Initial photos of two of firearms used by Stephen Paddock (there were 17 found in his Mandalay Bay hotel room) in Las Vegas Sunday night to kill 59 people and injure hundreds more, have been released.
EXCLUSIVE: 2 of the 23 guns found in #LasVegas suspect's Mandalay Bay hotel room. Photos obtained by @JacquiHeinrich https://t.co/PX0w8X167U pic.twitter.com/wwnc8MWdPO
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) October 3, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: second photo from inside #MandalayBay shooter’s hotel room shows another weapon used in worst mass shooting in modern history pic.twitter.com/gD5IHS7Mk2
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 3, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: photo from inside #MandalayBay shooter’s hotel room shows gun, ammo, hammer, bipod, optics @boston25 pic.twitter.com/4B2iRhquq5
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 3, 2017
Neither firearm is an automatic weapon, however one of the firearms has a bump stock, a legal and inexpensive accessory which allows for faster rate of fire on a semi-automatic firearm.
Something to consider: bump firing is a technique to increase rate of fire for semi-autos. Slide stocks are accessories designed to help.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 3, 2017
They increase the fire rate well above what normal semi-automatic rifles are capable but not quite to fully-automatic rates.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 3, 2017
They are not highly regulated in the same way that actual full-autos are regulated. They're treated as a firearm accessory.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 3, 2017
This is the first instance that I'm aware of where a bump fire stock has been used in a crime. Very shocking.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 3, 2017
I've fired with a bump fire stock before. They're basically novelty items used for recreational shooting.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 3, 2017