Can red flag laws prevent mass shootings?

Recent mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, have once again pushed the issue of guns to the center of political debate. With gun control initiatives like a ban on assault weapons appearing all but impossible due to Republican opposition, talks between Democrats and Republicans have reportedly focused on a small number of more modest reforms that could receive enough bipartisan support to become law.

The most realistic path to an agreement, according to multiple reports, centers around what are commonly known as red flag laws. Red flag laws allow family members, close contacts, law enforcement and, in some cases, medical professionals to petition a court for the authority to confiscate a person’s guns and block them from purchasing firearms if they pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

Red flag laws are currently in effect in 19 states and Washington, D.C. The majority of those laws were passed in the months following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.