In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed an Extreme risk Protection Order Bill. The ERPO made it possible for a family member to request the removal of a firearm from a home if it was deemed a threat to a person or others life. the following is the result of a study by the Johns-Hopkins University-Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- More than half of US gun owners store guns unlocked.
- Solutions: 1) Temporarily remove guns from home; 2) Store and lock guns and ammunition separately; 3) Education; 4) Healthcare intervention; 5) Store guns in a secure location.
- An estimated 82% of adolescent firearm suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member.
- 80% of school shooters under the age of 18 have access to a gun from home or that of a relative or friend.
- Child access prevention laws are associated with reduction in teen suicide and unintentional injuries.
- ERPOs prevent threats of suicide and other acts of violence and mass shootings.
- In Minnesota, our ERPO law allows a person to request an order to temporarily prohibit someone from purchasing or possessing a gun during a period of crisis when they are at risk of harming themselves or someone else.
- 21 states have ERPO laws.
The effectiveness of ERPOs is evident in the range of crisis they helped prevent. The overwhelming majority of respondents were male (93%) and White (83%). Also, 41% had documented mental health issues, 40% had substance abuse concerns, 15% had prior arrests and 50% had civil court histories. Also, 36% of ERPO cases stemmed from domestic violence issues, 25% for persons experiencing psychosis, and 29% to prevent potential murder-suicides. (Article by James Hensley and Jillian Peterson)