Colorado Springs shooting suspect evaded state’s red flag gun law

Nov 21, 2022

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ben Burke (Editor/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer)

A shooting in Colorado Springs over the weekend left five people dead. The suspect appears to have a criminal past and a previous arrest. The incident is bringing new attention to Colorado’s red flag law and how the state could be under-utilizing the power to take guns away from people who could be a risk to themselves and others.

A gunman stormed into a gay nightclub on Saturday night and immediately started shooting. Five people were killed and another 25 injured. The shooter was a familiar face to law enforcement. It appears the suspect was arrested last year for a bomb threat and allegedly threatening his mother in a standoff outside their home.

Gun advocates are asking why the state’s red flag law wasn’t initiated. These critics say his previous arrest should have been enough for officials to flag him. How the shooter ended up with the gun used in Saturday’s mass shooting is still unclear in the investigation.

Colorado has a history of high-profile mass shootings, from Columbine to last year’s supermarket shooting in Boulder. Yet Colorado still has one of the lowest rates of red flag law usage in the United States.

Tags: Club Q shooting, Colorado, Red Flag Laws

KARAH RUCKER: THE COLORADO SPRINGS SHOOTING OVER THE WEEKEND LEFT FIVE PEOPLE DEAD. THE SUSPECT APPEARING TO HAVE A CRIMINAL PAST AND PREVIOUS ARREST.

THE INCIDENT IS BRINGING NEW ATTENTION TO COLORADO’S RED FLAG LAWS. AND HOW THE STATE IS UNDER-UTILIZING THE POWER TO TAKE GUNS AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO COULD BE A RISK TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.

A HORRIFYING CRIME AT AN LGBTQ CLUB. A GUNMAN STORMED INSIDE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED SHOOTING.
FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND ANOTHER 25 INJURED. THE SHOOTER…A FAMILIAR FACE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

IT APPEARS THE SUSPECT WAS ARRESTED JUST LAST YEAR FOR A BOMB THREAT. ALLEGEDLY THREATENING HIS MOTHER AS A STANDOFF OUTSIDE THEIR HOME ENSUED.

BUT GUN ADVOCATES ARE NOW ASKING WHY THE STATE’S RED FLAG LAW WASN’T INITIATED?

THESE CRITICS SAY HIS PREVIOUS ARREST SHOULD’VE BEEN ENOUGH FOR OFFICIALS TO FLAG HIM. BUT HOW THE SHOOTER ENDED UP WITH THE GUN USED IN SATURDAY’S MASS SHOOTING IS STILL UNCLEAR IN THE INVESTIGATION.

COLORADO HAS A HISTORY OF HIGH-PROFILE MASS SHOOTINGS.
FROM COLUMBINE TO THE MASS SHOOTING AT THE MOVIE THEATER TO LAST YEAR’S SUPERMARKET SHOOTING IN BOULDER.

YET COLORADO STILL HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST RATES OF RED FLAG LAW USAGE IN THE UNITED STATES.