Title: Inexpensive Add-on Spawns a New Era of Machine Guns, Posing a Growing Threat to Public Safety
Subtitle: Popular devices known as “switches” are turning ordinary pistols into fully automatic weapons, making them deadlier and a growing threat to bystanders.
Las Vegas, NV – Caison Robinson, a 14-year-old boy, survived multiple gunshot wounds from a shooting near his home in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in May, involved a gunman using a pistol rigged with an illegal device known as a switch. These switches can transform semiautomatic handguns into fully automatic machine guns, capable of firing dozens of bullets with a single trigger pull.
Caison, a soft-spoken teenager who loves video games, was with a younger neighbor on their quiet street when the gunman opened fire from a white car. Caison cried out for help as his mother rushed barefoot out of their house. Despite the severity of his injuries, Caison survived the attack, but not without enduring five gunshot wounds. His 12-year-old friend was also injured in the incident.
Law enforcement authorities and medical workers have expressed concern over the growing use of switches, which are also known as auto sears. These devices have contributed to the national epidemic of gun violence, making shootings increasingly lethal and posing added risks to bystanders. Real-time audio tracking of gunshots across the country has shown a significant increase in suspected automatic gunfire, with a 49 percent rise in 2022 alone.
Switches, often sold as small Lego-like plastic blocks, can be easily manufactured using 3-D printers and are available for around $200. Law enforcement officials have noted that these devices are turning up more frequently at crime scenes, often in the hands of teenagers who view them as a status symbol and a competitive advantage. The proliferation of switches has coincided with the accessibility of untraceable firearms, known as ghost guns, which can be made using components purchased online or created with 3-D printers.
Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, MO, compared the rising popularity of switches to the fentanyl crisis, stating that it is a major reason why fewer gun violence victims are surviving in his city. Kansas City has seen a surge in homicides this year, despite a decrease in nonfatal shootings.
Federal law enforcement officials have made switches a top priority, but they face significant challenges due to the sheer number of these devices in circulation and their ease of production and installation. Many switches are sold and owned by individuals under the age of 18, who often receive more lenient treatment in the courts.
Social media platforms like YouTube ban content that shows how to make illegal weapons, but such content remains widely available online under the protection of the First Amendment.
Efforts to modify firearms to prevent the attachment of switches have been explored, with federal law enforcement officials contacting Glock, a leading firearm manufacturer. However, Glock has determined that the design of their pistols cannot be altered to prevent switch attachment.
The Justice Department has increased prosecutions of sellers and suppliers of switches in recent years. Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, manufacturing a machine gun is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Recent cases have involved individuals selling switches and 3-D printers used to create them.
Switches have become embedded in youth culture, with rap songs and memes on social media referencing them. Teenagers often acquire these converted guns from older siblings, viewing them as a trend and a way to appear cool.
Caison Robinson, who survived a shooting involving a switch, was aware of these devices before the incident. He observed teenagers in his neighborhood bragging about owning converted guns and referred to switches as ”buttons.” Caison tried to avoid armed cliques in his community, recognizing the dangers associated with these weapons.
The incident involving Caison has highlighted the urgent need to address the growing threat posed by switches and their impact on public safety. Law enforcement agencies and lawmakers are working to find solutions to curb the use and availability of these devices, aiming to prevent further tragedies and protect communities from the devastating consequences of gun violence.Inexpensive Add-on Spawns a New Era of Machine Guns
Popular devices known as “switches” are turning ordinary pistols into fully automatic weapons, making them deadlier and a growing threat to bystanders.
Caison Robinson, 14, survived multiple gunshot wounds from a shooting near his home in Las Vegas.Credit…Bridget Bennett for The New York Times
Aug. 12, 2023Updated 3:10 p.m. ET
Caison Robinson, 14, had just met up with a younger neighbor on their quiet street after finishing his chores when a gunman in a white car rolled up and fired a torrent of bullets in an instant.
“Mom, I’ve been shot!” he recalled crying, as his mother bolted barefoot out of their house in northwest Las Vegas. “I didn’t think I was going to make it, for how much blood was under me,” Caison said.
The Las Vegas police say the shooting in May was carried out with a pistol rigged with a small and illegal device known as a switch. Switches can transform semiautomatic handguns, which typically require a trigger pull for each shot, into fully automatic machine guns that fire dozens of bullets with one tug.
By the time the assailant in Las Vegas sped away, Caison, a soft-spoken teenager who loves video games, lay on the pavement with five gunshot wounds. His friend, a 12-year-old girl, was struck once in the leg.
These makeshift machine guns — able to inflict indiscriminate carnage in seconds — are helping fuel the national epidemic of gun violence, making shootings increasingly lethal, creating added risks for bystanders and leaving survivors more grievously wounded, according to law enforcement authorities and medical workers.
The growing use of switches, which are also known as auto sears, is evident in real
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Devices.
This is a serious issue that needs immediate attention from lawmakers and law enforcement agencies. We cannot ignore the potential danger posed by these modified weapons.
I had no idea switches had the capability to turn handguns into such deadly weapons. It’s terrifying to think about the potential consequences this could have.