DOJ giving states $231M for gun violence prevention programs

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is sending out more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer “red-flag laws” and other crisis-intervention programs. Red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others. The funding announced Tuesday, a total of $231 million, comes from the landmark bipartisan gun legislation passed by Congress last summer for gun violence prevention measures. The announcement coincides with the fifth anniversary of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida.