Christian Heyne is a gun violence survivor and the chief programs and policy officer at Brady, one of the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organizations, where he leads all legislative and programmatic efforts at the federal and state levels.
The preventable tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, is yet another reminder that horrific mass shootings are far too common — and a uniquely American problem. Once again, a weapon built for battle has stolen 18 people’s lives, injured 13 others, and traumatized an entire town. In mass shootings that dominate headlines, in the almost daily gun violence that haunts some of our most vulnerable communities, in the relentless toll of gun suicide, the United States suffers every day from gun violence.
This is about looking at risk and following epidemiology, not perpetuating stigma. Maine has a policy in place known as a “yellow flag law,” which aims to prevent gun violence by stopping people with a history of mental illness from obtaining firearms. But because this law focuses almost exclusively on mental illness, and only allows law enforcement rather than close family or friends to make a petition, it lacks the public health perspective that is needed to make an impact.
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