The Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge to a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun accessories used in the Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The ban, which the Biden administration later upheld, prohibits the use of bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns.
The case concerns whether the Trump administration followed federal law in implementing the ban. A Texas gun shop owner argues that regulators did not follow proper procedures, while the Biden administration maintains that the ban was justified under existing laws against machine guns.
The legality of the bump stock ban has been a point of contention, with federal appeals courts divided on the issue. In this case, the Supreme Court’s decision could have significant implications for gun restrictions, as it tests the limits of the government’s authority to regulate firearms accessories.
While the case is not directly about Second Amendment gun rights, it raises questions about the ATF’s authority to impose such bans without congressional approval. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, representing the Texas gun shop owner, argues that the ATF exceeded its authority in implementing the ban.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for gun regulations in the United States, particularly as the country continues to grapple with the issue of mass shootings. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority will play a pivotal role in defining the country’s gun restrictions boundaries.
