GIFFORDS Calls on Leaders in Maine to Act in Wake of Deadly Shootings

Washington DC — Today, GIFFORDS, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a statement calling on leaders in Maine to act on gun violence in the wake of a pair of connected shootings in Bowdoin and Yarmouth, Maine, that left four dead and three injured.

“Too many Mainers have lost their lives because of the state’s lack of commonsense gun laws. At this moment, the legislature is considering a number of lifesaving bills, including universal background checks, a 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases, bans on high-capacity magazines and rapid-fire modification devices, and many others. It’s time for Maine’s leaders to do what is right and protect Mainers from Kittery to Fort Kent. GIFFORDS stands ready to work with Governor Mills, Speaker Talbot Ross, and Senate President Jackson to save lives.”

Maine received an F on GIFFORDS Law Center’s Annual Gun Law Scorecard. In 2015, Maine passed a reckless permitless carry law that allows residents to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public without a permit or background check, and because it lacks commonsense gun safety laws, the state has the second highest gun death rate in New England. Additionally, in 2021 alone, Mainers lost more than 150 of their friends, family, and neighbors to suicide with a firearm. 

In just the last few years other New England states like Vermont and Massachusetts have passed gun safety laws, including requiring universal background checks, limiting access to high-capacity magazines, and enacting true extreme risk protection order laws, all while under the leadership of Republican governors.