In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Saturday, the site of a tragic shooting in 2018 that claimed the lives of 17 individuals.
During her visit, Harris plans to advocate for the strengthening of laws that allow courts to issue "extreme risk protection orders," commonly known as "red flag" laws, which enable the removal of firearms from individuals considered high-risk.
According to a White House official, six states in the U.S. currently have red flag laws in place and are utilizing funds from the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to implement crisis intervention programs.
However, 29 states do not have such laws, and Harris will call on them to enact legislation, while also urging the 15 states with existing laws to utilize the available federal funds.
Despite Florida's adoption of a red flag law after the 2018 shooting, the state has not yet utilized the federal funding, as per the official.
The shooter in the Parkland incident was a former student who was 19 years old at the time and had a history of mental health issues.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
The building where the shooting occurred is set to be demolished this year, having remained largely unchanged since 2018, with visible bloodstains and bullet holes.
While some individuals argue that red flag laws violate their constitutional right to bear arms, proponents of gun safety point to studies suggesting that these laws can help prevent some deaths.