By most accounts, 30-year-old Nick Corvino had a lot going for him. He was a former campaigner for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, as well as several other Republican efforts. Unfortunately, all that came to an end when his 45-year-old roommate shot him 13 times while he slept.

From Fox News:

Corvino’s roommate, Scott Waddell, 45, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, told deputies he “sometimes has homicidal thoughts about killing young men, but has never acted on them,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said.

Police were sent to the scene after receiving a report of an alarm going off Tuesday morning.

When deputies arrived at the apartment, Waddell opened the door with blood splattered on his feet and his hands.

…

Waddell told deputies he was “mentally disabled” and took a few medications before he went to bed. It was not clear what medications he took.

“He said he woke up scared and being in Nicholas’ room where he saw Nicolas covered in blood with a gun lying next to him,” the arrest affidavit stated.

Waddell owned two guns, a shotgun and handgun. He told deputies during the interview that he had no recollection of the shooting and asked if Corvino was dead.

This is troubling, and not just because a life was snuffed out so suddenly.

The fact that Waddell was “mentally disabled” and took medications, coupled with him telling police that he occasionally had homicidal thoughts about killing young men indicates that he may well have been a prime candidate for being adjudicated as mentally defective, as the BATFE calls it. As such, he would have had no business owning a firearm.

There are a lot of questions, obviously, and right now Corvino’s family is asking all of them and then some. We simply don’t have enough information, but it seems like this is an obvious case where tighter gun regulations wouldn’t have helped. Corvino was reportedly asleep and helpless. Waddell could easily have committed the same act with a knife, a hammer, or a baseball bat.

Without knowing the nature of Waddell’s illness, it’s difficult to know whether he was a candidate for adjudication in any way, shape, or form. However, it does seem clear that tighter gun regulations would have done little to prevent this tragedy. After all, it appears that Corvino was asleep and helpless. Waddell could easily have used a knife, a hammer, or a baseball bat to equally deadly effect. Assuming he is actually the killer, of course.

Instead, we know that this crime is a prime example of how mental health is so important if we want to prevent crimes like this. It sounds like Waddell was getting some kind of help, but it’s also pretty obvious that it wasn’t enough if he can allegedly kill his best friend and have no memories of the act. Had he been committed for these urges? If not, why not?

There are so many questions left, which makes speculation difficult. However, I think we can all agree that this was a senseless tragedy that shouldn’t have taken place, but that it also illustrates the need for a close look at our mental health care system.