NRA Backs New Regulation on Device Used in Vegas Shootings

(CN) - The National Rifle Association on Thursday called for additional regulations on the device that allowed the Las Vegas shooter have the semi-automatic guns used in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history to function as fully automatic weapons.

“The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations," said NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre and executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action Chris Cox in a joint statement.

The NRA also called on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to immediately review whether the devices, known as "bump stocks" comply with federal law.

But the statement, the association's first issued since gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd at a country music festival Sunday, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds of others, also appeared to try and lay some of the blame for the murders on the Obama administration, which it said "approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions."

It went on to press the Republican-controlled Congress to pass "National Right-to-Carry reciprocity," which it said would will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence."

"In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans' Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities,” the statement said.

A Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would allow gun owners to travel state-to-state with concealed weapons even when traveling to states with laws restricting concealed weapons.

Within minutes of the release of the NRA statement, the White House said President Donald Trump would welcome a review of federal policy on "bump stock" devices

During her daily press briefing on Thursday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters the president is "certainly open to having that conversation."

Earlier Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said in an interview with MSNBC that tighter regulations on the devices are  "clearly something we need to look into."- Developing story.

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