The announcement falls far short of demands from students who survived the Florida massacre and are pushing for a ban on assault rifles

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Trump's compromise on gun control: explaining the president's (tiny) offer Read more

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.

But the announcement, and statements from the White House supporting legislation to enforce existing background check laws fall far short of demands from students who survived the latest school massacre and then swiftly launched a movement calling for fresh gun control measures.

Many students who witnessed the shooting last Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland are demanding a fresh ban on assault rifles, and the campaign has already spread to Washington.

In Florida, Parkland students boarded buses on Tuesday to head for the Florida capital, Tallahassee, preparing to lobby politicians on Wednesday.

But those who had arrived earlier watched in dismay on Tuesday afternoon as lawmakers voted not to take up legislation that would ban military-style rifles and high-capacity magazines. Suspect Nikolas Cruz used such a weapon, an AR-15, in the shooting last week that killed 17, but a motion simply to consider a ban was decisively rejected by the legislature, with 36 votes in favor and 71 against.

Play Video 2:02 Florida shooting: students walk out of schools to call for gun control – video

The Parkland students had driven more than 400 miles to push their state lawmakers to support gun control laws.

Lizzie Eaton, a 16-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas junior, said the vote was “heartbreaking”.



But, she said: “We’re not going to stop. We’re going to keep fighting for what we believe in. We’re not going to let this bring us down.”



In Washington on Tuesday, the president said he asked the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to clarify whether certain bump stock devices are illegal under current law.

Play Video 0:50 Protect kids, not guns: students stage gun reform protest in front of White House – video

“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 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.

After the Las Vegas shooting, Trump and the National Rifle Association expressed support for stricter regulation of bump stocks, but no action was taken.

After Tuesday’s announcement in Washington, 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.”

Quick guide Mass school shootings in the US Show Hide How many have there been so far this year? There have been eight shootings at US schools this year that resulted in injury or death, including 17 dead on Wednesday. In December, the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting, in which 20 children and six teachers died, was marked by congressional Republicans seeking to weaken restrictions and make it easier to carry a concealed weapon across state lines. Donald Trump promised to support the National Rifle Association (NRA) and oppose limits to gun ownership. Key statistics 97 children have been killed and 126 injured in mass shootings in schools since 1989. These are the three worst incidents: 14 February 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida 14 December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary, Connecticut 20 April 1999 Columbine High School, Colorado Why is the NRA so powerful? In 2017, the NRA spent at least $4.1m on lobbying. In the 2016 US elections, it spent $14.4m supporting 44 candidates who won, and $34.4m opposing 19 who lost, according to CRP. But “the real source of its power comes from voters”, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA professor of constitutional law. The 145-year-old organisation claims 5 million active members and Prof Robert Spitzer of the State University of New York at Cortland said it has “a very powerful ability to mobilise a grassroots support ”. The public view 79%: Proportion of Americans who favour banning assault-style weapons, according to a recent poll 84%: Democratic voters who said that gun laws should be ‘a lot’ or ‘somewhat’ stricter than at present 72%: Republican voters who agreed that ‘the benefits of gun ownership outweigh the risks’

Photograph: Allen G. Breed/AP

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.

Sanders also said the president backs improved background checks on gun buyers but declined to offer specific details.





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.

Sanders also said members of the Florida community grieving from 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.

The Associated Press contributed reporting