Massacre puts gun laws in the spotlight again
Barely four years before a gunman’s deadly rampage in Maine — a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights — the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting such as the one that claimed at least 18 lives.
It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat. In a sign of the proSecond Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said, while it was a first step toward stronger gun safety measures, the state could save more lives by doing more — like passing a red flag law.
The yellow flag law and permissive gun measures in Maine are coming under scrutiny in the aftermath of a massacre authorities say was carried out by a man who was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks and had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.
It was not clear whether anyone had used the yellow flag law in the suspect’s case, but gun-control advocates yesterday blamed the killings on what one called Maine’s “weak gun laws”.
Vice President Kamala Harris said gun violence was the leading cause of death for children in the US and called on Congress to pass stronger laws, including making background checks universal, passing a red flag law and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
In recent years, anti-gun violence groups in Maine have repeatedly failed in pushing for stronger laws. Yesterday, they vowed to try again.
At a minimum, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition wants the state to ban assault weapons to prevent more mass shootings, said Cam Shannon, the group’s chairman.
Elected officials must “stop bowing to the gun lobby and look squarely at the face of what has happened in Maine’s second largest city,” Shannon said.
Maine is one of about 20 states that allow permitless carry — having a concealed weapon in public without a permit — and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.
Gun rights advocates have for years held up Maine as an example of a place with unrestrictive gun laws and little violent crime.
The limited details released by police yesterday don’t make it clear whether the yellow flag law should have stopped the suspect in the Lewiston shootings or where he got any guns he used.
It’s also not clear whether the suspect’s commitment to a mental health facility triggered a federal restriction against possessing guns.
Since the 1960s, federal law and most states have prohibited people from possessing guns if they have been formally committed to a mental health facility, said Lindsay Nichols, policy director at the Giffords Law Centre to Prevent Gun Violence.
Not everyone who stays at a facility is considered formally committed, though.
A judge typically must approve a formal commitment, which is then sent to the background-check system required for gun purchases at licensed firearm dealers.
But even if a hold is in the system, background checks aren’t required at unlicensed or private sellers in many states.
Overall, however, people with mental illnesses are not at a significantly higher risk of being violent towards others than those without a diagnosis, Nichols said.
“It is far too easy for people with dangerous histories to get guns,” she said. “Policymakers need tighter restrictions so guns can be kept away from people who are dangerous.”