Proposed legislation mandates Army to follow state crisis laws for weapons removal after mass shooting

In Portland, Maine, U.S. Senator Susan Collins is introducing a bill on Monday after a mass shooting incident in the state. The proposed legislation, called the Armed Forces Crisis Intervention Notification Act, aims to utilize state crisis intervention laws to allow the Army to confiscate weapons from a service member considered a significant threat to themselves or others. Collins highlighted that the bill is a proactive measure to assist service members in crisis and to safeguard communities. Senator Angus King from Maine is also co-sponsoring the bill.

The bill is a response to a tragic event where an Army reservist suffering from psychosis carried out a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, resulting in the deaths of 18 individuals and injuries to 13 others on October 25, 2023. The proposed legislation seeks to enhance communication between state agencies and military branches to prevent similar incidents. It urges military involvement in state crisis actions, including implementing red flag or yellow flag laws to remove firearms from individuals undergoing mental health emergencies.

The need for such a bill arose after it was revealed that prior to the shooting, law enforcement officials were aware of the shooter’s deteriorating mental state. The Army had limited the reservist’s access to military weapons following concerns raised by healthcare providers who assessed him and recommended that he should not have access to firearms. Nevertheless, the shooter still had access to privately owned weapons at his residence in Bowdoin, Maine.

Officials had been alerted to the shooter’s alarming behavior after he made threats, but due to a lack of information sharing between military and civilian agencies, crucial details were missed. This bill does not impede the military’s existing authority to disarm service members in various situations but aims to bridge the communication gap that could prevent future tragedies.

After investigations by multiple bodies, including an independent commission and the Army Office of the Inspector General, it was concluded that the shooting incident was a result of significant lapses in judgment by various individuals. Governor Janet Mills emphasized the need to address these system failures to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.