'Bump stock' gun attachments aren't new -- or sold widely in Seattle area

BELLEVUE, Wash. --- The ATF announced Tuesday they recovered almost 50 rifles, shotguns and pistols after a deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday.
Attached to a dozen of the weapons were "bump stocks," a product that is not new or illegal.

The shots raining down from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay into the country music festival is a sound many won't forget.

"Currently 47 firearms have been recovered," said Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder from the ATF's San Francisco Field Division.



The firearms were recovered from three different locations -- the gunman Stephen Paddock's room at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas and at his homes in Mesquite, Nev., and outside Reno.

The ATF identified 12  bump-stocks attached to several of the firearms inside the hotel room.

According to its website, the company 'Slide Fire' claims to have invented, patented and developed 'bump fire systems.'

It's an attachment used as a stock replacement that gun owners say allows a fast rate of fire.

"It’s replacing the stock on an AR rifle," said Jason Cazes, owner of Low Price Guns in Bellevue. "It has a slider mechanism where the recoil causes the finger to go back and forth to hit the trigger repeatedly to simulate fully automatic."

According to the ATF, it's not illegal.

"The ATF Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division  provides determination on devices such as bump fire stocks and their legality," said Snyder at a media briefing in Las Vegas. "The classification of these devices depends on whether they mechanically alter the function of the firearm to fire fully automatic. Bump fire stocks—while simulating automatic fire--do not actually alter the firearm to fire automatically making them legal under current federal law."

The bump stocks weren't well known among the general public until the shooting and aren't sold widely.

Cazes did sell the bump stocks four years ago, but doesn't carry them in his store anymore.

"It just wasn’t a popular item. It wasn’t something that a lot of people got or in demand that people wanted here," said Cazes.  "I haven’t sold many here at all--the market isn’t here. I don’t know who the market is for that."

Regardless of who's trying to buy -- the governor of Washington wants it off the market.

Gov. Jay Inslee issuing the following statement:

"Once again, we are mourning the violent loss of innocent lives to a man who had access to weapons no civilian should have access to. It’s impossible to know how to stop every act of gun violence, but I know with my whole being that our nation’s leaders aren’t even trying.

“It’s a different story here in Washington state. Voters have overwhelmingly approved common-sense laws to strengthen background checks and empower families to keep guns away from a loved one in crisis. Our legislature has supported efforts related to mental health and suicide prevention. I issued an executive order to look further at background checks and other gaps in the way we collect and share data relating to people who attempt to purchase guns. It’s a good start, but we can – and must – do more. 

"This session the legislature needs to ban bump-stocks and other devices that turn legal semi-automatic firearms into lethal fully-automatic machine guns. We must make sure people intent on causing mass destruction and loss of life won’t be aided by lax laws that give them unfettered access to military-style weaponry.

“To those who say we can’t talk about machine gun massacres right after the massacre: I’m done waiting for the ‘right time’ to talk about it. The ‘can't talk about it now’ crowd is killing us.”


The mass shooting is difficult for even gun owners to process.

"It's very upsetting. It's very sad. And it saddens me in my heart," said Cazes. "But I know that there's no law that can be enacted to change a person that’s evil."