“A few years ago, my brother was really struggling. He lost his job, and he had trouble finding steady work and keeping up with his bills. It was really weighing on him, and one day, something just … shifted. He was angry, inconsolable.

I knew he had a firearm in his home, and I was terrified he’d do something in that moment to hurt himself or others. One of the many things I did to help him was call the police and they filed a petition under our state’s Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Law. The court reviewed the evidence and determined he was an imminent risk to himself and others, and temporarily took away his gun – putting an end to a situation that could have turned deadly.

The temporary removal of his gun was a wake-up call, and my brother sought help. He was able to get his gun back when he was no longer in crisis – and having access to a firearm no longer posed a risk.”

Roswell, New Mexico 2022