Delaware bill aims to take away guns from those 'at risk'

Lawmakers in the Delaware House have introduced a bill that would allow guns to be taken away from those at risk of hurting themselves or others.

The measure, House Bill 222, was proposed by Democratic Rep. David Bentz and has been assigned to the Delaware House Administration Committee, WMDT reported.

“This bill would allow people in Delaware to petition a court for an order that would temporarily remove guns from a person that the court has determined to be a danger, a credible danger to themselves or to others,” explained Allison Anderman, managing attorney for Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

In essence, law enforcement and family members would be given the ability to determine when someone is at risk of hurting themselves or others and file a restraining order. If the court approves the order, then law enforcement officials would seize firearms from the individual.

“If the person is determined as a credible risk of harm to themselves or others then they are no longer allowed to purchase or possess firearms and if they have one, they have to relinquish the firearm to law enforcement or to a federally licensed dealer,” says Anderman.

Sponsors and drafters of the legislation said they hoped the bill could play a part in preventing suicides and other violent crimes.

While some Delaware citizens spoke to WMDT in favor of the bill, the National Rifle Association has come out strongly against it.

The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action described the legislation as “ripe for abuse by individuals that disagree with the Second Amendment, and the mere insinuation that gun ownership makes you a danger to yourself or others is offensive and insulting.”