Mourners pay their respects at a makeshift memorial across the street from Tops Friendly Market at Jefferson Avenue and Riley Street on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. - Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS
With President Joe Biden signing legislation that will incentivize states to enact red flag laws, some states already are trying to find ways to make their current red flag laws more effective in preventing gun violence. Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have laws that allow law enforcement — and sometimes family members and school administrators — to petition civil courts to confiscate firearms from people who may be a danger to themselves or others. Judges decide whether to grant petitions, often called extreme risk protection orders, after a hearing. The orders usually last a year. Most...
