Washington [US], July 15: FBI agent Kevin Rojek said on July 14 that the semi-automatic assault rifle, an AR-type weapon, was legally purchased and owned by the suspect's father. Crooks used it to carry out the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Previously, ABC News quoted the US Secret Service as saying that the suspect used an AR-15 rifle .
The AR-15 rifle, manufactured by ArmaLite, became one of America's "national" guns after former US President George W. Bush lifted the ban on assault weapons in 2004, according to The Guardian .
The predecessor of the M-16 military rifle, the AR-15 is also the most controversial gun as it was the weapon often used in mass shootings that shocked the US, including the attack in Las Vegas in October 2017, which killed 60 people, and the attack against the LGBTQ+ community that killed 5 people in Colorado Springs in November 2022.
According to The Washington Post , by 2023, about 1 in 20 adults in the US owned an AR-15. The newspaper also pointed out that this type of weapon has been used in at least 10 of the 17 deadliest mass shootings in the US.
Residents of many US states can legally own AR-15 rifles. In Pennsylvania , which has more than 2,500 licensed firearms dealers, background checks are mandatory for gun buyers.
This weapon is highly regarded by gun enthusiasts for its customizable features, high accuracy, and ease of use.
Gun control advocates argue that assault rifles should never be allowed in the hands of civilians, given their lethality beyond that of other civilian firearms, while others see AR-15 ownership as a symbol of America's Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
