New York – A news report finds 34,500 people are now listed as too mentally unstable to have guns in New York state, under a 19-month-old law that is one of the nation’s toughest concerning mental health and firearms.
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The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1tDh0xE ) reported Sunday that fewer than 300 of the people on the list had a handgun permit, which would then have been revoked. Officials say they’re unsure how many guns were seized.
Mental health professionals must report patients seen as likely to cause serious harm to themselves or others. If county officials agree, the patients go into the database for five years.
The names aren’t public.
Some mental health advocates fear too many people are being deemed dangerous. Gun control advocates say the potential consequences merit casting a wide net.