CHICAGO —
Police in Florida took a 15-year-old into custody six years ago for threatening to take his own life, though he was soon released following an involuntary mental health examination, according to official records.
Video above: Biden on Jacksonville shooting
This past weekend, that same person entered a Jacksonville Dollar General as a 21-year-old, wielding a rifle emblazoned with a swastika, and fatally shot three Black people in a racist attack. The gunman, who was white, then killed himself.
Saturday's shooting raises questions about whether so-called red flag laws in Florida and other states are used effectively. They are designed to seize guns from those in mental health crises, or who threaten violence, before they harm someone.
Red flag laws are relatively new. Connecticut became the first state to adopt one in 1999 after a mass shooting at a state lottery office. Now, over a third of U.S. states have them, including Florida, though their provisions vary.
The proliferation of mass shootings nationwide has previously stoked debate about the effectiveness of red flag laws. Advocates see them as useful tools to thwart acts of violence. Others say their usefulness is exaggerated.
Here’s a look at Florida’s red flag law:
Florida passed wide-ranging gun-control legislation in 2018, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, that included the red flag law.
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