Michigan's new law resulted in no-gun orders for nearly 300 people

DETROIT — Nearly 300 people in Michigan were barred from possessing guns in 2024 under a new law that empowers courts to intervene if there's evidence they could harm themselves or others, according to a report released Wednesday.

Michigan joined at least 20 states in passing a so-called red flag law, which allows police, health professionals, family members or roommates to ask local judges to ban someone from possessing guns for a year.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and supporters said the law could help prevent mass shootings or domestic violence. It took effect on Feb. 13, 2024, the one-year anniversary of a shooting that killed three students and wounded five more at Michigan State University, and was part of a broader gun safety package passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

There were 391 complaints filed in 2024, the State Court Administrative Office said, resulting in 287 no-gun orders. Orders were denied in 84 cases. In 14, complaints were dismissed or orders were rescinded after a hearing, according to the report.

Someone barred from having guns can ask a judge to reconsider during the one-year period.

At least 31 people covered by a no-gun order were subsequently charged with crimes, though the charges weren't related to complying with the order, the report said.

An Associated Press analysis in 2022 found that firearms were removed from people 15,049 times since 2020 in states with red flag laws, fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult residents.

The 43-year-old Michigan State gunman, who killed himself away from campus, was described as a loner. Writings that were left behind suggested he had mental health problems.

Fifteen months earlier, in 2021, four students were killed by another student at Oxford High School in Michigan.