Maine voters approve red flag gun law after mass shooting that killed 18

"PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Two years after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, Maine residents voted Tuesday to make it easier for family members to petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person's access to guns. A ballot question asked residents if they wanted to build on the state's yellow flag law, which allows police officers to initiate a process to keep someone away from firearms. Approval adds Maine to more than 20 states that have a red flag law, which empowers family members to take the same step."

"Gun safety advocates began pushing for that after 18 people were killed when an Army reservist opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston in October 2023. An independent commission appointed by Maine's governor later concluded that there were numerous opportunities for intervention by both Army officials and civilian law enforcement. The yellow flag law requires police to take the potentially dangerous person into protective custody and hold them for a mental health evaluation. Gun control proponents characterized that law as too weak and difficult to implement."

""Maine voters have taken the safety of our communities into our own hands by passing common-sense, responsible gun legislation that will save lives and help keep our kids and families safe, not just from the horrors of a tragedy like Lewiston, but from the devastating impacts of everyday gun violence," said Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, which sponsored Tuesday's proposal."

Maine voters approved a measure to expand the state's yellow flag law so family members can petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person's access to guns, joining more than 20 states with red flag laws. The move followed the October 2023 Lewiston mass shooting that killed 18 people and prompted an independent commission to find missed intervention opportunities. The existing yellow flag law requires police to take the potentially dangerous person into protective custody for a mental health evaluation; critics said that law was too weak and difficult to implement. The ballot measure was sponsored by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition and supported by advocates seeking to prevent gun violence. Governor Janet Mills had opposed the ballot question and described the yellow flag law as "carefully crafted."

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