The White House is expected to announce new measures to reduce gun violence, Fox News has learned.
President Biden is set to sign an executive order that will address key priorities in combating gun threats, including eliminating firearm conversion devices and creating a task force on emerging gun threats, according to a senior administration official.
The order will also aim to improve active shooter drills in schools to better prepare students for emergency situations.
The order comes just days after the shooting in Birmingham, Alabama, that left four dead and 17 injured on September 21. It comes as former President Trump has survived two assassination attempts in recent months.
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President Biden is set to sign an executive order aimed at reducing gun violence. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The White House says firearms technology is evolving rapidly and that Biden’s actions are aimed at reducing two key emerging threats: machine gun conversion devices and 3D-printed firearms.
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The senior administration official said the conversion devices, which help convert a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic firearm, are already illegal under federal law but continue to be used in crimes and recovered by law enforcement across the country.
The senior administration official said the conversion devices are already illegal under federal law. (SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images)
The relatively new 3D-printed guns are built from computer code downloaded from the internet, making them widely available. They also don’t have serial numbers, which often help investigators trace guns recovered from crime scenes. These 3D-printed guns can also be built with nonmetallic materials, making them undetectable by the magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses and event spaces, the senior administration official said.
Biden’s executive order will establish an Emerging Gun Threats Task Force, comprised of leaders from various federal departments and agencies.
The mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 21 left four people dead and 17 injured. (WBRC)
The agency will be tasked with releasing a report within 90 days that includes an assessment of the threat posed by machine gun conversion devices and 3D-printed firearms, the senior administration official said.
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The assessment will also include a review of federal agencies and operational and legal capabilities to detect, intercept, and seize these firearms and firearm components.
Finally, it will direct the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Surgeon General of the United States to develop and publish new active shooter drills.
Nick Rojas contributed to this report.
