The deadliest school shooting in the history of the state of Georgia happened last month, highlighting the unique danger faced by those who live in states with scant leadership on gun violence prevention. People in red states are much more likely to be killed by gun violence than those in blue states. It’s a shocking statistic that feels counterintuitive – but is very true. Vice President Harris’ gun violence prevention agenda may save the lives of those in red states the most.

The tragic result of years of refusal by state legislators (especially those in red states) to implement common-sense measures to prevent gun violence is clear. Today, nine of the ten states with the highest gun fatality rates are deeply red, like Mississippi which ranks number one in the nation for the highest rate of gun deaths, with 29.7 per 100,000 Mississippians killed by gunshot last year. Conversely, of the states that have the lowest gun death rates, nine of the ten states are blue.

Rhode Islanders, for example, are 10 times less likely to be shot and killed than Mississippians. Put simply, blue states are much more effective at protecting the public from dangerous gun-wielding individuals because they have sought and implemented solutions. The difference in gun violence prevention efforts in red versus blue states is extreme and quantifiable: Seventeen of the 21 states that passed red flag laws have or had Democratic-controlled legislatures, two are swing states (Nevada and Michigan), and only two, Florida and Indiana, are red states. In states without red flag laws, people who observe signs of predictable gun violence cannot use the law to prevent a gun violence tragedy, and must instead wait for a tragedy to occur.

In leading the White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, VP Harris has built a gun violence prevention agenda centered around red flag laws because they work. Red flag laws, also known as gun violence restraining orders (GVROs) or extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), empower certain individuals, typically a family member or law enforcement, to intervene in a crisis by seeking a court order to temporarily take away access to guns from a gun owner who may harm themselves or someone else.

My state, California, was one of the first states in the nation to pass a red flag law nearly a decade ago following a shooting outside of UC Santa Barbara. Since then, my office, in collaboration with the San Diego Police Department, has obtained more GVROs than any other city in the U.S., which is a sobering statistic. GVROs have helped us take 3,700 weapons off the streets and away from dangerous individuals. Since 2017, we have created response systems and infrastructure that ensure we can quickly disarm dangerous situations. This is one of the reasons San Diego is one of the safest big cities in America.

The current Supreme Court, often considered the most pro-gun in our nation’s history, recently ruled red flag laws are constitutional and do not infringe upon Second Amendment rights. The 29 states without red flag laws, including Georgia, should pass red flag laws immediately. In March, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $750 million in federal funding to implement state crisis intervention programs, which include red flag programs.

These funds can be used to train the judiciary and court staff on red flag proceedings, to educate family members so that they know what they can do when they see warning signs, and to train first responders on recognizing signs of crisis. All states with red flags laws should use this funding to ensure the effective implementation of this very powerful crisis intervention tool.

The power to offer more than thoughts and prayers rests with those of us who have the courage to embrace it.