- 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 like the one Wednesday night 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 pro-Second Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said that, 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 greater scrutiny in the aftermath of a massacre that authorities say was carried out by a man who was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this past summer and had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.
Trending
Maine’s ‘Yellow Flag’ Gun Law Comes Under Scrutiny After Lewiston Killings
Police tape is pictured at the scene near the intersection of Garvey and Garfield Avenue in Monterey Park, California, on January 22, 2023, where police are responding to reports of multiple people shot. - Police were at the scene of a shooting in southern California that has caused a number of casualties, the Los Angeles Times reported January 22, citing a law enforcement source. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
