Massacre in Maine is a deep red flag

Once again.

The sickening images from Lewiston, Maine, have an eerie familiarity, a recurring national nightmare from which there seems no relief. Once more, an active mass shooter has ripped apart a community, randomly killing innocent people who this time were enjoying themselves at a bowling alley and elsewhere around town.

The sheer size and ugliness of this wild shooting — with at least 18 people dead and more than a dozen injured — were enough to cause President Joe Biden to leave a state dinner Wednesday so he could help deal with this ongoing tragedy. Many Long Islanders joined those around the nation who watched TV images of the unfolding tragedy and heard bewildered Maine residents wonder how such a monstrous event could happen in their small community.

There is much we don’t know about this recent slaughter but what we have learned leaves us deeply concerned. The suspect, Robert Card, seen on video aiming his assault rifle inside one of the establishments, is a certified firearms instructor who apparently had mental health problems severe enough to require his confinement this past summer. Yet he somehow managed to maintain a deadly weapon in his possession. How is that possible?

Maine does have a “yellow flag” law that allows police to take weapons away from people who are suicidal or a threat to the public. It is similar to red-flag laws in 19 states like New York except that in addition to a court order, Maine’s law also requires a medical opinion. Its efficacy must be reviewed; we have seen in other states that the mere existence of such laws is not sufficient if they are not vigorously enforced. After a slow start, confiscation of guns in Maine started to increase last year after public complaints that the state lacked a system to conduct mental health evaluations remotely.

Also disturbing: the shooter’s use of an automatic weapon, like so many others before him. No one needs these instruments of death for hunting or, in most cases, protection. 

As has been the case for many years, the toll in 2023 is grim. This year alone, there have been 565 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Nearly 3,000 people have been killed or injured in these incidents. Will the victims in Maine become just a part of the litany of TV images of innocent people gunned down by random violence?

Thoughts and prayers are important to offer but they do nothing to address this national sickness of ours. Only action can do that, on policies as basic as background checks for would-be gun buyers. In New York, officials should look carefully at whether red-flag enforcements are being given top priority.

What happened in Lewiston was shocking. Again. Let’s start acting like we are shocked.

MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.

Members of the editorial board are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.