In the wake of that shooting, at least two dozen states began looking at an approach to preventing gun violence pioneered in Connecticut in 1999.

The approach aims at getting firearms away from people who show signs they might use the weapons for mass shootings, suicides, terrorism or other gun violence. Thirteen states, including Florida, now have such laws.

Typically, the laws allow law enforcement or prosecutors to go to court for an order preventing a dangerous person from possessing or purchasing firearms. Some states also allow family or household members to seek such orders.

The orders may be called extreme risk protection orders or risk warrants. The orders can be issued on an emergency basis and last for a set period of time, usually a few weeks up to one year.

Most critically, they allow police to remove guns from a person’s home.

In Nebraska, federal and state laws now bar some people from possessing or purchasing firearms, but only if they have been committed for mental health treatment, judged mentally incompetent, convicted of a felony or misdemeanor domestic violence or are knowingly violating a protection order.