Time to discuss ways to temper gun violence

A binary trigger enables a shooter to fire one round upon the pull of the trigger and one round upon release of the trigger. The 2019 Legislature passed House Bill 1308 which made it clear in the Century Code that binary triggers are legal in North Dakota.

Rep. Matthew Ruby, R-Minot, introduced the bill for a constituent. In committee testimony, Ruby said some manufacturers were reluctant to sell the trigger in North Dakota because they weren’t sure it was legal.

Ruby also told the committee the biggest market for the trigger was trick shooting or target shooting. He testified, “You can get really fast if you train.” Barakat practiced at a West Fargo gun range.

Ruby garnered a lot of support for the bill, which passed the House by an 80-12 vote and the Senate 42-3. No one spoke against the bill on either chamber’s floor. The legislators who voted for the bill and were recently interviewed by The Forum stand by it.

None of the legislators could have foreseen that a binary trigger would be used in the shooting of Fargo police officers or that Barakat likely planned to use it in a mass shooting. There’s certainly nothing wrong with trick shooting or target shooting.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when mass shootings have become common and can occur anywhere. It makes sense that we should look at ways to prevent mass shootings or reduce the ability to shoot a lot of people really fast.

Barakat had a large cache of weapons and ammunition which it appears he legally acquired.

As the number of mass shootings have increased in the nation the debate has intensified over what steps to take. Congress has struggled to act and states have taken different paths. What’s scary to many people is the availability of rapid-firing weapons providing the ability to kill quickly.

Gun ownership is common in North Dakota. In 2021, CBS News reported that 51% of the people living in the state owned a gun. North Dakota ranked 10th among states in gun ownership. North Dakotans are safety-minded, as reflected by the few accidents during hunting seasons.

The Legislature in 2019 didn’t have a problem making it clear that binary triggers were legal in the state. The Tribune Editorial Board believes the Legislature should revisit its action.

The Tribune realizes there are weapons legally available that fire faster than guns with binary triggers. Still, is it wise to make a trigger available that someone can use to kill a lot of people quickly? In the interim before the next legislative session Attorney General Drew Wrigley and law enforcement officers should weigh in on the value of binary triggers and other rapid-fire weapons.

We can’t assume Barakat was a fluke. If not for the bravery of Fargo Officer Zach Robinson, who stopped Barakat, who knows what would have happened. Who knows what the outcome could be in a future attack.

It’s time for a civil, logical discussion on how to make North Dakota and the nation safer. North Dakota has a good reason to start the conversation.