36 Virginians barred from possessing guns since Va.’s new ‘Red Flag’ law began July 1 – By Mark Bowes (Richmond Times-Dispatch) / Sept 18 2020
Three dozen Virginians were temporarily or permanently barred from possessing firearms and/or had their guns confiscated during the first two months of the state’s new “red flag” law, which prohibits residents from keeping or purchasing a gun if authorities can establish they would be a danger to themselves or others.
Since the law went into effect July 1 after being passed on a party-line vote by Virginia’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly, 26 temporary and 10 permanent substantial risk orders were issued against individuals across the state in July and August, according to the Virginia State Police, which operates the Virginia Firearm Transaction Center.
Virginia law prohibits state police from releasing any details about those 36 orders, and the statistics the department provided do not include the localities where the orders were granted or the dates they were issued.
A check of localities in the Richmond-Petersburg region turned up only two such orders being granted — both in Colonial Heights. The attorney representing one of those residents will ask a judge during a hearing next month that the order be dissolved because his client doesn’t own or possess any firearms and is already prohibited from purchasing them.
