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In a significant ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the federal ban on bump stock devices unlawful on Friday, marking another challenge to firearms restrictions. The 6-3 decision, authored by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, sided with Michael Cargill, a Texas gun shop owner and advocate, who argued that the ban misinterpreted federal law.
The ban, imposed by the Trump administration in 2019 following the tragic 2017 Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people, was intended to curb the rapid firing capability of semiautomatic weapons. However, the justices concluded that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) overstepped its authority by classifying bump stocks as machine guns under the National Firearms Act.
Justice Thomas wrote that a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock does not meet the statutory definition of a machine gun. “Even if it could, it would not do so ‘automatically.’ ATF therefore exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a rule that classifies bump stocks as machine guns,” Thomas stated.
Democratic President Joe Biden, whose administration defended the rule, expressed disappointment, emphasizing the importance of gun safety regulations. “Americans should not have to live in fear of this mass devastation,” Biden said, urging Congress to pass new legislation banning bump stocks and assault weapons.
The case highlighted a fundamental debate on how federal laws are interpreted and enforced. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, in a concurring opinion, noted that while the 2017 Las Vegas shooting demonstrated the lethal potential of bump stocks, it did not alter the law’s text. Alito encouraged Congress to amend the law to address such devices explicitly.
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, warning of the “deadly consequences” of the ruling. She criticized the majority for narrowly interpreting the law and overlooking the practical effects of bump stocks, which she argued function as machine guns in reality.
The ruling follows a series of Supreme Court decisions expanding gun rights, including a 2022 ruling that struck down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns. This trend underscores the court’s current conservative majority’s broader view on the Second Amendment.
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, criticized the decision, urging Congress to take action. “Guns outfitted with bump stocks fire like machine guns, they kill like machine guns, and they should be banned like machine guns,” Feinblatt stated.
