As ‘Red Flag’ Legislation Grows In Popularity, Study Adds Weight To Theory That The Laws Prevent Mass Shootings
In a study looking into California's "red flag" law, researchers found 21 cases that involved someone who had or soon would have had access to firearms and "made a clear declaration of intent to commit a mass shooting" or exhibited behavior suggesting such an intent. While the scientists couldn't say whether the shootings would have actually played out without the laws, the study adds heft to a growing push for the strategy.
The Washington Post:
‘Red Flag’ Laws May Play Role In Preventing Mass Shootings, Study Finds
State laws that allow the removal of guns from people who present a threat to themselves or others may play a role in preventing mass shootings, according to a new study, a finding that could buttress support for “red flag” legislation being debated in Congress. The study by a team at the nonpartisan Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California at Davis identified more than 20 cases in which California’s red-flag law was used in an effort to prevent a mass shooting. (Jamison, 8/19)
Sacramento Bee:
California Law Prevented Mass Shootings, UC Davis Study Says
Red flag orders are more formally known as gun violence restraining orders in California and extreme risk protection orders elsewhere in the country. They give law enforcement a chance to remove guns from people who threaten to injure or kill themselves or someone else, Wintemute said, and they’re useful either in cases where no crime has been committed and consequently no one can be arrested, or in cases where mental illness is not involved and consequently a psychiatric evaluation can’t be done. (Anderson, 8/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Study: California's 'Red Flag' Law May Cut Mass Shooting Risk
The initial findings by the school’s Violence Prevention Research Program were made public just hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he is interested in receiving a group of pending bills that would significantly expand the use of so-called “extreme risk protection” orders. At the same time, recent mass shootings in Gilroy, Calif., as well as El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, have renewed the conversation in Congress about possibly adopting national red flag laws. (McGreevy, 8/19)
CNN:
'Red Flag' Laws Can Play A Role In Preventing Mass Shootings, Study Says
It's impossible to know whether the threatened shootings would have happened, but the orders "allowed for immediate intervention to reduce firearm access, in most instances because of timely reports from threatened parties and members of the public," the researchers wrote. They added that they "make no claim of a causal relationship" and that "further evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of ERPO policies in California and other jurisdictions where they have been enacted would be helpful." (Howard, 8/19)
NPR:
Gun Restrictions: Americans Broadly Support Red Flag Laws
Strong majorities of Americans from across the political spectrum support laws that allow family members or law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from a person who is seen to be a risk to themselves or others, according to a new APM Research Lab/Guns & America/Call To Mind survey. These laws, often called extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, have received renewed attention after 31 people were killed during mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Variations of these red flag laws are in place in 17 states and the District of Columbia. (Paterson, 8/20)
In other news —
The Associated Press:
Governor Brings Big Tech To The Table After El Paso Attack
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Monday for the help of big tech platforms in the wake of an El Paso mass shooting that authorities say was carried out by a gunman who posted a racist screed online before killing 22 people at a Walmart. It’s unclear what the invited companies, which include Google, Facebook and Twitter, will offer or say in the aftermath of the tragedy. None addressed questions about their role after Abbott announced the tech giants will join the FBI and state lawmakers this week in Austin to discuss the El Paso shooting and how to prevent future attacks. (Weber, 8/19)
Arizona Republic:
Phoenix Police Must Now Self-Report Whenever They Point A Gun At Someone
The city ordered the $150,000 National Police Foundation study in the midst of a year where Phoenix police were involved in 44 police shootings in 2018, more than any other city in the nation. Police shootings are down significantly in the first half of 2018. Phoenix officers have been involved in nine shootings through July 16 — a 70% drop from the 30 shootings during the same time period in 2018. (Burkitt, 8/19)
