WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Within a week of the South Florida high school shooting that killed 17 people, President Donald Trump has signed an order to propose regulation that bans bump-stock devices - accessories that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.
Speaking at the Public Safety Medal of Valor Awards Ceremony at the White House, Trump told reporters that he had directed the justice department to propose a law to make the accessories illegal.
'We must actually make a difference. We must move past cliches and tired debates and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work,' he said.
Trump also said school safety was a 'top priority' for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject when he meets with all governors of United States in the coming days.
Nikolas Cruz, who was expelled from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, returned to campus and opened fire with an assault rifle on February 14.
It triggered fresh calls for gun control.
Although the 19 year old former student did not have bump stocks on his gun, the device was used by a gambler, who rained bullets on the crowd at a country music festival in Las Vegas in October.
A White House statement said that after the mass murder, Trump had asked his Administration to fully review how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulates bump fire stocks and similar devices.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX