People Taking Aim At Texas Man That Created "Bump-Stocks"
DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Following the Las Vegas tragedy, some people are now taking aim at the west Texas man behind the "bump-stocks."
In 2005, Jeremiah Cottle's Air Force career was cut short by a brain injury. He returned to his hometown of Moran, TX, and was forced to slow down.
Cottle filled his time with extracurricular activities, one of which was target practice. But he grew frustrated when he wasn't able to get shots off as quickly as he had in the military. He started tinkering and came up with what is now known as the "bump stock."
A bump-stock is an attachment that allows semi-automatic rifles to fire similar to an automatic weapon.
Cottle launched his company, Slide Fire Solutions, and in 2010, and the devices hit the market. They go for about $150 to $300 each.
The "bump-stocks" were well-known among gun enthusiasts, but outside of that, many people hadn't heard of them. That was before a gunman opened fire on a crowd of people gathered for a concert in Las Vegas. Police found the devices on the rifles used in the shooting that killed 58 and wounded 489 others.
Cottle and his device soon came under heavy criticism. Some in Congress have called for a ban on the devices and people have taken to Slide Fire's Facebook page to express their outrage.
Despite the blowback, Cottle's business is booming. The run on the sale of "bump-stocks" has left Cottle's company struggling to keep up with demand. "We have decided to temporarily suspend taking new orders in order to provide the best service with those already placed," the company said on its website.