PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Two years after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, Maine residents are voting on whether to make it easier for family members to petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person’s access to guns.
A statewide ballot question on Tuesday asks residents if they want to build on the state’s yellow flag law, which allows police officers to initiate a process to keep someone away from firearms. Approval would add Maine to more than 20 states with a red flag law empowering family members to take the same action.
Gun safety advocates intensified their push for a stricter red flag law following a tragic incident in October 2023, where 18 individuals were killed by an Army reservist during a shooting spree at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston. An independent commission formed by the governor later found numerous opportunities for intervention by both Army officials and civilian law enforcement.
After the shooting, law enforcement officers reported challenges in implementing the existing yellow flag law, describing it as cumbersome and time-consuming.
Proponents of the red flag law argue it could have potentially prevented the tragedy. Arthur Barnard, father of a shooting victim, expressed in a campaign ad, People who are having a mental health crisis need help, not easy access to guns. Maine’s laws were too weak to save my son’s life. Vote ‘Yes on 2’ to change that.”
However, the proposal has met significant resistance from Republicans, hunting organizations, gun rights groups, and some Democrats, who argue that Maine’s gun laws should not be altered in a state with relatively low crime rates where gun ownership is common.
Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, has opposed the ballot initiative, asserting that the existing yellow flag law is appropriately designed for Maine. “Question 2 would create a new, separate and confusing process that will undermine the effectiveness of the law and endanger public safety,” she stated.
The legal aftermath of the Lewiston shooting is ongoing, with survivors and victims' families suing the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense, alleging failures that led to the tragedy. These lawsuits claim the Army could have intervened to prevent the incident, presenting additional challenges to the discussion surrounding gun laws in the state.
The report specifically cites the reservist who carried out the shooting, highlighting a failure to report violent threats, which attorneys argue heightens the risk of similar incidents. Family members and fellow reservists have indicated that the individual exhibited concerning behavior leading up to the shooting.
