SPOKANE, Wash. – Gary Kennison is asking state lawmakers for stricter mental health laws.
His daughter, Sheena Henderson, was shot dead at the Deaconess Hospital by her estranged husband in July 2014. Kennison said he is using this case as evidence that mental health laws need to be strengthened across the state.
"What I'm advocating is that family members have a way of protecting their loved ones," Kennison said.
Henderson's estranged husband, Christopher, had been suffering from severe mental problems.
"I'm angry with what he did," Kennison said, "but I'm more angry with the fact that our system is so broken."
For Kennison, one of the more frustrating aspects of the case was the fact that Christopher had a history of making suicidal threats.
Christopher had been detained by police for making what police said were alarming statements about his estranged wife. 24 hours later, both he and Sheena Henderson were dead.
According to the proposals within the Sheena Henderson Act, mental health professionals would be alerted whenever someone raises safety concerns. Those professionals could then determine if that person is a threat, even if they do not show outward signs of aggressiveness when detained by police.
A second bill would make it harder for mentally ill people to retrieve guns that have been taken by police. According to that proposal, anyone with a possible mental illness would have to wait three days to receive their gun after requesting it back. In that time, police would be required to call family members or close associates of the individual to verify if the person is mentally well enough to handle a gun.
Kennison said he believes if these precautions were in place beforehand, his daughter would still be alive today.
"Had I been notified of the release of his firearm," he said, "I would've been able to make sure a protective order was in place."
