A NEW THEORY OF GUN CONTROL: A FEDERAL REGULATORY BLUEPRINT TO HOLD AMERICA'S FIREARMS INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABLE FOR MASS SHOOTINGS

In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) into law, granting the firearms industry near-perfect legal immunity. PLCAA shifted the risk of firearm production, distribution, marketing, and injuries to the public. Two decades ago, mass shootings were anomalies. Today, they are alarmingly common. From 2021 to 2023, the United States averaged 663 yearly mass shootings, and from 2004 to 2022, active shooter events spiked 1,150%. The larger gun violence epidemic now costs taxpayers over $550 billion annually, forcing Congress to seek solutions with increasing desperation. However, new state laws and lawsuits targeting gun manufacturers are beginning to erode this armor as courts link the arms trade's behavior to the crisis. Firearm distribution, unlike ownership, is not a Second Amendment right, and immunity's collateral socio-economic damage is more evident than ever. The tide is turning.