People have been living together with the potential for someone to commit a violent act since the beginning of time. There is never a 100% certainty that something bad won’t happen to you. To sanction the “pre-preemptive” murder of an unarmed person who is having a mental breakdown just because it might get violent is anarchy. Have they lost their minds?
This is the natural consequence of the whole “stand your ground” and “castle doctrine” movement. Self-defense has been redefined to mean you can kill if you simply feel threatened. There’s no responsibility to retreat and there doesn’t have to be an actual threat. Kill first and ask questions later.
It’s not the first time that vigilantism has become defensible in America. Like before, there is a real sense among a whole lot of people that they have the right to kill anyone who offends them and makes them feel insecure in their presence and there’s often a racist component to their “feelings.” It looks like we’re in for another round.