What does Florida’s red flag law say, and could it have thwarted the Jacksonville shooter?

By MICHAEL TARM
AP Legal Affairs Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — A young, white gunman’s killing of three Black people over the weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, is again raising questions about so-called red flag laws. Over a third of states have them. That includes Florida. The laws are designed to seize guns from people in mental health crises or who threaten violence before they can harm anyone. Red flag laws are relatively new. Connecticut became the first state to adopt them in 1999 after a mass shooting at a state lottery office. Florida passed its red flag law in 2018. Law enforcement there can ask a court to order that someone deemed dangerous can’t possess guns.