From CeaseFirePA (http://www.ceasefirepa.org):
During the pandemic, too many Pennsylvanians are putting their life at risk for years by buying their first gun.
They are 8 times more likely to commit suicide if they are a man. And a terrifying 35 times more likely if they are a woman, according to a new study from the New England Journal of Medicine.[1]
But when family members, friends or loved ones see warning signs there is little they can do to remove the danger. Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) would create a process to temporarily remove access to guns if someone is at risk of harm to themselves or others. But, they don’t exist in Pennsylvania.
Tell your legislator: I want my loved ones and all Pennsylvanians protected. Pass ERPO now.
House Bill 1075[2] allows family members or law enforcement to remove guns from homes until a judge has time to assess the potential danger someone who is depressed, angry or otherwise violent could pose to themselves and others around them. It has worked to save lives in 19 states[3], including suicides, and likely homicides and mass shootings.
After the shooting in Parkland, a Republican Governor and Democratic General Assembly joined together to establish this protection. In the first three months, judges ordered law enforcement to remove guns in 148 cases. As Montgomery County Sheriff Darren Popkin said, “Orders are not only being issued appropriately, but are also saving lives.”[4]
Ask your state Representative and Senator to bring this commonsense measure to a vote.
[1] Benedict Carey, “First-Time Gun Owners at Risk for Suicide, Major Study Confirms”, New York Times, June 3, 2013.
[2] HB 1075
[3] Giffords Law Center
[4] Natalie Jones, “Maryland’s ‘red flag’ law prompts more than 300 court orders”, Capital Gazette, Jan. 15, 2019
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