Reports Indicate There Were Warning Signs before Shooter Killed 17 People
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting is at Least the 18th Shooting on School Grounds in 2018; 291st Shooting on School Grounds Since 2013
Gun Violence Survivors, Gun Violence Prevention Leaders, Policy Experts and Moms Demand Action Volunteers in Florida Available for Interviews
PARKLAND, Fla. – Yesterday, the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead and more than a dozen others injured. As the country mourns, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America are calling on elected officials to pass common-sense policies – such as “Red Flag Laws”– that will save lives.
Following the Parkland shooting, people who knew the shooter described him as troubled. He had a history of threatening other students, enjoyed showing off his firearms and had been expelled from the school last year. Students and teachers have made it clear that they considered him to be dangerous. In fact according to reports, his mother had called the police more than once about her son’s behavior. These are red flags for violence.
Over the past few years, five states have passed Red Flag Laws that create an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which empowers family members and law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily limit a person’s access to guns if they are proven to be a danger to themselves or others. At least 18 states, including Florida, are currently considering similar bills.
More information about Red Flag Laws is available here. As the country mourns, elected leaders need to pass policies like this to prevent the next shooting.
STATEMENT FROM RICHARD MARTINEZ, A MEMBER OF THE EVERYTOWN SURVIVOR NETWORK AND SENIOR ASSOCIATE FOR EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY, WHOSE SON CHRISTOPHER ROSS MICHAELS-MARTINEZ WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN THE MAY 2014 SHOOTING IN ISLA VISTA:
“It is shameful that children in our country continue to die this way and national elected leaders do nothing. Almost three years ago, my son Christopher was shot and killed. The shooter’s family had warned law enforcement that he had a history of mental illness and access to guns, but there was nothing officers could do. After the shooting, California passed a Red Flag Law to empower families and law enforcement to petition a court for the temporary removal of guns from a person who exhibits these kinds of red flags. It is well past time for national policymakers to do the same.”
STATEMENT FROM JOHN FEINBLATT, PRESIDENT OF EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:
“As we mourn those killed in Florida, our elected leaders need to take action to prevent gun violence, or we will elect new lawmakers. Policies like Red Flag Laws empower families and law enforcement officials to keep communities safe. There is no excuse to delay these types of common-sense solutions.”
STATEMENT FROM SHANNON WATTS, FOUNDER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Americans are reeling from another mass shooting – the sanctity of our schools has been violated. Now is the time to call on elected leaders to pass common-sense gun violence prevention policies like Red Flag Laws that will save lives. This is not the time for complacency. If the people we’ve chosen to elect us fail to act, we’ll replace them with people who have the courage needed to address gun violence in America. The midterm elections are less than a year away – we will remember in November.”