Stop The Bloodshed’: Louisville Shooting Could’ve Been Prevented By Red Flag Law, Hochul Says

According to Governor Kathy Hochul, the implementation of "red flag" laws in Tennessee and Kentucky, similar to those in New York, could have prevented the recent mass shootings that killed six people at an elementary school in Tennessee and five more at a bank in Kentucky.

Hochul praised the actions in an op-ed published on the USA Today Network and also posted on the governor's https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/icymi-governor-hochuls-op-ed-usa-today-network-tennessee-deserves-legislative-action-not. The measures empowers a court to issue an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) which imposes a temporary ban on the purchase or possession of a gun if a person is considered a risk to themselves or others.

In February 2019, the state's ERPO was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. This law permits requests of protection from police, prosecutors, school administrators, and family members. Nineteen states and Washington, DC have put in place similar legislation.

In the op-ed, Hochul explains that tragedy could have been avoided in Tennessee if they had implemented a Red Flag law, which would have allowed the shooter's parents or friends to file a report.

If an emergency order of protection had been issued, lives could have been saved in the recent Louisville attack where the supposed shooter had informed several friends via text about his intentions and also left a note for his parents.

According to CNN's report, the individual who carried out the shooting in Louisville had lawfully acquired the AR-15-style rifle used in the incidents from a nearby gun store merely six days prior to the event.

In the beginning, it was reported that he aimed his attack on the bank where he served as an employee, shortly after discovering that he was going to lose his job. Nonetheless, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg stated during a press conference on Tuesday, April 11th that it was "inaccurate."

Quoting a survey conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Health Policy across the state, Hochul stated that a majority of over 70% of responders believed implementing background checks on all gun sales would enhance school safety. Additionally, more than 63% of parents were of the opinion that the availability of ERPOs for families and police officers would result in safer schools.

Hochul stated that they replicated the same actions taken in New York following a mass shooting incident in her hometown of Buffalo where ten individuals lost their lives due to racial discrimination almost a year ago.

As soon as the incident in Buffalo occurred, I began collaborating with our state legislature, and within a month, we successfully implemented an unprecedented collection of measures that enhanced gun legislation and safeguarded citizens of New York.

This package entails the prohibition of selling semiautomatic firearms to individuals below the age of 21 and enhancing the effectiveness of our current gun regulations, which also encompass Red Flag laws, with the objective of averting future catastrophic events.

The governor stated that 56% of those responsible for mass shootings displayed "worrisome" conduct or made explicit threats before executing their assaults.

Hochul stated in the op-ed that the individual who carried out the shooting in Nashville had previously been diagnosed with mental health issues and was undergoing treatment. Despite this, the individual was able to obtain a collection of lethal weapons legally.

Hochul presented evidence that states with stricter gun regulations experience fewer deaths caused by guns. Additionally, she highlighted that gun violence is currently the top cause of mortality among kids and teens in the U.S.

She stated that New York's gun death rate is the fifth lowest in the country with 5.3 deaths per 100,000 according to CDC, while Tennessee's rate is four times higher.

Hochul suggested that protecting children requires adults in the Tennessee legislature to act in a mature manner and collaborate with lawmakers who are striving to save kids’ lives, rather than ousting them.

 It is time for the violence to come to an end in Tennessee and across the country.

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