Prescriptions, Not Guns: Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Links Alleged New Orleans Attack to Drug Abuse

A recent arrest tied to an alleged New Orleans attack points to the influence of prescription drug use and abuse as an overlooked factor in what drives people to violence, according to retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer.

Last week, federal authorities arrested Micah Legnon, 29, a Marine veteran and former police officer, who investigators alleged was linked through a Signal chat to a broader case and was traveling toward New Orleans with weapons and gear, per an FBI criminal complaint. Legnon, who is transgender, faces one count of “threats in interstate commerce” after posting images allegedly showing weapons, armor, and anti-ICE messaging, as stated in the complaint. FBI special agent Paul Sellers indicated that Legnon intended to travel to New Orleans to carry out an attack using the weapons depicted in the photos.

Shaffer emphasized that medication use should be scrutinized during violent incidents. “This is a common factor in a number of shootings, especially with kids who are diagnosed with ADD,” Shaffer said. “They put them on psychotropic drugs.”

Shaffer also noted the same pattern applies to transgender individuals: “You have mental illness. Well, this puts you on a drug. So I don’t think it’s the guns. I think it’s actually the drugs that has a great deal to do with what happens when these people turn violent and either participate in or contemplate acts of violence.”