.

Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said gunman Abdo Ibssa (AB'-doh IHB'-sah) first entered a medical tower near Parkwest Medical Center and asked for the doctor who performed the appendectomy. He then went to another area where patients are discharged and opened fire. He killed himself after shooting the three women on Monday, a day before his 39th birthday.

Owen said investigators found a note at Ibssa's Knoxville apartment in which the gunman said the doctor had implanted a chip that was being used to track the patient's movements.

Medication used for treating a psychological condition was also found at his apartment, but investigators believe he hadn't been taking his medicine, Owen said. Owen said relatives of the naturalized citizen from Ethiopia had him committed for mental treatment in February.