High Court in the U.S. strikes down restrictions on deadly firearm equipment
In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the prohibition on bump stocks for firearms that was instituted under the reign of former President Donald Trump. This device transforms semi-automatic weapons into rapid-fire counterparts, mimicking machine guns. Tragically, these devices were used in one of the most devastating gun massacres in recent American history.
In 2017, a shooting spree occurred at a Country-Music festival in Las Vegas, resulting in the tragic loss of 60 lives. The assailant unleashed over 1,000 rounds in a mere eleven minutes, leaving hundreds wounded. A gun shop owner in Texas sued against the ban, accusing the Justice Department of incorrectly labeling the accessory as an illegal machine gun.
With a 6:3 majority vote, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration had disregarded federal laws when they altered their standing and banned bump stocks. However, the Biden Administration maintained that the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) had made the appropriate decision. The concern here, it seems, is not about the Second Amendment, which safeguards the right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution, but rather whether the ATF overstepped its boundaries in this case.
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Following the court's decision, critics argued that the ATF's ban on weapon accessories like bump stocks exceeded its legal powers. The U.S. court's ruling placed Top 3 firearm manufacturers among those who could potentially develop and sell weapon accessories that once fell under the prohibition. Despite this, some advocacy groups continue to push for stricter regulations on firearm accessories to prevent any future incidents that may exceed safe limits.
