2 Killed and 9 Wounded in Memorial Day Shooting in Philadelphia; Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond

Law Enforcement Suspects Machine Gun Conversion Device Known as a “Switch” Used in Shooting 

PHILADELPHIA — Today, the Pennsylvania chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statements in response to a mass shooting in Philadelphia over Memorial Day weekend in which two people were shot and killed and nine people were shot and injured. Three of those wounded were young people under the age of 18, the youngest just 15 years old. Three different types of bullet casings were found on site, suggesting three different shooters. While no firearms have been recovered, law enforcement suspects that at least one of the firearms had been converted into a machine gun using a device known as a “switch.”

“This could have been me. This could have been a friend. This could have been any young person in America, because we have an epidemic of gun violence,” said Tessa Kipnis, a volunteer with the Westtown Schools’s chapter of Students Demand Action. “In minutes, devices like Glock switches can turn a semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun. These DIY machine guns are killing my generation. We deserve to feel safe at the park. We deserve to feel safe hanging out with friends during a holiday weekend. Lawmakers need to do more to protect us. We’re not asking for much–just the chance to grow up.” 

“No one should fear for their life in a park,” said Cynthia Mea Schiff, a volunteer with the Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action. “As devastated as I am, I’m also not surprised. This is what happens when deadly weapons become even deadlier with devices like  Glock switches. Make no mistake: These are tools of war being used on our streets and threatening the lives of our children.”  

Machine gun conversion devices, including “Glock switches,” are aftermarket tools that allow users to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns, which are illegal. These devices have been used in numerous mass shootings, including one in Philadelphia in March 2024. Glock switches also pose a particular threat to law enforcement nationwide and have been used in shootings where police officers have been injured or killed, including Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, and Colorado. Across the country, machine gun conversion device recoveries increased by 784% between 2019 and 2023, a figure that includes Glock switches. In 2023 alone, 5,816 of these devices were recovered across the country. 

Last summer, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a bill to ban the sale, purchase, possession, and manufacture of bump stocks and other machine gun conversion devices, including Glock switches in the city. However, state law does not prohibit machine gun conversion devices in Pennsylvania. 
On average, 1,789 people die each year by guns and 4,020 are wounded in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has the 21st-highest rate of gun violence in the U.S. Gun violence costs Pennsylvania $21.7 billion each year, of which $470.7 million is paid by taxpayers. Read more on the impacts of gun violence on Pennsylvania here.