WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation’s public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He’s pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation’s public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He’s pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.</s>WASHINGTON D.C.- President Donald Trump says he's signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to "ban all devices" like bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation's public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He's pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation’s public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He’s pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.</s>As a grieving Florida community demanded action on guns, President Donald Trump on Tuesday directed the Justice Department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre. It was a small sign of movement on the gun violence issue that has long tied Washington in knots.

"We must do more to protect our children," Trump said, adding that his administration was working hard to respond to the shooting in Parkland that left 17 dead.

After past mass killings yielded little action on tighter gun controls, the White House is trying to demonstrate that it is taking the issue seriously. But the president, a strong and vocal supporter of gun rights, has not embraced more robust changes sought by gun control activists.

Still, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and leading advocate for tighter gun controls, said Trump's directive suggested the president was aware of fresh energy on the issue and called it a sign that "for the first time" politicians are "scared of the political consequences of inaction on guns." The president's action was "a small, but vital step in the history of our movement" against gun violence, Murphy added.

Trump said he wanted to crack down on a device that was used in the October shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead. A bipartisan legislative effort to ban the device last year fizzled out.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced in December that it was reviewing whether weapons using bump stocks should be considered illegal machine guns under federal law. Trump on Tuesday signed a memorandum directing the agency to complete the review as soon as possible and propose a rule "banning all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns."

The Department of Justice, reacting to Trump's memo, said in a statement that it "understands this is a priority for the president and has acted quickly to move through the rulemaking process. We look forward to the results of that process as soon as it is duly completed."

A day earlier, Trump sent another signal he had been swayed by the Parkland shooting and the dramatic calls for action in its aftermath. A White House statement said Trump was looking at a bill that would strengthen federal gun background checks. On Wednesday, he will host parents, teachers and students at the White House for a "listening session" that will include people impacted by mass shootings in Parkland, Columbine, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut.

The president was moved by a visit Friday with Florida victims in the hospital and is trying to work on solutions, said a person familiar with his thinking who sought anonymity to discuss internal conversations. Background checks and tackling mental health are two areas of interest for the president.

Among the steps sought by gun control advocates: closing loopholes that permit loose private sales on the internet and at gun shows, banning assault-type weapons and to passing laws to enable family members, guardians or police to ask judges to strip gun rights temporarily from people who show warning signs of violence.

Asked at a press briefing Tuesday if Trump was open to reinstating a ban on assault-type weapons, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said White House officials "haven't closed the door on any front." She also said that the idea of raising the age limit to buy an AR-15 was "on the table for us to discuss."

The Parkland shooting also has prompted the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature to take a fresh look at gun control legislation, although so far GOP leaders are refusing to endorse calls to ban assault rifles. Still, the discussion of some types of gun control legislation is a dramatic turnaround for Florida, which has earned the nickname the "Gunshine State" for its gun policies.

Legislative leaders have said they are open to raising the age requirement for the purchase of guns, putting in a place a waiting period for rifle purchases and allowing a judge to issue an order to temporarily take away the guns of someone who is deemed a danger to themselves or others.

The federal background check bill was developed in response to a mass shooting last November in which a gunman slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church. It would penalize federal agencies that don't properly report required records and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences. The measure, which is pending in the Senate, was drafted after the Air Force acknowledged that it failed to report the Texas gunman's domestic violence conviction to the National Criminal Information Center database.

The GOP-controlled House paired the background checks bill with a measure making it easier for gun owners to legally carry concealed weapons across state lines. The concealed carry measure, a top priority of the National Rifle Association, would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons.

Murphy said any attempt to combine background checks with concealed-carry provisions would significantly jeopardize the chances of passing bipartisan reform of the background checks system. He called a national concealed weapons law "a terrible, dangerous idea" that would allow a criminal who bought a gun without a background check in Florida to carry that same gun, concealed under his clothing, into New York's Times Square or other crowded areas.</s>Donald Trump has ordered the justice department to draw up regulations to ban “bump stocks” and other devices that enable semi-automatic firearms to fire at close to the rate of a machine gun.

“We can do more to protect our children,” the US president said at the White House, insisting school safety is now a top priority for his administration. “We must do more to protect our children.”

The move comes in the wake of the shooting at a Florida high school last week that killed 14 students and three teachers, renewing a national debate over gun control.

Children who survived that massacre have begun a movement calling for fresh gun control measures – moves far stronger than the president seemed willing to contemplate on Tuesday, such as banning assault rifles like the one used in Florida last Wednesday.

Bump stocks – which modify semi-automatic firearms to shoot hundreds of rounds per minute – were used by the gunman who rained bullets on a country music festival in Las Vegas last October, leaving 58 dead and more than 500 injured.

At the time, Trump and the National Rifle Association expressed support for stricter regulation of bump stocks, but no action was taken. The president said on Tuesday he asked the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to clarify whether certain bump stock devices like the one used in Las Vegas are illegal under current law.

“That process began in December and just a few moments ago I signed a memorandum directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns,” Trump said during a ceremony recognising bravery by public safety officers. “I expect that these critical regulations will be finalised, Jeff, very soon.

“The key in all of these efforts ... is that we cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. We must actually make a difference. We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work.”

The announcement was unexpected because the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had yet to announce whether it would create new restrictions for bump stocks.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut tweeted in response: “Sign after sign this week that we’ve hit a fulcrum point in this debate where politicians are, for the first time, scared on the political consequences of inaction on guns. Small, but vital step in the history of our movement.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had first announced the move against bump stocks at Tuesday’s briefing. “I can tell you that the president supports not having the use of bump stocks and we expect further action on that in the coming days,” she told reporters.

“He ordered the Department of Justice and the ATF to review the regulation of bump stocks. My understanding is that review has been completed and movement will take place on that shortly... The president doesn’t support the use of those accessories.”

Sanders also said the president backs improved background checks on gun buyers but declined to offer specific details. “I know background checks are something that the president is supportive of making more efficient, and looking at better ways to improve that process, and we’re going to continue to look at a number of other factors as well.”

She confirmed that Trump spoke on Friday to Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, about a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers. “Revisions are being considered,” she added, but “the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system”.



Pressed on Trump’s ideas for tackling the general issue of gun violence, Sanders insisted he is “very focused” on working with federal and state officials. “Unfortunately we can’t just flip a switch but there is a process. We are a law and order country and the president is trying to do everything he can under his capacity to address these concerns, and certainly when it comes to mental illness.”

Sanders also said members of the Florida community grieving last week’s shooting will attend a listening session with the president on Wednesday, along with people affected by past school shootings in Columbine, Colorado, and Newtown, Connecticut. Trump will also meet with law enforcement officials on Thursday.</s>Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" - an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration, with meetings on the subject planned through next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.

Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

Although the former student who shot dead 17 people in Florida last week did not use bump stocks, there has been a renewed focus on the devices because outlawing them is a rare point of agreement between Democrats, some Republicans and the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby.

Less than a week after the shooting, the Florida state House of Representatives rejected a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines in a 36-71 vote, during a session that opened with a prayer for the people killed in the tragedy.

About 100 student survivors of the tragedy plan to hold a gun control rally and speak with lawmakers about gun control and school safety Wednesday at the state Capitol in Tallahassee.

Trump - who received strong backing from the NRA during his White House run - said he had signed a memorandum "directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns."

The president said he expected the measures to be finalized "very soon."

"We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work," Trump said at a White House event to honor 12 Americans for heroism.

"We must actually make a difference... We must do more to protect our children."

Trump said he would meet this week with students, local leaders and members of law enforcement to develop "concrete steps" to protect schools, students and communities.

"This includes implementing common sense security measures and addressing mental health issues," he said, "including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs."

"Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!" he added later on Twitter.

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, had a history of troubling behavior and a person close to him warned the FBI five weeks before the shooting that he was a threat - but no action was taken.

Cruz legally bought the gun he used in the attack - an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle - and the White House said it would consider options to raise the age for such purchases.

"I think that's certainly something that's on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

Many of the students who survived the shooting have vowed to make the tragedy a turning point in America's deadlocked debate on gun control.

They are planning a "Narch for Our Lives" in Washington next month, and they earned at least $2 million in pledges from Hollywood A-listers. Sister rallies are set to take place around the country.

George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal, Oprah Winfrey, director Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, and film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife Marilyn each pledged $500,000.

"Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women," Clooney said in a statement.

"Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country."

Winfrey then tweeted: "George and Amal, I couldn't agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation."

The US Congress is deadlocked on the gun control debate, accomplishing nothing since the October shooting in Las Vegas.

Americans support stricter gun laws by a 66 percent to 31 percent margin, according to a poll released on Tuesday by Quinnipiac University.

It described the margin as "the highest level of support" for stricter gun control since it began surveys on the question in 2008.</s>President Trump has directed the Justice Department to ban gun modifications, like bump stocks that were used in Las Vegas massacre.

President Donald Trump says he's signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to "ban all devices" like bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

 

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation's public safety officers.

 

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He's pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

 

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, an attempt to revive a bill to ban assault rifles.</s>President Donald Trump has signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like the bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The president made the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognising bravery by the nation’s public safety officers.

Mr Trump was responding days after 17 people were shot dead at a Florida school.

He pointed to the need for regulations to ban the device that was used to shoot 58 people in Las Vegas last October.

White House officials said the president will meet students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence.

Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.

Mr Trump said: “We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence based solutions and security measures that actually work.”

Bump stocks were used in the Las Vegas massacre, and were attached to six of the long guns found in the shooter’s hotel room.

A legislative effort to ban the device fizzled out last year.

Mr Trump has also indicated he is open to a limited strengthening of federal background checks on gun purchases.

Over the weekend, the White House said he had spoken to Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, about a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers.

The president’s spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders qualified the support, stressing that talks continue and “revisions are being considered”.

But she said “the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system”.

The main action Mr Trump has taken on guns has been to sign a resolution blocking an Obama-era rule designed to keep guns out of the hands of certain mentally disabled people.

The president has voiced strong support for gun rights and the National Rifle Association.

The bipartisan background check legislation would be aimed at ensuring that federal agencies and states accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI.

It was introduced after the US air force failed to report the criminal history of a gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

The president’s statement comes as shooting survivors and other young people press for more gun control in a rising chorus of grief and activism.

Their “March for Our Lives” is planned for March 24 in Washington.

Ella Fesler, a 16-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia, was among the students at a “lie-in” earlier on Tuesday in front of the White House.

She said it was time for change, adding: “Every day when I say ‘bye’ to my parents, I do acknowledge the fact that I could never see my parents again.”</s>“We must move past clichés and tired debates and focus on evidence based solutions and security measures that actually work,” Trump said.

Seeking to show action days after a deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., Trump spoke during a White House ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation’s public safety officers.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to “ban all devices” like the rapid-fire bump stocks involved in last year’s Las Vegas massacre.

The announcement came days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The device Trump referred to was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas, and attached to a half-dozen of the long guns found in the shooter’s hotel room. A legislative effort to ban the device fizzled out last year.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Pressure has been mounting for action after the Parkland shooting.

Trump has also indicated he is open to a limited strengthening of federal background checks on gun purchases.

Over the weekend, the White House said he had spoken Friday to Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, about a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers.

Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders qualified the support, stressing that talks continue and “revisions are being considered,” but said “the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system.”

The main action Trump has taken on guns has been to sign a resolution blocking an Obama-era rule designed to keep guns out of the hands of certain mentally disabled people. The president has voiced strong support for gun rights and the National Rifle Association.

The bipartisan background check legislation would be aimed at ensuring that federal agencies and states accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI. It was introduced after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

The White House statement comes as shooting survivors and other young people press for more gun control in a rising chorus of grief and activism. Their “March for Our Lives” is planned March 24 in Washington.

Ella Fesler, 16-year-old high school student in Alexandria, Virginia, was among the students at the “lie-in” in front of the White House. She said it was time for change, adding: “Every day when I say ‘bye’ to my parents, I do acknowledge the fact that I could never see my parents again.”

But previous gun tragedies have not led Congress to act. After the Las Vegas massacre in the fall, Republicans and Democrats in Congress talked about taking a rare step to tighten the nation’s gun laws. Four months later, the only gun legislation that has moved through Congress eases restrictions for gun owners.

Kristin Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the measure Trump discussed with Cornyn would help to enforce existing rules but would not close loopholes permitting loose private sales on the internet and at gun shows. She’s pressing for a ban on assault-type weapons and for laws enabling family members, guardians or police to ask judges to strip gun rights temporarily from people who show warning signs of violence.

“We need a comprehensive system,” Brown said. “One of these isn’t enough.”

Trump, who visited first responders and some victims Friday, had focused his comments on mental health, rather than guns. The White House says the president will host a “listening session” with students and teachers on Wednesday and will discuss school safety with state and local officials on Thursday. They have offered no further details on who will attend those sessions.

Trump spent most of the weekend at his private Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago. White House aides advised against golfing too soon after the shooting. But on Presidents Day, the avid golfer headed to his nearby golf club. The White House did not answer questions about whether he was playing golf.

President Barack Obama took heavy criticism in 2014 when he went golfing during a vacation just minutes after denouncing the militants who had beheaded an American journalist. He later regretted playing golf so soon after the killing.

Trump watched cable television news during the weekend and groused to club members and advisers about the investigation of Russian election meddling.

In a marathon series of furious weekend tweets from Mar-a-Lago, Trump vented about Russia, raging at the FBI for what he perceived to be a fixation on the Russia investigation at the cost of failing to deter the Florida school attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump orders the Department of Justice to prepare regulations to ban devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to become fully automatic, such as the bump stocks used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.