Massachusetts passes 'red flag' gun control law

Legal Massachusetts gun owners who act violently or suicidal could lose the right to their firearms for a year under a bill signed into law Tuesday by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

These “red flag” laws, now passed in 12 states, let a family member, friend, or police officer petition a court to have a gun taken away from people who appear to show signs of endangering themselves or others. Medical advocates have rallied behind these “extreme risk protection orders” as a way to prevent suicides, two-thirds of which are carried out using firearms, as well as accidents and deaths caused by people with a mental illness or dementia.