BALTIMORE, MD—In a significant judicial decision, the United States Supreme Court has invalidated the 2018 federal rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) that classified bump stocks as machine guns under the National Firearms Act. Bump stocks are attachments that enable semiautomatic firearms to fire at speeds comparable to automatic weapons.
The rule was originally enacted following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, where a gunman used a bump stock to kill 60 people at an outdoor concert. In response, Maryland passed a law in 2018 banning “rapid fire trigger activators,” including bump stocks.
Attorney General Anthony Brown expressed disappointment in today’s ruling, criticizing it as a regression in common-sense gun legislation. Last year, Brown was part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general who filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ban. He pledged to continue efforts to combat gun violence and advocate for stringent gun control measures.
Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, the Maryland state law prohibiting bump stocks remains unaffected. The Maryland Attorney General’s office is currently analyzing the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision.
