Kamala Harris Announces New Office to Implement ‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Laws – The White House has revealed the establishment of a new national office aimed at aiding states in enforcing “red flag” laws to address gun violence. This initiative receives funding from the Justice Department. Kamala Harris disclosed this development during a visit to Parkland, Florida.
She toured the location of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre, the deadliest high school shooting in the nation’s history, claiming 17 lives. The vice president met with families of the victims, many of whom have been actively involved in advocating for gun control since the shooting, and toured the building where 14 students and three staff members were tragically killed.
The introduction of the federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center (Erpo) comes after Joe Biden established the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in September, assigning Kamala Harris to lead it. Operated by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and funded through a grant from the Justice Department, Erpo aims to assist state and local governments, law enforcement, and other stakeholders, including behavioral health and social service providers, in optimizing the implementation of red flag laws, Harris explained.
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The center will offer training and technical support, including educational programs and workshops for various stakeholders. However, the vice president acknowledged that red flag laws, which enable the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed by a court to pose a threat to themselves or others, are not universally embraced.
Only 21 states have enacted red flag laws, and the White House noted that just six of those states had utilized the $750 million in funding made available by the Biden administration through the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) for crisis intervention initiatives, such as red flag programs, mental health services, and drug and veteran treatment courts.
Harris urged the remaining 29 states to pass red flag laws and encouraged those with existing laws to access the BSCA funds to bolster their implementation. “The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school occurred after there were clear warning signs, but there were no tools to remove the shooter’s firearm,” a White House statement announcing the new resource office said.
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“The survivors of the shooting advocated for passage of a red flag law in Florida, and the tragedy helped to inspire the passage of red flag laws in other states. These laws have been shown to prevent mass shootings and suicides, but the tools made available under these laws are only effective if people are aware of them and can properly invoke them.”
Last year, the Parkland shooter received a life imprisonment sentence following a trial, as two jury members declined to advocate for the death penalty. In response, the Republican legislative majority in Florida amended the law to permit a majority jury recommendation in similar cases. Additionally, Republicans attempted to repeal a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Act, enacted after the tragic event.
However, the proposal to lower the purchasing age of long guns from 21 to 18 faced obstacles in the state senate after being approved by the house. Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex was one of the Parkland victims, accompanied Harris on the tour of the building where the tragic event took place. This occurred one day after he assisted FBI Director Christopher Wray during his visit to the school.
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In a tweet, Schachter dismissed criticism from another victim’s family, asserting that Harris’s visit was not politically motivated. “It is unlike any other crime scene. It has been frozen in time since the day of the shooting. Nothing has been removed, and it has not been cleaned,” said Schachter, whose non-profit Safe Schools for Alex advises students, parents, school districts and law enforcement on campus safety best practices.
“I have had many conversations and given many presentations across the country, but there is no way to replicate what one sees and experiences when they walk through the site. It profoundly affects people.” “Every time an official walks through the building, lives are saved and schools are safer. This is not a political visit. She is the vice-president of the US and she has an obligation to come to Parkland.”
