@H2O MAN,
Loughner also appears to have had a drug problem which also might have influenced his mental state.
Quote:Jared Loughner unable to enlist in Army because of drug use
By Josh White
Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in Saturday's mass shooting in Tucson, was rejected from enlistment in the U.S. Army because of issues related to his history of drug use, military officials said Sunday.
In writings on the Internet attributed to Loughner, the suspect wrote that he had at one point been trying to join the Army through the Military Entrance Processing Command in Phoenix. Army officials confirmed Saturday that Loughner was not accepted and was never in the Army, but did not disclose the reason or reasons for his rejection.
Typically, applicants for military service must pass a barrage of exams, including a standard aptitude test, a urinalysis drug screening, a background check for felonies and misdemeanors, and a series of medical tests that can include psychological evaluations. Military officials said failing the drug tests or lying about prior drug use or convictions are among the most common disqualifiers for service.
In Loughner's case, it appears that his drug use was the problem, and he has a prior drug-related conviction. A military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information said Loughner failed an aspect of the drug inquiry, though it was unclear if it was the urinalysis or other questioning that blocked his entrance. It is unlikely that someone who failed the drug portion of the examinations would have gone on to have more extensive testing, such as a psychological evaluation.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/loughner-unable-to-enlist-in-a.html
There is no evidence that Loughner was ever hospitalized for mental illness or deemed a danger to himself or others. Therefore, there was no reason to deny him his right to buy a gun.
You can't notify "authorities" just because someone is asked to leave a community college or rejected by the military. Either someone is an imminent danger to self and others, and, therefore, requires immediate hospitalization, or you have to wait until they break a criminal law and get locked up. Otherwise, they are free to roam around. People have civil Constitutional rights.
