U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton Proposes 'Mass Shooting Prosecution Act'

SALEM, MA — Mass shootings involving the killing of three more people using an automatic firearm could be prosecuted as terrorism under a proposed law that U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton introduced into Congress.

The Mass Shooter Prosecution Act, which Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) co-introduced, would also enable law enforcement the tools to uncover any potential broader network that supported an attack.

Domestic mass shootings committed by U.S. citizens are currently not legally deemed as acts of terrorism.

"The recent shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park were nothing short of terrorism," Moulton said. "The media, the general public, even the president call them that. But from a legal standpoint, we don't currently prosecute mass shootings like the terrorist attacks that they are.

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

The bill states that mass shootings could be prosecuted as terrorism if they result in three or more deaths and are the result of automatic or semi-automatic weapons. Moulton and Escobar said that those additional measures ensure that the statute is not misused to target "traditionally overpoliced community with impunity."

The Mass Shooter Prosecution Act also requires the Department of Justice to produce thorough data reports on the arrests made under this and related statutes. Such reports allow Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities and ensure the law is being implemented as intended.

The mass shooters in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park all would qualify as acts of terrorism under this proposed bill.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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