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It has happened again. Unfathomable loss of innocent children and educators in an American school due to gun violence in Uvalde, Texas. On the heels of the horrific mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, it is all almost impossible to process. Our hearts are broken — again.
Like us, you may be wondering what you can do to help prevent something like this from happening in Maine. We are, after all, a source state for firearms. Maine has a higher-than-average rate of gun ownership, with approximately half of Maine adults reported to be living in a household with at least one firearm. And we are in the middle of a post-pandemic mental health crisis when it can be difficult to access mental health services, especially for those living in more rural communities with fewer resources.
So, in this climate, what can we all do right now to help prevent a tragedy like this from happening here?
We can be responsible gun owners. We can make sure that guns are stored safely in homes and businesses. We can use gun safes, trigger locks, and ensure that firearms cannot be easily accessed by anyone who is not authorized to possess them. We can look after loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, and friends who may be struggling with mental illness or who appear to be in crisis. We can be alert and vigilant and take seriously anyone who expresses an intention to harm others, even if it’s just a text message or social media post. We can believe what someone says and alert the authorities. If we become aware of domestic violence, we can report it to the police. We can refuse to transfer a firearm to someone who is unstable or in crisis.
Maine’s law enforcement community is committed to keeping the state’s schools safe through prevention, intervention, and enforcement work. We are committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting gun violence across the state. We are committed to identifying individuals who need mental health resources and intervention and doing our part to help them get them support.
We are committed to providing schools with the tools to develop a standard protocol for responding to incidents of violence on campus. This summer the Maine School Safety Center will host the Maine School Safety Summit for school administrators and related stakeholders from June 21-23 in Windham, to offer training on best practices for our school communities. Together, we will do all we can to keep our school children and educators safe.
As we return from Memorial Day Weekend with our family and friends, we are thinking of those who tragically and senselessly had theirs taken from them this month. And we ask that everyone join us in working to keep Maine safe.
Darcie N. McElwee is the United States Attorney for Maine. Aaron M. Frey is Maine’s Attorney General. Maeghan T. Maloney is the district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties and president of the Maine Prosecutors’ Association. Michael J. Sauschuck is the commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety. Jared J. Mills is the chief of the Augusta Police Department and president of the Maine Chiefs of Police. Dale P. Lancaster is the Somerset County sheriff and president of the Maine Sheriffs’ Association. Jonathan J. Shapiro is the director of the Maine School Safety Center.
