Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era bump stock ban in blow to ATF

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Trump era ban on bump stocks, which are attachments that rapidly increase the firing rate of a semi automatic firearm. In a six three ruling, the court found the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority with the ban in 2018. The rule came in the wake of the Las Vegas concert killings, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The ATF lump bump stocks in with machine guns, which are banned under federal law. Opponents of the ban argued bump stocks are different because they don't do anything to change the mechanics of a semi automatic firearm. Even with a bump stock, only one round is fired per trigger pool. The rule required those who own bump stocks to destroy or surrender them to the ATF. Or face criminal penalties. In the majority opinion, Justice Thomas wrote Semi automatic firearms, which requires shooters to re engage the trigger every shot, are not machine guns. This case asks whether a bump stock, an accessory for a semi automatic rifle that allows the shooter rapidly re engage the trigger, converts the rifle into a machine gun. We hold that it does not. Justice Samuel Alito noted in a concurring opinion that the court was constrained to follow existing law that defines machine guns. He wrote that though the Vegas shooting showed a semi automatic gun with a bump stock can have the same lethal effects as a machine gun, an event that highlights the need to amend a law does not itself change the law's meaning. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned the ruling will have deadly consequences, Adding, when I see a bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck. A bump stock equipped semi automatic rifle fires automatically. More than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. Because I like Congress. Call that a machine gun. I respectfully dissent. President Biden responded by urging Congress to ban bump stocks and assault weapons. From the Supreme Court to everything else, we've got you covered with straight facts, no bias. Download the Straight Arrow News app to find out all you need to know.