Kaitlin Bain of the Yakima Herald-Republic writes on the Initiative 1491 campaign’s visit to the city:

Marilyn Balcerak believes her son and stepdaughter would be alive today if his guns had been taken away under a process outlined in Initiative 1491.

. . .

The Alliance for Gun Responsibility says it is working to end gun violence crises and promote a culture of gun ownership that balances rights with responsibilities.

Speaking at a downtown news conference, Balcerak recalled how her son was diagnosed at a young age with high-functioning autism. He had a hard time socializing and dealing with depression. Balcerak said she worked for solutions by putting her son in a different school or allowing him to live alone during his time in college.

However, several months after her son was allowed to begin living alone he began once again to exhibit signs of depression and suicidal thoughts.

When she asked police for help, they told her the only option was to file a restraining order and hope he broke it so he would no longer have access to firearms.