Under a law approved by voters in 2016, police and family members can ask a judge to keep firearms out of the hands of people they believe to pose a danger to themselves or others even if there is no criminal behavior.
A man threatening to kill people at a church. A suicidal woman. A man brandishing a handgun in a residential building.
These are some of the people whose guns have been seized in Seattle under an “extreme risk” law overwhelmingly approved by Washington voters[1] in 2016 despite claims from the National Rifle Association that it would selectively target gun owners[2].
The law, which went into effect this past year, allows police and family members to ask a judge to keep firearms out of the hands of people believed to pose a danger to themselves or others even if there is no criminal behavior.
Gun seizures
Information on obtaining an Extreme Risk Protection Order or on other types of protection orders can be found www.protectionorder.org[3]
Inquiries also can be sent by email to
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Unlimited Digital Access: $1 for 4 weeks[4]The potential benefits can range from keeping one person from killing him- or herself to heading off people who have displayed warning signs sometimes associated with mass killings, proponents say.
“The goal really is to prevent future gun violence,” said Kimberly Wyatt, a King County senior deputy
