Advertisement

Chief Justice John Roberts declines to halt Trump’s new ban on ‘bump stocks’

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. answers questions during an appearance at Belmont University on Feb. 6 in Nashville.
(Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)
Share

The Supreme Court is so far declining to stop the Trump administration from enforcing its ban on “bump stock” devices, which allow semiautomatic weapons to fire like machine guns.

The ban took effect Tuesday. The administration is in the unusual position of arguing against gun rights groups. Those groups asked the court Monday to keep the government from beginning to enforce the ban for now. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. declined a request for the court to get involved Tuesday. A second request is pending in front of Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

President Trump said last year that the government would move to ban bump stocks. The action followed a 2017 Las Vegas shooting where bump stocks were used and 58 people died.

Advertisement
Advertisement