The concept of shooting up a school, event, church, or other public establishment is a virus that is endemic in the minds of society such that any mentally ill individual that snaps and goes off the rails has a way-too-large chance of ending up towards this unimaginable behavior. It is not just a mental health problem, even though it is a huge part. It is not just a gun problem, even though it is also a huge part. This concept exists in the world and like a coronavirus it almost seems impossible to erase.
But this is what has to be mitigated. Not just mental health improved. Not just gun bans, etc. We have to approach this as an illness.
Trying to remove this concept from all mentally deranged individual is practically impossible, but starting services is a huge start. If Republicans can get on board with providing mental health services then that is a huge win itself1. But even if mental health services started in full earnest today it would take years, if not decades, to make a dent. As even the Texas Governor (or one of his other members at the podium2) said it is possible even mental health counseling to this individual might have only been effective if it was started many months ago.
And so then what? Should we just sit around and do nothing? Wait for the next one like we do now?
Like during the pandemic when mass gatherings and many other things were prohibited, the approach to mass shootings should be similar. We didn't just wait around for the next super spreader event. Thus, I hate to say it, but new gun ownership should be slowed down, if not completely paused, to allow for mental health services to work and to prevent more mass shootings. Further, we should increase resources on prosecuting existing gun owners if their gun is used in a mass shooting, like how the couple in Michigan is being charged. It should be known - "Our country is ill. Keep your gun but keep it safe. Let's stop these shootings." This should come from both parties but surprisingly it does not.
If someone is not comfortable with that responsibility then maybe the NRA can help the industry figure out a local 'gun storage locker' business concept. If theaters, restaurants, cruise lines, etc. can be impacted by a virus then why can't a gun industry be impacted by a mass shooting epidemic? Fine, in good Old American way, let's bail them out during this pause. Whatever it takes to stop school shootings.
After a few years, hopefully by the combination of mental health improvements and gun restrictions we get back to a situation where a mass shooting is not a go-to outlet for an mentally unwell individual. And look, I hear it already, "you say pause, but you really just want a permanent ban! You will trick us!" I don't think we will get to any normalcy without restricting guns in the same way we could not stop many more COVID deaths without restricting mass gatherings. Were these mass gathering restrictions the total answer? No. But with everything else (masks, vaccines, isolation, etc.) it adds up. Are they permanent? No. So there is precedent taking these draconian steps and returning to some normalcy. I think we could do this with gun restrictions as well.
But all of this is likely a pipe dream.
[1] And an example of Republican mental health track record, check out the state of New Mexico's former governor Susana Martinez. She gutted mental health organizations in the state to claim some victory over corruption, which was found out to be a total fabrication. Since then the state has suffered from huge problems that resulted in the complete dismantling of existing services to promote contracting out the service to Arizona, which was completely overpaid, incompetent, and resulted in a net-negative in services (i.e. ripping away years of established patient-therapist relationships and starting new). The party does not have a good history on improving mental health services.
[2] This event was best summarized in a comment on Reddit: "Gov Abbot and crew accuses Beto of political grandstanding from a grandstand with a bunch of politicians."
[3] Consider all the railing against Obamacare and government sponsored anything I can't imagine any Republican being on board with pushing health services.