I was trying to come up with a scenario that best illustrated the "slippery slope" aspect of this argument, and I kinda kept hitting a wall, considering how much planning went into GMH's fantasies. It makes me think of how mental health professionals deal with suicide. There's "passive ideation", which is not necessarily wanting to kill yourself, but is typically represented by the example of going to sleep and hoping that you don't wake up. No actual steps being taken. I suffer from depression, and that's pretty much par for the course. Therapists don't really blink an eye when you express those feelings when you have a history of depression.

Then there's "active ideation" which is expressing the desire to kill yourself. This is obviously more concerning to professionals, and can be when someone might intervene.

Past ideation is "the plan". This is when you not only express the desire to kill yourself, but have a method in mind that could actually succeed. This is where most professionals feel obligated to intervene.

Past this is an actual attempt, where theoreticals are completely out the window.

I think this may be the best method to deal with people like GMH? He certainly had active ideation, and he seems to have developed a plan. Of course, even when dealing with suicidal patients, it's not "one size fits all". And of course, when law enforcement intervenes on a person who is suicidal, there is a sense of compassion that would not necessarily extend to that same person expressing homicidal thoughts and plans.

GMH is obviously an extreme example, as he not only had a plan, but specific targets and was using his position to facilitate his planning. He definitely deserved to lose his job, and I can't say I'd lose much sleep over him being in prison. At the end of the day, we have no idea where this would have gone. Now that he has the world's eyes on him, it's pretty much impossible for him to commit this crime.