The AR-15 Rifle Used To Shoot Trump Is A Symbol Of American Gun Rights, Which He Vowed To Protect

The AR-15, dubbed "America's Rifle" by the National Rifle Association (NRA), is one of the most commonly owned firearms for U.S. civilians. It has also become emblematic in the debate over gun laws.

The weapon was used to shoot Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, July 13. It has also been used in 10 of the 17 most deadly mass shootings since 2012.

A politically charged battle over its legality has made it one of the most controversial and sought-after firearms.

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Assassination Attempt On Trump

An AR-15-style rifle was recovered from the scene at a Trump rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. The weapon was used by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to shoot the former president, authorities confirmed. 

The particular rifle found at the scene has been tracked to have been bought by Crooks’ father.

It’s lightweight, easy-to-use weapon has also been sold by the millions.

Between the early 1990s and the 2020s, the number of AR-15-style rifles in the U.S. went from 400,000 to over 20 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Models of the AR-15 are currently manufactured by most weapons companies in the U.S.

Prices might range from a few hundred dollars to several thousands.

Saturday was the first time such a weapon was used to target a president or presidential candidate. The technical features of the AR-15 allow for the shooting of several bullets quickly, but doesn't make it especially useful for targeted shooting at far distances, although accuracy can be achieved for up to 600 yards, for some models.

Its popularity spiked after the end of the federal ban on assault weapons which became active in 1994 and expired in 2004. About 1 in 20 Americans owns one, according to a poll by Ipsos and the Washington Post.

The ban prohibited the manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms, called "assault weapons" for civilian use. While the ban has been lifted federally, similar laws continue to apply only in nine states: Washington, California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois and Delaware.

AR-15-style rifles were developed as a civilian version of the military's M16 rifle. This type of rifle was developed in the 1950's and deemed by the Pentagon "an outstanding weapon with phenomenal lethality." 

Its legality amongst the civilian population has been a partisan bone of contention ever since the ban was lifted.

Trump has expressed support for keeping this weapon and those of its kind legal. At an NRA rally in February, Trump said to the crowd: "No one will lay a finger on your firearms."

The sentiment is of course shared by the NRA, which insists that the firearm is “lawfully owned by millions of Americans” and used in “competitions, for recreational purposes, hunting and home protection.”

Its controversy stems from the fact that civilian ownership of this style of weapon correlates with the spike in the mass killing of civilians across the country.

‘We Have To Get Over It’: Trump

After the Parkland high school shooting in 2018, where 17 children were killed and 17 others were injured, Trump reportedly floated the idea of reinstating the ban, but was quickly convinced not to approach the subject in fear of losing NRA backing.

Reinstating the ban on assault rifles has long been a goal in the Democrat agenda. President Joe Biden has consistently pushed for this goal during his time in office, only to find resistance from Republican lawmakers and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court.

In June, the Supreme Court struck down a ban on bump stocks, which speed up the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons.

In March, Biden signed an executive order on gun control, strengthening background checks — a move that angered Republicans. "It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers' immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks," he said last year.

The Biden re-election campaign also began circulating clips of Trump saying, “We have to get over it” in response to an Iowa school shooting in January in which a 17-year-old killed a sixth-grade student and wounded seven other people.

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