People with "severe mental illness" are responsible for an estimated one in 20 violent crimes, a rate much lower than the general population usually supposes.

Do the "Severely mentally ill" include psychopaths?

Twenty percent of male and female inmates are psychopaths, and they are responsible foe more than 50 percent of serious crimes (Hare, 1999, p. 87 without conscience:The disturbing world of the psychopaths among us. New York: Guildford Press.)

I am not suggesting that he was a psychopath, only that we should not disregarded him.

By the way, I wonder how this young man would have been handled in a society with universal health care? I ask because it seems that in the U.S. we have a catch 22. Until one actually proves themselves to be dangerous they are free to wonder the land. They are free to voluntarily commit themselves, but I would guess that without peer pressure to do so, it is not so likely. And then when one does prove to be dangerous, it is already too late.

I don't want to be sat before a board of doctors every time I say something strange, but certainly this man deserved someones attention, and he didn't seem to be inclined to ask.