Giffords Expresses Concern with Announcement by Justice Department that ATF will Look at Regulating Bump Stocks
December 5, 2017 — Today, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, expressed concern with the Department of Justice announcement that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) would move forward with a plan to regulate bump stocks. This was the device that played a role in the Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
Previously, it was reported that ATF concluded through a classification review from 2010 that a bump stock is a firearm accessory rather than a machine gun and can’t be regulated under the Gun Control Act or the National Firearms Act. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have called for action to sensibly monitor these devices to stop them from being used in mass shootings.
“One individual used bump stocks to turn a shooting into a massacre that forever changed the lives of hundreds of Americans,” said David Chipman, Giffords Senior Policy Advisor and 25-year ATF veteran. “Law enforcement officials want to be able to stop dangerous people from building even more lethal weapons from accessories. Congress should take proper action to cement into law the ability to restrict bump stocks and stop them from being transferred to the wrong hands. As part of any legislation Congress must also give the ATF clear authority to restrict these devices. We will work to ensure that their final regulations are the strongest possible to prevent bump stocks from posing future threats to public safety.”
Following the Las Vegas shooting, Giffords released a framework for Congress to take urgent action:
- Prohibit the future manufacturing of bump stocks;
- Prohibit the transfer of bump stocks in current circulation from one person to another;
- Require existing bump stocks that are already in circulation to be registered to their current owner under the National Firearms Act;
- Dedicate additional resources to ATF to enforce our nation’s gun laws and deal with a surge in NFA weapons applications;
- Require gun stores to report multiple sales of all firearms, not just handguns, to ATF.
The following firearms law and law enforcement experts are available for interviews:
- Peter Ambler, Executive Director, Giffords
- Robyn Thomas, Executive Director, Giffords Law Center
- David Chipman, Former ATF Agent, Senior Policy Advisor, Giffords
- Robin Lloyd, Director of Government Affairs, Giffords
- Lindsay Nichols, Federal Policy Director, Giffords Law Center
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Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.