(RepublicanReport.org) – On October 25, 40-year-old Robert Card allegedly walked into a restaurant and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, armed with a rifle and started shooting. Before all was said and done, 18 people were killed, and 13 more injured during the ordeal. A two-day manhunt commenced, ending with police finding the suspected shooter dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In the aftermath, many called for more gun control.
On October 26, the Daily Wire reported that GOP presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed back on that call. Instead of red flag laws or other gun control legislation, the state leader said that America needs “more institutionalization” of those who are “dangerous to society.” Red flag laws, he reasoned, raise “Fifth Amendment due process issues.” Since there were reports that Card had recently suffered from mental health issues, DeSantis felt institutionalizing such people would be more “appropriate.”
The governor said many people who commit gun crimes in the United States only get a “slap on the wrist,” which isn’t deterring them from breaking the law. DeSantis wants the justice system to “hold people accountable” for their actions instead. He claimed the crime rate in Florida under his watch was at a 50-year low, indicating he would seek to implement similar moves if he were to ever make it to the White House.
Maine reportedly has what is referred to as “yellow flag” laws instead of red flag, giving sportsmen in the state more leeway in gun ownership. Gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety lists the state as 25th in the nation for strong gun control. The organization concluded that Maine has to “do more to prevent gun violence.”
As of October 28, FiveThirtyEight reported the average polling for Republican presidential candidates for the primary put DeSantis at 14.1% — 42.8% behind former President Donald Trump and only 6.1% above former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
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