Nevada legislators back ban on bump stock devices

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2013, file photo, an employee of North Raleigh Guns demonstrates how a "bump" stock works at the Raleigh, N.C., shop. The gunman who unleashed hundreds of rounds of gunfire on a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, attached what is called a "bump-stock" to two of his weapons, in effect converting semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic ones. (AP Photo/Allen Breed, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2013, file photo, an employee of North Raleigh Guns demonstrates how a "bump" stock works at the Raleigh, N.C., shop. The gunman who unleashed hundreds of rounds of gunfire on a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, attached what is called a "bump-stock" to two of his weapons, in effect converting semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic ones. (AP Photo/Allen Breed, File)

Nevada’s legislative Democrats have requested a bill draft that would ban the manufacture, sale or possession of “bump stock” devices that convert rifles into machine guns.

Those devices were used by Stephen Paddock to shoot hundreds of people at a Las Vegas concert. They allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire more than 200 rounds per minute.

The proposed legislation was backed by Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson as well as Assemblyman Chris Brooks and Sens. Kelvin Atkinson, Yvanna Cancela and Julia Ratti.

Their bill draft request comes on the heels of a similar request by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., as well as other members of both parties in Congress. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., on Friday joined a group of nine Republican senators urging the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosi ves to review the 2010 decision that permitted the sale of those devices and issue a new interpretation.

In addition, the White House has announced it is looking into regulations to ban or control the purchase and use of those devices and the National Rifle Association has indicated it too will support a federal review of and regulations to limit access to those devices.

At the same time, Attorney General Adam Laxalt issued two notices in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting. He cautioned Nevadans to beware of scammers seeking contributions allegedly to support the victims of the shooting.

He said there are many illegitimate GoFundMe accounts being set up from unscrupulous people trying to profit from the tragic shootings.

He said people wishing to make donations to survivors and families of innocent victims should go to www.gofundme.com/helplasvegas before making a donation. If prospective donors are suspicious about any solicitation, Laxalt said they can go directly to GoFundMe and click the “Report Campaign” button or report directly to his office of Consumer Protection at 684-1100.

Laxalt also announced that he has sent every available investigator form his office to help the staff of different agencies in southern Nevada process the personal effects left over from the crowd of concert goers.

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