Bump stocks are deemed legal for use with rapid-fire weapons.

Bump stocks are deemed legal for use with rapid-fire weapons.

In a horrific incident, a gunman in Las Vegas, in October 2017, unleashed carnage using weapons equipped with rapid-fire modifications, claimed the lives of 58 individuals swiftly. Subsequently, these modifications were outlawed; however, the Supreme Court has since repealed this ban.

In a six-to-three vote, the Supreme Court abolished a law restricting semi-automatic firearms from being modified with rapid-fire components, deeming it in conflict with the Constitution. Following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, individuals were ordered to seize or destroy these rapid-fire modifications. These modifications allow for a large round of bullets to be discharged using a single trigger pull, which is similar to fully automatic weapons, banned for private use in the US.

The court's ruling stated that these modifications do not transform semi-automatic weapons into machine guns, contrary to popular belief. Justice Clarence Thomas, speaking for the conservative majority, clarified this stance. A gun dealer from Texas initiated the lawsuit, with the National Rifle Association (NRA) hailing the Supreme Court's decision.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed her stance, stating that she adheres to the machine gun definition of 'rapid-fire' triggers: "If it quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, and looks like a duck, then it's a duck."

Trump-Team applauds

The campaign team of US President Joe Biden criticized the Supreme Court decision, claiming it prioritizes the gun lobby "over the safety of our children." Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries derided the ruling as "dangerous, disastrous, and deeply disturbing." The campaign team of the Republican former President Donald Trump, who advocates for less restrictive gun laws in his presidential campaign, however, expressed support for the decision.

During the 2017 Las Vegas incident, the 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on concertgoers from a hotel, using rapid-fire modifications on most of his 22 weapons. He discharged over 1,100 shots at a rate of up to nine per second, resulting in the deaths of 58 people and injuring over 500 others. Paddock later took his own life.

This massacre, along with the 2018 high school attack in Parkland that resulted in 17 fatalities, sparked heated debates surrounding US gun laws and culminated in the federal regulation on rapid-fire modifications. Meanwhile, the demolition of the Parkland school shooting site commenced on a Friday.

Read also:

1. Despite criticism from the Biden campaign and Democratic leaders, former President Donald Trump's team praised the Supreme Court's decision to allow the use of rapid-fire modifications on semi-automatic weapons in the USA.
2. The International community has expressed concern about the loose gun laws in the USA, particularly after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, where a gunman used rapid-fire weapons to cause significant loss of life, raising questions about justice and accountability.
3. Amidst calls for stricter gun control measures following high-profile incidents like the Las Vegas shooting and the Parkland massacre, the Trump administration advocated for the legalization of accessories that enable rapid-fire usage with semi-automatic weapons in the USA.

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