105: 40 Years On — John Lennon, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and Gun Violence

Image provided by Michael Aleo via Unsplash

On the evening of December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed in the front entrance of his home in New York City. His murderer was a one-time Beatles fan who had traveled from Hawaii to New York with a .38 special revolver that he had purchased six weeks prior from a shop in Honolulu, Hawaii for $169.

However, the shooter had planned the killing over several months, and had shared his plans with his wife. Had an Extreme Risk Law (sometimes called a “red flag” law) been in place at that time, the shooter may not have been able to maintain his access to this firearm. Recently, Hawaii joined 18 other states and the District of Columbia in codifying an Extreme Risk Law that would enable family members, co-workers, or police to obtain court orders blocking access to firearms for people who show signs they could pose a danger to themselves or others.

To discuss John Lennon's life and death, and what gun violence prevention is like 40 years later, hosts Kelly and JJ are speaking with Senator Karl Rhoads of Hawaii, President of Brady Kris Brown, Academy Award-nominated documentary producer and podcaster Michael Epstein, and founder and Executive Director of Safer Country Paul Friedman.

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