The Honorable Patrick J. Toomey The Honorable Brian K. Fitzpatrick
Senator Representative
U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building 271 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Sen. Toomey and Rep. Fitzpatrick:
I thank you both for voting for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). I believe this new law will make a real difference and save many lives in Pennsylvania. I write to ask both of you to call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to pass a red flag law immediately. As you know, the Pennsylvania Legislature will be going out of session for the summer in the next few days, so time is of the essence. The BSCA provides $750 million to states that have or create red flag laws, which allow people to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who might present a danger to themselves or others. The new law we all voted for ensures that states receiving funds have robust due process protections in place, such as the right to be represented by an attorney, have an in-person hearing, and for the person to see the evidence against them. Nineteen states currently have red flag laws. Pennsylvania does not.
The Fourth of July shooting in Philadelphia that injured two police officers is only the latest example showing the urgency for action. The leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the U.S. is gun violence. In light of this and the current epidemic of gun violence in Philadelphia and across the state, red flag laws are an important tool in making communities safer. The average active shooters begin to display concerning behaviors well before their acts of violence. An FBI study found that over three-fourths of active shooters spent a week or more planning their attacks and were usually experiencing multiple stressors in the year prior to the attack. Further, on average, a shooter displayed four to five observable concerning behaviors over time related to the shooter’s mental health, leakage of violent intent, and problematic interpersonal interactions. In the majority of cases, this behavior was not reported to law enforcement.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among American teenagers. In fact, it has reached its highest rate in more than 20 years. Firearm suicides took nearly 25,000 lives in 2020. In Pennsylvania, half of all suicides are by firearm. In 2019, there were nearly 1,000 firearm suicides in Pennsylvania, including 33 children and teens. One of the easiest and fastest ways to prevent firearm suicides is to remove access to firearms, which can be accomplished with a red flag law.
A red flag law is an important, effective, and just way to get guns out of the wrong hands while preserving Pennsylvanians’ rights. I appreciate the leadership you have shown to date and strongly encourage you to join me and state Sen. Art Haywood in pushing the Pennsylvania Legislature to pass a red flag law immediately. Together, we can prevent firearm deaths and make our communities safer.
Sincerely,
DWIGHT EVANS
Member of Congress
Original source can be found here.
