SHOW NRA WHO’S BOSS!
Pols discover backbone, push to ban machine-gun murder devices and ... Momentum vs. mass destruction ‘bumps’ Trump visits massacre victims in Vegas
AS THE National Rifle Association remained silent on the Las Vegas massacre, a leading Senate Democrat introduced a bill Wednesday to ban an inexpensive gadget that helped fuel the slaughter of at least 58 people.
No comment from top NRA officials on the shooting. And nothing on the so-called bump stocks, which allow gun owners to turn semiautomatic rifles into killing machines capable of firing hundreds of shots per minute.
The group effectively endorsed the stocks in April, listing bump manufacturer SlideFire as an exhibitor at its showcase of guns and accessories at its annual convention in Atlanta.
SlideFire’s entry in the NRA program boasts, “Our stocks allow the freedom of controlled rapid fire. Unleash the potential of your firearm with SlideFire Solutions!”
Officials with the NRA — whose chief, Wayne LaPierre, is usually outspoken in his militant advocacy for gun rights — didn’t respond to requests for comment from the Daily News. And the latest tweet from the group’s official website was posted on Friday, a plug for a “civil rights conference” on Long Island organized by the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education.
Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) — for the second time after a mass shooting on American soil — introduced legislation Wednesday to stop the sale of the bump stocks.
Stephen Paddock, the 64-year-old Vegas killer, had 12 of the devices on hand when he sprayed hundreds of bullets on 22,000 concertgoers at a country music festival on the Vegas Strip Sunday night.
“Is this the model that we want to put forward for the future?” Feinstein asked. “Mr. and Mrs. America, you have to stand up, you have to say enough is enough. No target practice justifies what happened on Sunday.”
Some Republican lawmakers were on board; others said the ban was worth considering.
Rep. Bill Flores (R-Tex.), for example, called for a ban, The Hill reported. And Republican Sen. John Corny nofTexassaidCongressshouldholdahearing to take testimony on banning the devices, Bloomberg News reported.
“Right now, my first instinct is to say yes, but I want to look at it more carefully,” said Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.).
The leading manufacturer of the devices, Texas-based SlideFire Inc. came
under fire from gun control groups. Also on Wednesday, the
company that reportedly manufactured the magazines used in the Vegas shooting learned it’s taking a financial hit.
Goldman Sachs said it was pulling its $11 million investment from SureFire Inc. of California because it continues to sell high-capacity magazines.
“We are aware of allegations that SureFire magazines were used in the Las Vegas shootings, but we cannot confirm the accuracy of such reports,” spokesman Andrew Williams said. “We plan to exit this investment as soon as possible.”
Williams said Goldman invested in SureFire 10 years ago, when it just sold sophisticated lighting equipment.
The company expanded into high-capacity magazines over Goldman’s objections.
“We stepped down from the board five years ago after they ignored our advice on this change in strategy and have tried to sell our stake repeatedly without success,” he said.
Amid the growing political debate, customers have rushed to buy bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, apparently fearing changes to the gun laws.
SureFire, for example, was sold out of 60- and 100-round magazines, according to its website.
On the auction site Gunbrokers.com, the price of one bump stock swelled this week from $129 to $655 by late Wednesday.
Feinstein said her daughter nearly attended the concert, and planned to stay in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where Paddock opened fire from a suite on the 32nd floor.
“That’s how close it came to me,” she said.She said 26 senators have already agreed to support the bill to ban the devices.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approved the use and sale of bump stocks in 2010. The agency has yet to issue any comment about that decision since the massacre.
Feinstein proposed similar restrictions on the devices in 2013 as part of an assault weapons bill after 20 children and six adults were shot dead at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
To illustrate her point, she used a blownup Daily News cover with pictures of the kids and a headline that read, “Shame on U.S.” That effort, though, was beaten back in the Senate by a vote of 60-40.
“I think we’ve reached a tipping point in this country, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Wednesday. “We really have to summon the outrage of America.”
Violence Policy Center Legislative Director Kristen Rand commended Feinstein for proposing the bill, saying it’s the least that can be done. “These devices have absolutely no legitimate purpose,” she said. “In a rational world, Sen. Feinstein’s bill would move swiftly through Congress with little debate.”
While the NRA has yet to weigh in Paddock’s arsenal and the group’s social media accounts have fallen silent, a spokeswoman offered platitudes in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
“Evil is real,” Dana Loesch, a spokeswoman for the lobbying group said on NRATV. “People who want to do evil things to innocent people exist.”