The shooting at the D.C. Navy Yard that occurred Monday is just one more in a list of 62 mass shootings that have happened in the last 30 years. Aaron Alexis’s actions, though individually heartbreaking, were part of a trail of tragedy that has laced itself through American history.

The incident left 13 dead and at least eight injured. The location of the shooting may make it seem distant to us Iowans, but it is alarming how close it was to our national headquarters. In any case, 13 families, hundreds of friends and countless unconnected Americans are grieved by what happened on Monday.

We as students, as Iowans, and as a nation can’t give a concrete reason for the tragedy. We can’t go back and undo what’s been done.

But we can help prevent it from happening again.

As mentioned, this was the latest of at least 62 shootings that have taken place in the last three decades. The frequency of disasters such as these is astounding. And though there may not be one singular, all-encompassing explanation, many of these cases have something in common.

Alexis, the alleged shooter in Monday’s disaster, is reported to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. A former member of the Navy, Alexis had an unsteady record of military misconduct. Additionally, he has had two prior shooting incidents though in both of those, no one was hurt.

The man responsible for the July 2012 Aurora theater shooting, James Holmes, was confirmed to be insane by a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. This means that he has an “inability to tell right from wrong because of a mental disease or defect.”

The tragedy at Sandy Hook last December was perpetrated by Adam Lanza, a troubled young man diagnosed with Asperger’s and sensory integration disorder, as well as unofficial diagnoses of “personality disorders.”

Details such as these are attached to mass murderers or shooters far back in history. The happy, stable, well-loved citizens of our country are not those who decide one day to go to school or work armed and with violent intent.

It’s the overlooked. The inconspicuous loner who chooses to be apart or even the friend who says that one thing that gave you pause, but you shrugged it off.

We can tell ourselves that it hasn’t happened at Iowa State, or in Iowa. We can tell ourselves that it’s nothing we will ever have to deal with. We can say: “It won’t happen here.”

But disbelief is a flimsy defense against a loaded gun.

The best defense is a pre-emptive one; in our schooling, work and home, we should be aware of the mental instability or anguish of others. That cousin with a penchant for nervous breakdowns? That friend whose creative writing borders on threatening? These aren’t individuals to be ignored.

As adults, we must have the maturity to admit, “yes, I’m feeling lonely.” Or “yeah, I’m pretty sad.” Or even: “I often think of hurting myself or others.” Staying quiet won’t help anything, and as illustrated by the Alexis, Holmes and Lanzas of the world, might lead to harming others.

Luckily, resources for emotional or mental help are everywhere. We’ve come a long way from when emotional collapses were met with instant confinement in an asylum. However, our society still stigmatizes mental disorders to the extent that those who need help often aren’t getting it. Before we can get the troubled and downtrodden to the clinics and therapists they need, it’s necessary to assure them that it’s okay to be struggling. And as a country, we need to shrug off the stigma that isolates those with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or any other disorder.

Iowa State has wonderful services for this at Student Counseling Center.

From the biofeedback program to individual counseling, the counseling services has many methods of helping students who struggle in any way. With such great emotional and mental support services on campus, the biggest problem is getting those who need those services in the door.

So, reach out — to your friends, to your classmates, even to yourself. The best way to ensure that Iowa State’s campus will remain unaffected by these mass killing tragedies is through preventative action. No matter what an individual is feeling, they are not alone. They don’t have to be alone.

Again, we can’t give a definitive explanation for these awful occurrences. We can’t bring back those who are killed or comfort those families who suffer. What we can do is work to improve the future, to keep those individuals from feeling that killing themselves and others is the only choice.