WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines in the case of Cargill v. Garland, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on ‘bump stocks’ that was enacted under former President Trump in response to the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 58 people and wounded over 500 people. 

U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who has supported legislation to ban ‘bump stocks,’ which are devices that may be used to modify semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly – as many as 400 to 800 rounds per minute, today issued the following statement:

“The far-right justices completely missed the target here.  A regulation that even the NRA endorsed, pro-gun former President Trump promulgated has now been overturned by six votes.  This erroneous ruling ties the hands of federal law enforcement from taking commonsense action to protect public safety.  This ruling makes it easier for would-be mass shooters to get their hands on devices that have been used to turn semi-automatic guns into weapons of war.  Today’s ruling permits domestic terrorists to easily get their hands on machine guns.

“Instead of blocking legislation to ban bump stocks, as they have in the past, Republican lawmakers need to join with us to pass a law that once and for all bans bump stocks.  The law must keep pace to combat known and observed threats to public safety.”