Extreme Risk Protection Orders empower family members to go directly to a court when a loved one is in crisis and may pose a threat to themselves or others. Through due process, a court can temporarily limit someone's access to deadly weapons.

Maine's current law is ineffective and failed to prevent the tragedy in Lewiston. The gunman’s family knew he posed a threat and repeatedly asked the police for help, but Maine’s current law gave the family no way to take action. A state investigation reported that Maine’s laws were too burdensome and weak to prevent this tragedy or tragedies like it. If this measure had been in place, perhaps one of the many warnings could have prevented the shooting.

Under Extreme Risk Protection Orders, both law enforcement and family members can intervene before a moment of crisis becomes a tragedy.