Rep. Meng Moves to Ban Civilian Use of Body Armor on Anniversary of Buffalo Mass Shooting – QNS

On the second anniversary of a racially motivated mass shooting that killed ten people in Buffalo, Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng reintroduced legislation banning the shooter from wearing body armor.

THE The Aaron Salter Jr. Responsible Body Armor Ownership Act would prohibit the possession, sale, or transfer of enhanced body armor, which has high levels of ballistic resistance. Currently, all levels of body armor can be purchased legally online.

It would specifically ban civilian use of armor meeting or exceeding Ballistic Resistance Level 3, which protects against rifle ammunition. The proposed legislation aims only to mandate civilian use while allowing military and police personnel to use the armor.

“Anyone with access to the Internet should not be able to purchase equipment designed to stop military-grade munitions,” said Rep. Meng, who serves on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

The legislation is named after retired police officer Aaron Salter Jr., who served in the Buffalo Police Department for 30 years before working as a security guard at the supermarket where the mass shooting took place in 2022. Salter took action against the shooter, but the shot he fired was deflected off the shooter’s body armor and murdered him instead.

There have been 157 mass shootings in 2024 so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It has also recently become more common for gunmen to wear bulletproof vests, which has reportedly made mass shootings more deadly.

Several sellers of body armor have reported increase in sales in 2022 following mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo. Although some states have their own regulations against purchasing, these are easily circumvented and poorly regulated.

“This is common-sense legislation that I am proud to lead with Rep. (Timothy) Kennedy for the Buffalo community and many others across the United States who have experienced terror and tragedy of gun violence,” Rep. Meng said. . “We are not only honoring Aaron Salter Jr., who was a hero, but we are also taking steps to protect law enforcement and first responders who will respond to future calls.”

“Aaron Salter Jr.’s courageous actions allowed Tops Markets customers and employees to gain precious seconds to escape, undoubtedly saving lives at the expense of his own,” said Congressman Timothy Kennedy of Buffalo. “This type of body armor should not be for sale on store shelves or online.”

Rep. Meng previously introduced the bill in 2022 and 2023 with former Buffalo Rep. Brian Higgins, but it has yet to pass.

“I am grateful to Congresswoman Meng for her leadership on this issue,” added Rep. Kennedy, who was elected to represent Buffalo earlier this month in a special election.