President Donald Trump has asked for a ban on devices that “turn legal weapons into machine guns”, responding to a growing outcry over mass shootings in the US.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he had directed Jeff Sessions, the US attorney-general, to propose regulations outlawing bump stocks, attachments that enable semi-automatic rifles to be fired faster.
Mr Trump’s move was the latest sign that the administration may be willing to engage in a limited form of gun regulation following protests over last week’s shooting that left 17 people dead at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
“I expect that these critical regulations will be finalised very soon,” Mr Trump said. “We can do more to protect our children. We must do more to protect our children.”
Mr Trump’s action focused on devices used in a shooting that left 58 people dead in Las Vegas last year. The National Rifle Association had already called for restrictions on bump stocks following the Las Vegas massacre.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated on Tuesday that the president also might be willing to back efforts to change the national background check system for gun purchasers.
“I know background checks are something that the president is supportive of making more efficient and looking at better ways to improve that process. And we’re going to continue to look at a number of other factors as well,” Ms Huckabee Sanders said.
The president spoke as 100 students from Stoneman Douglas High School travelled from Coral Springs to the state capital in Tallahassee to urge legislators to take action on gun control. The students planned to rally outside the state capitol on Wednesday night together with other students and demonstrators.
Protests over previous mass shootings have failed to translate into significant changes in US gun policy. But gun control activists have expressed optimism that the student protests could bring fresh momentum to the movement.
The Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that some state legislators in Florida were considering a plan that would limit access to semi-automatic rifles, by only allowing people over the age of 21 to buy an assault rifle and enforcing a three-day waiting period before rifle purchases are able to go through.
The bill has been backed by some Republicans in the Florida Senate. However, it was unclear if the legislation would ultimately pass.
(Published by Financial Times - February 20, 2018)