NEWTOWN, CT — In a damaging decision that risks increasing mass shootings and endangering public safety, the Trump administration announced on Friday that it will permit the sale and possession of devices that convert semi-automatic rifles into weapons capable of firing at rates comparable to machine guns. These devices can also be purchased without background checks because they are not considered a firearm. This development overturns a prior decision to ban certain forms of these devices, called “forced-reset triggers,” due to their potential to significantly increase the lethality of firearms.
Devices that dramatically increase the number and rate of bullets that shooters can fire poses profound risks to the safety of our children and communities. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a stark reminder of the devastation such weapons can inflict—154 shots were fired in less than five minutes. Critically, when the shooter paused to reload, 11 children managed to escape.
In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, issued the following statement:
“We can all agree on the right to own and purchase firearms – and that there is no place for forced-reset triggers in our communities. The decision to allow these dangerous modifications to firearms into our communities is taking us in a dangerous direction. This will not make us safer. It will put more people, including our children, at risk by making more tragedies like the one that took my little Daniel possible. We urge the Trump administration to reconsider this action and we ask that they listen to the voices of families, survivors of gun violence, and responsible gun owners – not just the firearm industry – when making decisions that affect the safety of all Americans.”
Sandy Hook Promise is calling on everyone who cares about the safety of our children and communities to take action. Join us in signing our petition to urge the Trump administration to reverse this perilous course.
Barden concluded, “Our children’s safety should never be in question. We need to ensure that comprehensive measures are in place to protect them. Let’s reverse this deadly decision to prevent future tragedies.”
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The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to protecting all children from gun violence in schools, homes, and communities. The SHP Action Fund advances a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization. It is part of Sandy Hook Promise, founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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