Fifteen States and the District of Columbia Have Passed a Red Flag Law; Ten States Did So After the Parkland Mass Shooting, and Five of Them Have Been Signed by Republican Governors
Red Flag Laws Can Save Lives by Creating a Way for Family Members and Law Enforcement to Act Before Warning Signs Escalate into Tragedies; Red Flag Laws Also Address Gun Suicide Crisis
NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, released the following statement today applauding Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) for introducing the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 today. This legislation would empower law enforcement and family members in all fifty states to present evidence to federal courts for Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which would temporarily block a person’s access to guns if a court finds the person is a danger to themselves or others.
This bill, like all fifteen of the Red Flag bills passed at the state level, includes provisions for emergency orders, known as ex parte orders, that allow the courts and law enforcement to act quickly to prevent someone in crisis from having access to guns when it matters most.
More information about Red Flag Laws is available here.
“Nearly one-third of all states have red flag laws — which means that more than two-thirds of all states don’t provide family members or law enforcement with the tools they need to take action when someone is at risk of shooting themselves or others,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We applaud Representative Lucy McBath for leading the charge to ensure that every American is empowered to act when they spot the warning signs that often precede a mass shooting or a suicide attempt with a gun.”
“Once again, Congresswoman Lucy McBath – who started her gun safety advocacy as a Moms Demand Action volunteer after her son was murdered by a dangerous man with a gun – is showing America what it means to lead,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Red Flag laws save lives. Congress must pass this legislation immediately to spare other families the pain Rep. McBath knows all too well.”