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Barely four years before a gunman’s deadly rampage in Maine, a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights, the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting like the one Wednesday night that claimed at least 18 lives. It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat. In a sign of the pro-Second Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said that, while it was a first step toward stronger gun safety measures, the state could save more lives by doing more — like passing a red flag law. (Whittle, Whitehurst and Levy, 10/26)

In New England, Maine is something of an outlier on gun regulation. The state broadly allows people to carry an open or concealed gun without a permit, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group for tighter gun restrictions, funded partly by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Maine does not bar the purchase of military-style assault rifles or limit the purchase of certain high-capacity magazines. (Corkery and Dewan, 10/26)

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) said he would pursue an assault weapons ban after a mass shooting killed at least 18 people in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday. ... “To the people of Lewiston, my constituents throughout the 2nd District, to those who lost loved ones and to those who have been harmed, I ask for forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings,” he said. (Robertson, 10/26)

State leaders in New Hampshire reacted to Wednesday's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine with shock and horror. But while Democrats reiterated calls for stricter gun policies in the wake of the violence, Republicans largely said the status quo was sufficient. Details about the shooting are still emerging, and the suspect remained at large as of Thursday evening. (Hoplamazian, 10/26)

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said the nation is mourning after "another senseless and tragic mass shooting" in which 18 people were shot to death in Lewiston, Maine, and urged Republicans in Congress to help enact stronger gun laws. (10/26)

The man police suspect killed 18 people in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night had so alarmed people around him that he was hospitalized and received mental health treatment this summer, according to a person familiar with the investigation. ... Investigators have also been told by people who knew suspect Robert R. Card of Bowdoin, Maine, that in recent months he described hearing disturbing voices, and had increasingly become fixated on the bowling alley and the restaurant where he allegedly opened fire, according to two people familiar with the investigation. (Barrett, Stein and Berman, 10/26)

Many Mainers across the state are seeking to donate blood to help victims in the mass shooting at multiple locations in Lewiston on Wednesday night. The Red Cross Blood Center in Auburn, Maine was closed on Thursday, Oct. 26 due to the incident. (Pratt-Kielley, 10/26)

At the gun shows, Sodini saw a lot of tough guys, some who he would discover were quietly living with depression and other mental health challenges. Sometimes, one would just disappear and Sodini would later learn the man had ended his life with a gun. Suicide was surprisingly common among gun owners, but no one was talking about it, he said, out of fear it would be used to advance gun restrictions. The issue hit home when someone who worked with Sodini ended his life. ... Sodini sold his share in the family gun business and founded the nonprofit Walk the Talk America, with the goal of closing the gap between gun owners and the mental health world. (Diedrich, 10/26)

So far this year, the nation has witnessed the second-highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year. Only 2019 had more mass killings. According to the database, there have been more than 560 mass killings since 2006, in which at least 2,900 people died and at least 2,000 were injured. (10/26)