Examination of mental health care sought after Newtown tragedy

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Days after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School , many are still trying to figure out how someone could commit such a horrific act.

Family and friends of Adam Lanza have spoken out, and some reports say he had Aspergers, a form of autism that rarely shows itself with violent acts.

Baxter Chandler, LICSW, the Director of Behavioral Health at Holyoke Medical Center, told 22News that it's too early to determine what was going on inside Lanza's head, but it highlights the need for better mental health care.

"What I hope is we look at how we regulate firearms, but also how we are providing and maybe not providing mental health care to the community,” Chandler said.

"We've seen a real shift in mental health services out there, and I think there's less access to the resources that people used to have access to.”

So far, investigators have declined to discuss a motive for the shootings, but they say they do have evidence that will shed light on what led up to the attack.