Firearm homicides are a leading cause of death in the US among individuals younger than 44 years,1 with over 21 000 deaths from mass shootings between 2014 and 2022.2 In response to the 2018 Parkland high school shooting that killed 17 people, Florida’s legislature enacted a red flag law permitting the temporary removal of firearms by law enforcement officers from individuals posing a danger to themselves or others. Florida is one of the few politically conservative and largely profirearm states to pass a law restricting gun ownership.3 [JAMA]
Research into how red flag laws affect firearm-related homicide mortality is scant, with inconclusive findings.4 However, red flag laws may reduce firearm-related suicide mortality.4,5 We estimated the association between Florida’s red flag law enactment and firearm and nonfirearm homicide and suicide rates.
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