BrerBear: Gotta admit, I'm MORE than a little puzzled here.

Here you go: apnews.com - Gun control lewiston maine shooting

In short: Maine is a permitless carry state. Maine does not have a red flag law (failed in 2019) but does have something called a yellow flag law. Under it, law enforcement can detain someone they suspect is mentally ill and poses a threat to themselves or others. Federal law and most states have prohibited people from possessing guns if they have been formally committed to a mental health facility. Formal commitment is a court process that's usually required to keep someone at a facility longer than about 14 days. So if the suspect was held "for two weeks," that prohibition may not have been in force. A judge typically must approve a formal commitment. which is then sent to the background-check system. But... background checks aren't required at unlicensed or private sellers. And then there's this: statistics show that mentally ill folks are more likely to be the victims of a crime rather than commit a crime.

Guess that wasn't so short.