Speakers<\/b><\/b><\/h2>\n
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- \n
- Dr. Amy Barnhorst<\/b>, Associate Director at the Centers for Violence Prevention, Professor of Psychiatry at the UC Davis School of Medicine, and an emergency and inpatient psychiatrist<\/li>\n
- Ari Freilich<\/b>, Director, California Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the Department of Justice<\/li>\n
- Sergeant Kyle Ikeuchi<\/b>, Sacramento\u2019s Sheriff Office<\/li>\n
- Chris Dargan<\/b>, Senior Public Information Officer, Cal OES<\/li>\n
- Gabriella Gonzales<\/b>, Member, Reduce the Risk Youth Advisory Council<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nTo close that gap, Governor Gavin Newsom has launched Reduce the Risk<\/i>, a statewide campaign through the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to raise awareness about gun violence warning signs, protection orders, and other legal resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cGun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs) empower law enforcement and other eligible community members to present evidence to a judge showing that an individual is on a dangerous pathway to gun violence or suicide,\u201d explained Ari Freilich. \u201cA court can then prohibit that person from possessing or purchasing firearms for a temporary period.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evidence can include threatening social media posts, violent writings, or manifestos. Even without a crime committed, such red flags may justify court intervention.<\/p>\n
A Proven Tool to Prevent Tragedy<\/b><\/h3>\n
Firearms remain the leading cause of death for youth under 18. California\u2019s gun death rate is among the lowest in the nation, but gun violence still claims roughly 3,200 lives annually. Experts estimate that if the rest of the U.S. had matched California\u2019s gun death rate over the past decade, nearly 140,000 lives might have been saved.<\/p>\n
Since GVROs became law in 2016, 19 other states and Washington, D.C. have adopted similar measures, often after mass shootings where suspects had been flagged but not legally disarmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese orders address the gap between what the mental health system and the criminal justice system can do,\u201d said Dr. Amy Barnhorst. She recalled filing a GVRO against a student who posted violent threats but showed no treatable mental illness. \u201cOf the 58 mass shooting-related GVROs filed between 2016 and 2018, none of those shootings occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacramento Sheriff\u2019s Sergeant Kyle Ikeuchi described a similar case involving a 15-year-old threatening a school attack. A GVRO led to the seizure of a shotgun and possibly prevented a tragedy.<\/p>\n
The Human Impact<\/b><\/h3>\n
For some, GVROs represent a lifeline. Gabriella Gonzales, a member of the Reduce the Risk<\/i> youth advisory council, shared her experience:
\n\u201cWhen I was 17, a man near my home threatened to shoot me for refusing his sexual advances. He sent me pictures of his guns and videos of him driving through my neighborhood looking for me. I had no idea that protection orders even existed. Months later, he was arrested for threatening to shoot up my school.\u201d<\/p>\nA Growing Tool in California<\/b><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nThe use of GVROs has grown rapidly. In 2018, Californians filed 424 GVROs. By 2023, that number rose more than fivefold to 2,073.<\/p>\n
Eligible petitioners include law enforcement, family members, household members, co-workers, school officials, and intimate partners. Law enforcement may also request emergency GVROs lasting up to 21 days, with courts able to extend orders for up to five years after a hearing.<\/p>\n
- Ari Freilich<\/b>, Director, California Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the Department of Justice<\/li>\n