On February 20th, many lives changed in Kalamazoo, Michigan. According to ABC News, a 45-year-old man named Jason Dalton opened fire on innocent civilians, killing six and injuring two. According to attorney Jeff Getting, Dalton was charged with six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder, and eight charges for using a firearm while committing a felony. According to ABC News, Dalton was cooperative—but not remorseful—when being interviewed by police.

Dalton was an Uber driver in the state of Michigan, and committed these acts in between picking up and dropping off people. According to the Kalamazoo police chief, Dalton was “a regular guy, exactly the type of guy that any corporation would like to hire.” He apparently had nothing on his criminal record to signify a problem, so he was able to purchase a gun and work for Uber.

While interviewing his wife, she noted he had been depressed, especially during the days leading up to the shooting. However, he did not appear to be receiving appropriate help concerning his mental health state. Had he received the proper care for his mental health, this shooting may not have occurred.

Recently, there have been a lot of conversations concerning gun control, mental health, and crime. Between the recent Paris shootings, the Boston Marathon bombing, and shopping mall shoot ups, society is terrified. No place seems safe anymore. More people are buying guns, not necessarily to kill other people, but just to protect their families. What a world we live in.

There are stigmas about individuals with mental health problems, which discourages anyone to receive the help they clearly need, for fear of a diagnosis or a stigmatization from society. According to The Kim Foundation, about 26.2 percent of Americans over the age of 18 suffer with a diagnosable mental illness. It is likely this number is only about half of those who have a mental illness. Many individuals are not diagnosed, but are suffering with, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or other significant mental illnesses. Many fear the label of a mental illness will significantly impact their life in a negative way. However, chances are, it is better to have a label and receive necessary help, than to suffer in silence every day.

When interviewing Dalton’s family, they said: “This type of violence has no place in our society, and we express our love and support for everyone involved. We intend to cooperate in every way that we can to help determine why and how this occurred.” They’re hurting, but they understand Jason murdered individuals who had families. They’re all suffering together. They see what Jason did, and they want to extend their love to those families. They want to show love, even when they’re hurting. How beautiful that is from a bystanders point-of-view. They’re hurting, but they want to help other people who are hurting from the same scenario. Love and compassion are beautiful emotions not often shown to the public eye in situations like this.

Mental health and gun control have been a pressing topic over the past few years. However, if the mental health stigma is still prominent, individuals are not going to go out to get the help they need. Many individuals and families were affected by this one shooter. Imagine if he had received the proper mental health care he needed. Imagine if there was no stigma attached to mental illness care. I can't imagine how many people are suffering in silence every day. If you or someone you know has a mental health illness, please go and seek help. Society can judge you for a mental illness, but that pain is nothing compared to the crippling emotions you struggle with on a daily basis. There is nothing wrong with seeking help. There is something wrong with society looking down on you for helping yourself. Take care of yourself first, and have compassion on those who are suffering silent battles, such as Jason Dalton. Stop fighting these battles alone.