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That grim reality of the recent large-scale killings, and the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in many American cities, raises two questions: What to do in the still-unlikely event you find yourself someplace where an armed person has opened fire? And how can you keep from being paralyzed by the possibility of that happening? (Jacobs, 7/6)

A tip from a concerned citizen helped Richmond police thwart a potential mass shooting targeting the July Fourth celebration in Virginia’s capital, authorities said Wednesday. Officers arrested two men on weapons charges and recovered guns and ammunition in connection with the planned attack, which was to occur at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater, Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith said at a news conference. The motive is still under investigation. (Jouvenal, 7/6)

Two days after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade shocked the country and put renewed focus on weaknesses in Illinois’ gun laws, authorities continued to hash out how alleged gunman Robert Crimo III apparently bought a high-powered rifle despite troubling episodes in his background. (Crepeau and Sweeney, 7/6)

Under Illinois law, there are several opportunities for the authorities to intervene if a gun owner is deemed to pose a dangerous risk. This begins with the application process for a gun license, known in Illinois as a Firearm Owner’s Identification card. The application includes a long list of questions about past felony convictions, failed drug tests or recent hospitalizations for mental illness. It is submitted to the State Police, where it goes through dozens of steps, involving electronic and manual checks of national and state databases. At any point in that process, the state could determine that a person is not eligible. However, a vast majority are approved. (Smith, Robertson, Robles and Kovaleski, 7/6)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shared a doctored image that she falsely claimed showed the suspect in the Highland Park, Illinois, mass shooting was in a “in jail or rehab or a psychiatric center” before he opened fire on the Chicago suburb’s July 4 parade. ... Greene posted the altered image of Crimo twice, using it to make a political point about guns and mental health.(McCarthy, 7/7)

KHN: Gun Safety ‘Wrapped In A Mental Health Bill’: A Look At Health Provisions In The New Law

The gun safety law forged through tense bipartisan talks in the Senate last month has been heralded as the first federal legislation in 30 years to combat rising gun violence. But what often falls below the radar is the new law’s focus on improving mental health services. News coverage has largely centered on the law’s provisions to enhance background checks for younger buyers, encourage states to implement their own “red flag laws,” and close the “boyfriend loophole.” Less attention has been paid to the mental health programs that most of the estimated $13 billion is earmarked for. (Knight, 7/7)

None of the four Republican candidates for governor of Michigan endorsed additional gun control measures or "red flag" laws during a debate in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, despite a recent rash of mass shootings around the nation, including one at a Fourth of July parade near Chicago that killed seven people. (Egan, 7/6)