Maine, where more than a dozen people were killed Wednesday night in a mass shooting, does not require background checks on all gun sales and does not have “red flag” laws, according to Everytown For Gun Safety.
“Red flag” laws, also known as extreme risk laws, allow a judge to temporarily remove a person’s access to guns if there’s evidence the individual poses a serious risk based on a family or law enforcement report.
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Robert Card, whom law enforcement has called a person of interest in the deadly shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, has been described as a firearms instructor and part of the Army Reserve.
A bulletin from the Maine Information and Analysis Center, a database for law enforcement officials, said Card “recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, ME.”
It also said Card was reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this summer and then released. NBC News has not been able to independently verify the bulletin’s statements about Card’s history.
Maine does not ban high-capacity magazines and does not require a permit to carry concealed guns.
Everytown ranked Maine No. 25 among all states for the strength of gun laws, saying: “State leaders must do more to prevent gun violence.”
Proposals to require background checks for private gun sales and create a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases failed earlier this year. Proposals that focused on school security and banning bump stocks failed in 2019.
Residents have also voted down some attempts to tighten gun laws in Maine. A proposal to require background checks for gun sales failed in a 2016 public vote.