DETROIT – Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said helping police prevent mass shootings will be at the top of her list when she returns to Washington in the new year.
Right now, each state determines what, if any, red flag laws are in effect to allow law enforcement officials to step in when they find someone might be planning an attack.
Last month, the Local 4 Defenders told viewers about a Michigan man stockpiling guns while praising mass shooters online. Police didn't know how to charge the man and didn't have the manpower to watch him 24/7.
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Dingell received letters about the man, asking her to do something to protect the public. She said she intends to do that when she returns to Washington.
Mass shootings are typically defined by four or more victims of gun violence in the same incident, experts said. There have been more than 300 such incidents in the United States this year.
Most of the incidents catch police by surprise, but many times, there are warning signs prior to an attack. Many states have red flag laws that allow police officers to step in and confiscate guns temporarily until a judge can determine if a person is safe. Michigan doesn't have such laws.
"When he purchased that firearm, the defendant asked the gun store how he can convert his AR-15 to a fully automatic rifle," said Hank Moon, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The man not only bought guns and praised mass shooters online, he also Googled nearby schools, night clubs and police response times, according to authorities.
"He searched 'Pulse Night Club,' the attack location in Orlando," Moon said. "Then, (he) immediately searched Ann Arbor night clubs. I mean, when we talk about red flags, your honor, these are literally staring us in the face."
Law enforcement officials were worried, but since Michigan has no red flag law, they arrested the man on unrelated credit card charges. Doctors evaluated him and determined he had homicidal tendencies, so his felony fraud conviction now prevents him from legally owning guns, officials said.
Dingell said there needs to be a law nationwide to help police in such cases.
"How do we protect people?" Dingell asked. "What do we do? I mean, there is reason for people to believe he could be a threat to himself or to other people. That's what we're trying to address."
Dingell said she is a Democrat who is well-aware of Republican concerns about people's rights to guns. Her pitch is to take a Republican-based law out of Indiana and make it a national law that protects everyone.
"When they know that someone's a danger to themselves or the community, they should have the tools that they need to keep everybody safe," Dingell said.
Dingell's father suffered from depression, and she said a red flag could have helped her family. She said mental illness affects everyone.
Dingell said there shouldn't be political controversy over keeping guns out of the hands of people with mental illnesses.
"If a doctor has said he's homicidal, law enforcement has the tool to take those guns away and get him help," Dingell said. "But his rights are protected. There is due process."
Dingell's bill would allow all police agencies to step in when they think an attack might be imminent. Weapons would be confiscated and a judge would decide when and if the person in question should get their guns back. She said it's one of her top priorities for 2019.
Dingell said using the Republican bill as an outline for the new national law covers the concerns of both sides.