The mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine – the worst in the state’s history – was carried out by a gunman with a known history of mental illness.
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Red flag laws are an important step in the right direction, but much more work is needed to determine the role of mental health in the lead-up to and aftermath of mass shootings.
Suicide deaths involving firearms have increased over last decade.
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Colorado is one of 19 states that have laws in place to prevent individuals believed to pose a threat from obtaining guns. But a preventive order needs to be petitioned before it can be issued.