The visuals of a defiant Donald Trump -- pumping his fist in the air, with blood on his face -- as he was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service after an "assassination attempt", has once again brought the focus back on rampant gun violence in the United States of America.
This shocking act of political violence is likely to alter the course of November's presidential election by bringing the focus of campaigns on controversial gun laws in the US. The country, which has so far witnessed at least 261 mass shootings, could record over 500 cases of gun violence for the fifth year in a row, according to a report by Axios.
Debate on Gun Control In the US
Guns are deeply ingrained in American society and the nation’s political debates. At least thirty-eight US states have laws that allow people to use deadly force if they claim to be in fear for their lives. Hours before the shooting at Trump's rally, US President Joe Biden issued a statement comparing his stance on gun control to his Republican rival's.
“I want to ban assault weapons and require universal background checks,” he wrote on X, adding, "Trump promised the NRA that he’d do nothing about guns. And he means it.”
During his tenure as President, Biden has signed into law the most significant gun safety legislation the country has seen in more than two decades. This includes enhanced background checks for gun buyers and other protections. Biden administration has also banned the manufacture and sale of "ghost guns". He has also repeatedly urged Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
On the other hand, Trump had weakened US gun laws in office, according to a report by BBC. Trump, however, took action to ban bump stocks, the accessories that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more quickly. But, the US Supreme Court last month struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, throwing firearms back into the nation’s political spotlight.
In May, accepting the National Rifle Association's endorsement, Trump said he would unravel all of Biden's new gun rules and fire the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Gun Laws in the US
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. It states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
As a result, about a third of US adults own a gun personally while four in ten US adults say they live in a household with a gun, according to Pew research. Guns, especially high-powered assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols are cheaper and more widely available than ever across the United States.
Twently five of the fifty US states allow carrying concealed firearms in public places while the other half allow it in some form. Only 12 states in the United States require purchase permits for handguns and only three of those states— California, Connecticut, and Hawaii — require permits for the purchase of rifles and shotguns.
Despite frequent mass shootings, the US administration has been unable to pass meaningful gun legislation. As per a media report, more than 200 million guns have hit the US market over the past two decades. The number is led by assault rifles and personal handguns, feeding a surge in murders, mass shootings, and suicides.
Gun Laws: What’s Allowed and What’s Banned?
Though owning a firearm is permitted in the US, the right to bear arms is not absolute, as the sale and ownership of guns are prohibited to just certain categories of people. The purchase of semi-automatic weapons is legal in most states, as are automatic weapons made before 1986.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits individuals under 18 years of age, convicted criminals, the mentally disabled, and dishonourably discharged military personnel, among others from purchasing firearms. The law also calls for a background check of all unlicensed individuals purchasing a firearm from a federally authorized dealer.
Firearms including shotguns, rifles, machine guns, mufflers, and silencers are, however, regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. There were also federal laws prohibiting the purchase of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines between 1994 and 2004, but the US Congress allowed these restrictions to expire.
As of 2022, there is no federal law to ban semiautomatic assault weapons, military-style .50 caliber rifles, handguns, or large-capacity magazines. There is also no federal requirement for those purchasing a gun to have any firearm safety training.