Brady Campaign Endorses Legislation to Ban High-Capacity Magazines

Washington, D.C., February 12, 2019 - Nearly one year after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people, members of Congress are introducing major legislation that would ban the high capacity magazines that have made so many tragic shootings possible. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has advocated strongly for a federal ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines since last year’s shooting, strongly endorsed the Keep Americans Safe Act and praised Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Ted Deutch for introducing the bill.

Kris Brown, president of the Brady Campaign, stated:

“Assault-style weapons often get the attention after mass shootings, but it’s just as important to address the role of large capacity magazines. Mass shootings from Orlando to Las Vegas to Aurora and beyond have been all the more devastating because of them. They serve no purpose other than to allow someone to fire as many bullets as possible as quickly as possible, making it easier to take innocent lives. We are grateful to Sen. Menendez and Rep. Deutch for their leadership in introducing this important legislation that bans these deadly accessories, and we look forward to working with them to pass it into law.”

Angel Santiago, survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando, FL, stated:

"I can still remember the terror I felt that night hearing the shooter's gun fire over and over again at an impossible speed. Crouching in the bathroom stall next to my friend, covered in the blood of the people around me, forever changed my life. I learned only after the fact that the shooter used high-capacity magazines, which only enabled him to shoot more people as fast as possible - including myself. It's long past time for a high-capacity magazine ban in Congress."

Heather Sallan, survivor of the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas, NV, stated:

"I was lucky to have survived the most deadly shooting in American history, but for the 58 people who died and the hundreds who were injured, I can say for certainty that the high-capacity magazines that the shooter used added to the carnage. I watched as people fell all around me, the rapid gunshots that were absolutely deafening. I firmly believe that everyone has a Second Amendment right to own guns, but high capacity magazines are simply not necessary for hunting or sporting. It's time for them to be outlawed in every state."

The Keep Americans Safe Act would, among other provisions:

• Prohibit the possession or transfers of large-capacity ammunition magazines;
• Require devices manufactured after enactment to have conspicuous serial numbers and date of manufacture to help law enforcement identify restricted magazines;
• Include important updates authored by late-Sen. Frank Lautenberg, including modification of the high-capacity definition to prevent coupled or joined magazines; and
• Harmonize forfeiture provisions for magazines with current law, as FBI and ATF agents are currently able to seize and destroy certain firearms, but not high capacity magazines.

More information on the dangers of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines can be found here.