Around 200 people have died by suicide using a firearm since Hawaiʻi enacted a law that gives judges the power to temporarily take guns away if they believe someone poses a risk to themselves or others.
But the law only works if people file a gun violence protective petition, known as a red flag petition, about someone they believe is at risk. Since it took effect in 2020, only 10 petitions have been filed against six people across the state, according to court records — the lowest per capita of any state. Only two of them had their guns taken away.
During that time, the number of people killed by guns in Hawaiʻi has increased at a rate outpacing the rest of the country. Suicides, which make up the majority of firearm fatalities, rose around 70% between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Red flag laws have been shown to make a difference. In Connecticut, for example, the rate of gun-related suicides dropped by about 15% after the state doubled down on enforcement, according to a 2018 study by researchers at the University of Indianapolis…