Today Marks One Year Since the Parkland Mass Shooting; Reports Indicate There Were Warning Signs Before Parkland Shooter Killed 17 People and Wounded More Than a Dozen
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 Another American Gun Violence Crisis— Firearm Suicide
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 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Don Beyer (D-VA) for introducing the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. This legislation would give incentives to states to enact and implement Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which empower law enforcement and family members to seek a court order to temporarily block a person’s access to guns if they are a danger to themselves or others.
More information about Red Flag Laws is available here.
“So many shootings are slow-motion tragedies — a long trail of warning signs leading up to one terrible moment,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We applaud Sen. Feinstein, Reps. Carbajal, Fitzpatrick, Deutch and Beyer for introducing a bipartisan Red Flags bill that will provide family members and law enforcement with the tools they need to step in before it’s too late.”
“Since the Parkland shooting, nine states have passed Red Flag laws – including five states with Republican governors,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We’ve proven in the states that Red Flag laws are a bipartisan solution to gun violence. It’s now time for federal lawmakers to follow suit and work across the aisle to keep our families safe. I’m incredibly grateful to Sen. Feinstein, Reps. Carbajal, Fitzpatrick, Deutch and Beyer for their swift leadership on this critical legislation.”