'Nothing Short Of Terrorists': U.S. Rep. Moulton Introduces Mass Shooting Bill

SALEM, MA — A federal bill that would allow the prosecution of mass shootings as acts of domestic terrorism was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) acting as one of its primary sponsors.

The bill would enable law enforcement, in the wake of an attack, to investigate the broader network that supported it.

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"Gunmen who shoot up schools, churches, and concerts are nothing short of terrorists," Moulton said. "The media, the public, even the president call them that. But from a legal standpoint, we don’t currently prosecute mass shootings as the terrorist attacks that they are.

"My bill would not only allow mass shooters to be legally treated as terrorists, but it would also expand our ability to prosecute the networks of online enablers and criminals aiding these attacks."

The bill stipulates that a mass shooting can be considered an act of terrorism only if it results in at least three fatalities, the shooter uses a qualified semi-automatic or fully automatic rifle, and the shooting happens in one of the public, populated spaces commonly targeted by mass shooters.

These additional guardrails work to ensure that the statute will not be misused to target traditionally overpoliced communities or apply unfairly to those who commit interpersonal crimes that, while horrific, don't have terrorist intent or impact, said Moulton and other supporters in Congress.

"My community of El Paso was forever changed by the actions of a domestic terrorist fueled by white supremacy theories," said Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, a bill co-sponsor. "With this legislation, we're giving law enforcement the tools they need to follow through with investigations into terrorist networks and any individual responsible for attacks against our communities.

"Proactive policies like these are crucial to saving lives and preventing future shootings."

The End Domestic Terrorism Act also:

• Requires the Department of Justice to report arrest and prosecution data, which will allow Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities and ensure the law is being implemented in the intended manner.
• Adds the new domestic terrorism statute to the existing federal “material support” statute, which allows law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation and prosecution of an entire terrorist network following an attack. The fact that domestic terrorists are currently excluded from this statute effectively handicaps law enforcement and gives those who provided material support to the mass shooter the time to cover their tracks or assist in the planning of another shooting.
• Requires the Department of Justice to publish a report after each attack on the number of witnesses and the amount of monetary damage caused, including through lost business revenue, medical bills, survivor assistance programs, and more.
• Acts of domestic terror have devastated dozens of communities across our country, taken the lives of far too many friends and neighbors, and injured our entire national consciousness. This bill would help bring justice to the offenders and protect all Americans from more senseless violence.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)