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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has said he has directed to the Attorney General to propose regulations that would ban weapons devices like so-called ‘bump stocks’.
Bump stocks allow semi-automatic weapons be fired like automatic weapons and were used by Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock when he killed 58 people and injured over 800 more in October of last year.
A total of 12 bump stocks were found in Paddock’s hotel room after he committed the worst mass shooting in US history.
Speaking in the White House this evening, Trump said he has signed a memo directing the Attorney General Jeff Sessions to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like bump stocks.
“We must move past clichés and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work,” Trump said this evening.
“After the deadly shooting in Las Vegas, I directed the Attorney General to clarify whether certain bump stock devices, like the one used in Las Vegas, are illegal under current law.”
That process began in December and just a few moments ago I signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns. I expect that these critical regulations will be finalised, Jeff (Sessions), very soon.
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Trump’s announcement comes after legislators were coming under increasing pressure to intervene after last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida in which 17 young people were killed.
Trump has also indicated he is open to a limited strengthening of federal background checks on gun purchases.
Over the weekend, the White House said he had spoken Friday to Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, about a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers.
Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders qualified the support, stressing that talks continue and “revisions are being considered,” but said “the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system.”
- With reporting by Associated Press
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