{"slug":"trump-children-school-shooting-response-inaction","title":"Gun Violence Inaction: Parkland Promises Made and Broken, NRA Reversal","date":"2018-02-14","lastUpdated":"2018-04-09","description":"After the February 14, 2018 Parkland school shooting — in which 17 students and staff were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — Trump initially made several strong statements suggesting support for gun control measures, including raising the age for purchasing semi-automatic weapons and taking guns from dangerous individuals before due process. Within weeks, after meetings with the NRA, Trump abandoned most of these positions. The only federal action taken was a bump stock ban implemented through regulation.","summary":"In the week following Parkland, Trump held a remarkable televised meeting with lawmakers in which he expressed support for raising the minimum age for rifle purchases to 21, comprehensive background checks, red flag laws, and even taking guns from dangerous people before due process. He told Republican lawmakers they were 'afraid' of the NRA. Within weeks, after meetings with NRA president Wayne LaPierre, Trump had reversed on raising the purchase age and most other proposals. The final federal response was an executive action banning bump stocks — the device used in the 2017 Las Vegas massacre (58 dead) — which was later struck down by the Supreme Court.","category":"rule-of-law","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/us/politics/trump-nra-guns.html","title":"Trump Backs Off Assault Weapon Age Limit After NRA Meeting","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gun-control-reversal/2018/03/12/story.html","title":"Trump reversal on guns after NRA meetings","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/trump-parkland-guns-nra-reversal","title":"Trump's gun-control reversal after NRA meetings","publisher":"The Associated Press"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["gun-violence","Parkland","NRA","first-term","rule-of-law","school-shooting"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2017-10-01","title":"Las Vegas massacre — 58 killed, bump stocks used","summary":"A gunman kills 58 people at a Las Vegas concert using a bump stock to fire semi-automatic weapons at rates approaching automatic fire. Trump expresses support for reviewing bump stock regulations."},{"date":"2018-02-14","title":"Parkland massacre — 17 killed","summary":"A gunman kills 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Survivors immediately organize for gun reform legislation."},{"date":"2018-02-21","title":"Trump bipartisan White House meeting — strong gun control statements","summary":"At a live televised bipartisan meeting, Trump supports raising the rifle purchase age to 21, comprehensive background checks, red flag laws, and taking guns before due process. He says lawmakers are 'afraid of the NRA.'"},{"date":"2018-02-28","title":"After NRA meetings, Trump abandons age limit and most proposals","summary":"After meetings with NRA leadership, Trump's White House releases a proposal omitting the age limit increase and most of the other measures he had publicly supported. The reversal draws wide attention."},{"date":"2018-12-18","title":"Bump stock ban finalized","summary":"The Trump administration finalizes regulations banning bump stocks. The regulation is later challenged and struck down by the Supreme Court in 2024."}],"location":{"name":"Parkland, FL / Washington, D.C.","lat":26.3067,"lng":-80.2408},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"17 killed at Parkland; 58 killed in Las Vegas (2017); tens of thousands killed by gun violence annually in the United States; student survivors who advocated for reform after witnessing classmates killed","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President; made strong public statements supporting gun reform, then reversed position after NRA meetings; failed to act on his own stated positions","institution":"White House"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2018-04-09","summary":"Updated with final White House gun proposal."}]}}