MACON, Ga. — Monday morning, President Donald Trump addressed the nation following this weekend's mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso.
"Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun," says President Trump. "We must stop the glorification of violence."
President Trump listed several ways he's hoping the country can move forward from this tragedy, including a push for nationwide red flag laws.
"Now is the time to set destructive bipartisanship aside," says President Trump.
But what exactly are red flag laws?
According to a May 2019 article from USA Today, under this type of rule, law enforcement officers, and, sometimes, family members, can ask a judge to temporarily prohibit a person from having or buying firearms.
The judge could do that if the person poses a significant threat of danger to themselves or others.
13WMAZ's Chelsea Beimfohr spoke to several people in downtown Macon who would not go on camera, but said implementing red flag laws "is a start" to possibly ending mass shootings.
More than a dozen states already have red flag laws, including:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon,
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- The District of Columbia
Right now, Georgia does not have red flag laws on the books -- and some people want it to stay that way.
Patrick Parsons with Georgia Gun Owners calls red flag laws a constitutional violation.
"These shooters are not going to be allowed to define our second amendment rights," says Parsons. "No one wants anyone to die, but hate, hate, hate and anger is what did it."
13WMAZ reached out to Senator David Perdue, Senator Johnny Isakson, and Governor Brian Kemp for their opinions on red flag laws for the Peach State, but as of Monday evening (6 p.m.) have not received a response from any office.
In February, Georgia lawmakers proposed a red flag bill, but it died in in the House. That bill is still alive for the upcoming 2020 legislative session.