Mast wrote an opinion piece in '' The New York Times '' in support of the Second Amendment right to bear arms , but " it does not guarantee that every civilian can bear any and all arms . " Mast supports a ban on assault weapons in the United States , citing his military background — " I can not support the primary weapon I used to defend our people being used to kill the children I swore to defend . " Mast rejects the idea that the Second Amendment protects the rights of civilians to bear " any and all " arms . Following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting , Mast announced his support for the following policies : prohibiting the sale of assault and tactical firearms without confiscating such weapons that are already owned , ensuring that all firearm purchasers undergo a background check , improving background checks , banning the sale of gun accessories that enhance the firing rate of weapons , such as bump stocks , preventing those who have been detained for mental illnesses from purchasing firearms , ensuring that those on the Terror Watch List can not purchase firearms , and placing anyone who makes threats of violence against schools on an FBI watch list for " a long time " . Mast also supports conducting further research on gun violence , which is currently prohibited in some ways by federal law
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Brian Mast