Indiana prosecutor wants to close loophole on gun law

An Indiana prosecutor wants to close what he says is a loophole in the state’s red flag law.

Under the current law in Indiana, if an officer take someone’s gun away, that person can still go to a gun store and buy another one while the case is open.

“There is nothing preventing a person from purchasing, using or borrowing a firearm from someone else while their case is pending,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Meads said. “The law only applies to the dangerous firearm the person had access to when the officer interacted with them.”

Meads said this situation occurred in 2018, when a petition was filed to taken a away a woman’s gun. Two months later, police said she shot a neighbor with a different gun she bought from a licensed dealer.

He said these cases often head to trial, which can take several months. A judge can sign an order preventing someone from making future gun purchases, but Meads said that typically happens only after a trial.

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