Page 6
March 14, 2018
Gun Control for Domestic Abusers
C ontinueD froM P age 3
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ed acts or threats of violence, violations of
protective orders, and evidence of ongoing
substance abuse.
For example, Everytown researchers
found that the Sandy Hook shooter pre-
viously threatened to kill his mother and
children at the Newton, Conn. elemen-
tary school years before fatally shooting
20-children and six adults at the school in
2012, according to FBI documents.
In Oregon, once an Extreme Risk Pro-
tection Order is in effect, the person must
surrender any deadly weapons within
one day to a law enforcement officer, a
licensed Oregon gun dealer, or an eligi-
ble third party that can lawfully possess
firearms.
The order lasts for one year, unless
discontinued by the court, and can be re-
newed by a judge when evidence of immi-
nent risk still exists. Subjects can request
a hearing to contest the order or renewal,
which must be granted to them within 21
days, but the prohibition remains in effect
until that time.
Other states with similar laws include
Washington, California, and Indiana.
Connecticut was the first state to adopt
this type of measure, which they call a
risk-warrant, in 1999. A recent analysis by
Dr. Jeffrey Swanson of Duke University
demonstrated the law’s effectiveness for
saving lives in the state.
Of the 762 risk warrants that were is-
sued in Connecticut from 1999-2013,
police found guns in 99 percent of cases
and removed an average of seven guns
per subject. The measure was also shown
to reduce suicide deaths; for every 10 to
20 warrants issued, one life was saved.
Despite their elevated risk of self harm,
88 percent of warrant subjects were pre-
viously not known to the state’s public
behavioral health system and nearly one
third received treatment as a result.
Dodge-Magee has been working with
Moms Demand Action, an affiliate of Ev-
erytown for Gun Safety, for the past year.
“My hope is [that these laws] will not
only make our schools safer, but make
all our communities safer,” Dodge-Ma-
gee said. “We’re not anti-gun ownership;
we’re all about responsible gun owner-
ship.”
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