NC Gov. Stein talks mental health, red flag laws after Southport shooting

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) — Gov. Josh Stein wants to see North Carolina adopt red flag laws after a mass shooting in Southport over the weekend killed three people.

“We must do more to prevent these acts of violence; it has to be our top priority,” Stein said while in Southport on Monday.

On Saturday night, police say Nigel Edge opened fire at the American Fish Company

from a boat, killing three people and injuring five more.

Stein and local law enforcement are still investigating the suspect’s history and mental health, but the governor has concerns about guns getting into the hands of people who are potentially going through a crisis.

“There are too many people who are profoundly troubled who are obsessed, whose paranoia gets stoked by what they read on the Internet every day, and we’ve got to figure out ways so that those folks don’t pose risks to the community,” he said.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Stein says his team is looking into how mental health resources can be expanded to treat people before they become violent.

“Usually it’s law enforcement that is the first point of contact with a person, whether it’s because they get repeated phone calls about a person who may be a risk, but it’s not enough to just know that somebody may be a challenge, we’ve then got to be able to connect that person with the treatment they need to address whatever the underlying conditions are,” Stein said.

Last week, Iryna’s Law landed on the governor’s desk. It’s a bill that takes a look at pre-trial conditions and mental health resources for potentially violent offenders. It does not include any talk of red flag laws, but Stein says he thinks North Carolina should adopt those laws.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “There are people in our community who people know are a risk. A risk to others, to themselves, and they should not have firearms.”

Stein also pointed to recent shootings in Michigan and Minnesota, saying people in all communities deserve to feel safe.

In terms of Iryna’s Law, Stein said he has not decided whether he’ll sign it into law.