A suburban Atlanta sheriff is asking state lawmakers to consider the mental health of a potential gun buyer to be part of a background check.

DeKalb County Sheriff Tom Brown spoke during a forum discussion Wednesday assembled by state Sen. Donzella James, who represents parts of Douglas and Fulton counties.

Brown says allowing a person's mental health to be reviewed during a background check before a firearms purchase could help keep guns out of the hands of potentially unstable people.

During the discussion, Brown said in many instances, mass shootings were committed by a gunman who was known to have prior psychological issues. State lawmakers have discussed several gun-related bills since the start of the legislative session.

Tags: guns, mental health, Donzella James, background checks, Gun Control, tom brown, dekalb county sheriff