MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We wanted to go a bit deeper here to try to understand more about what happened in Shreveport, so we've called Dr. Megan Ranney. She is an emergency physician, a gun violence researcher and dean of the Yale School of Public Health. And as part of this conversation, I do want to let you know we are going to talk about suicide. Good morning, Dr. Ranney. Thanks for joining us.
MEGAN RANNEY: Good morning, Michel. It's a joy to join you this morning, although it's a sad topic.
MARTIN: It is a sad topic, but I hope you can help us here because it's very hard for people to understand how something like this could happen. So we've heard police say this started as a domestic dispute. Is there something that makes domestic violence involving guns different from other types of gun violence?
RANNEY: Well, people don't frequently think about domestic violence as involving guns, but the most common reason that someone dies due to domestic violence is from a shooting. There are more than 70 women who are shot and killed every month in the United States due to domestic violence, and we find that domestic violence shootings often overlap with other types of shootings. So a history of domestic violence is a big predictor for committing a mass shooting. And we also find that domestic violence and suicide, unfortunately, often overlap.
MARTIN: And is it also the case that - and I understand that this might be painful to hear for other people who've experienced gun violence. But in a crime of something that involves domestic violence, it's targeted. So it's less likely that the person can escape, that it's just likely to be more lethal because it's so - because the intention is to cause harm. It's not an accident.
RANNEY: That's right. It is very targeted, very purposeful. And once a gun is used in an incident of domestic violence, it is very often fatal.
MARTIN: Do we know what leads someone to do something like this?
RANNEY: I wish we could say that we knew exactly what leads someone to do something like this, but there are some warning signs. So people who are victims of domestic violence, unfortunately, are at the highest risk at the moment of leaving, as seems to have happened in this case - right? - where the estranged wife had just left her - the murderer. We also know that this is most likely to happen if the perpetrator has a history of severe violence in the past. This man had been arrested, had felony charges, had driving-under-the-influence charges. Those are all warning signs.
The short version, for folks who are listening, is that if they or a loved one is a victim of domestic violence and the perpetrator has access to a gun, they need to create a safety plan because the risk of murder goes up by 500% if there is both domestic violence and access to a gun.
MARTIN: Well, when you talk about a - sort of a safety plan, I was thinking about the fact that Louisiana is one of 28 states that do not have a red-flag law. And for people who don't know, that's a legal mechanism to remove firearms temporarily from someone if they show signs that they might be dangerous. How well do these laws work?
RANNEY: Those laws work tremendously well. There are also things called domestic violence restraining orders, which can be filed in court. Both a domestic violence restraining order and a red-flag law, when filed, can result in temporary removal of firearms, like you said, from the person at risk - someone who's at risk of committing a murder, someone who's at risk of hurting themselves. And studies show that they work quite well. They reduce the risk of suicide and homicide, and people can often get their guns back once they are stable. It's not permanent in any way. Unfortunately, Louisiana does not have a red-flag law, unlike 22 other states and D.C., which do have those red-flag laws.
MARTIN: So according to family members, the alleged shooter, Shamar Elkins, did struggle with mental health problems, had expressed suicidal thoughts. What could families have - what can families do in a situation like this?
RANNEY: You know, my heart breaks for that family. I've read reports. It sounds like they were aware that this man was struggling. I wish to God that they had called 911 and gotten him evaluated in an emergency department or, had they lived in a state with a red-flag law, had gotten in touch with law enforcement to do a safety check on him. Of course, we know that there are a lack of mental health resources, and again, this is a state without red-flag laws. But the takeaway is if you are worried about someone that you love, don't hesitate to call health care professionals or potentially law enforcement for help.
MARTIN: And are there - what about people who are afraid that law enforcement might hurt the person? What should they do?
RANNEY: In that case, that's where health care professionals can be quite helpful.
MARTIN: That's Dr. Megan Ranney. Dr. Ranney, thank you so much. I'm sorry that this is why we're talking, but I'm glad that we are.
RANNEY: Thank you.
MARTIN: And if you or someone you know may be considering hurting yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
