Tulane University, in collaboration with Drexel University and the New Orleans Health Department, has been awarded a $237,000 grant from the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research (NCGVR). This project, led by MAC associate director Dr. Maeve Wallace,  will evaluate existing data on state firearm policy and homicide rates covering the past decade to determine whether "red flag" firearm protection laws impact state trends in rates of intimate partner homicide, especially pregnancy-associated homicide. Homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and postpartum people in the U.S., and most cases are perpetrated by an intimate partner with a gun. This work will inform evidence-based state policy solutions that may protect the health and safety of people during pregnancy and beyond.

These laws, specifically state extreme risk protection order (ERPO) and domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) firearm prohibition laws, create civil processes for law enforcement or family members to seek a judicial order that a person is a danger to themselves or others and should temporarily lose the ability to purchase and possess firearms. This study seeks to simultaneously build evidence on the impact of ERPOs to reduce pregnancy-associated homicide and racial inequities in this outcome while advancing our understanding of the role and relevance of such evidence to policymakers and other stakeholders in state firearm policy development. The study team will conduct a qualitative case study of policymaking in Louisiana using key informant interviews with stakeholders in domestic violence prevention, state policy development and advocacy, and public health. They hope to identify barriers and opportunities for turning scientific evidence into policies that can prevent gun violence and promote health and safety for people during pregnancy and beyond. This project is expected to conclude in February 2026.

Read more about the specifics of the grant here, and explore the other 4 projects the NCGVR has funded about ERPOs here.