Sandy Hook Promise Applauds Bill Preventing Gun Violence In KY

Press release from the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund:

Feb. 18, 2021

Sandy Hook Promise applauds the introduction of An Act Relating to Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention Orders (CARR) in the Kentucky legislature that could help stop gun violence before it can happen.

The CARR Act (SB 229) is a prevention tool that would allow authorities to temporarily remove firearms from a person found to be at risk of harming themselves or others. The legislation was written with input from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to ensure it would improve public safety, while preserving due process and the individual’s right to own firearms.

The legislation has been supported by a broad, bipartisan coalition including Sandy Hook Promise, Kentucky-based Whitney/Strong, and lawmakers from all sides of the political spectrum. The legislation was introduced by Republican state Sen. Paul Hornback.

“Our number one goal is to protect people, and to keep them safe from harm,” Hornback said. “That’s exactly what this does. This legislation truly goes after the heart of the problem – to help people prior to any type of crisis they may have. There’s a lot of misinformation and misinterpretation about what this bill is. This is crisis aversion and rights retention. We want to do both. We don’t want to do anything that harms your Second Amendment rights.”

“In nearly every instance of gun violence, the individual exhibited warning signs that demonstrated they were at risk of hurting themselves or others,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “This measure would empower family members and law enforcement to prevent gun violence and gun-related suicides while protecting an individual’s Second Amendment rights.”

These warning signs, which some have called red flags, include sudden behavioral changes, distancing themselves from their peers, or outright threats of violence.

This press release was produced by the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund. The views expressed here are the author's own.