By The opinion
16 Jul 2024, 11:49 AM EDT
The AR-15 assault rifle has been the subject of controversy on more than one occasion, as it is the type of weapon used in various massacres committed in the United States.
The most recent fact in which he is linked is the attempted assassination of the former president Donald Trumpafter it was announced that the attacker, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, He shot with an AR-15 legally acquired by his father.
Being one of the most accurate and deadly semi-automatic rifles, it is a common sight in the country’s gun shops. In addition, its low cost – the minimum price is estimated at $400 – makes it one of the most popular.
As it is a semi-automatic rifle, the user can fire several shots in quick succession. High velocity projectiles travel at three times the speed of a pistol.are accurate at long distances and cause extensive and devastating injuries to soft tissue and internal organs.
Among its main features is the variety of its magazines, as there are standard ones with 10, 20 and 30 bullets, up to high-capacity magazines that can hold 50 or more bullets.
It generally uses .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm NATO caliber ammunition, although there are variants that can use other calibers, and also can be modified with accessories such as telescopic sightsadjustable stocks or grips.
Michael Fanone, a former Metropolitan Police officer in Washington, DC, told CNN that a bullet from this rifle not only easily passes through a person’s body, but can also pierce walls and bulletproof vests “like butter.”
It was used in several massacres
Several of the tragic events in the United States involved the AR-15. One such case occurred in May 2022, when a former student used this type of rifle to shoot dead 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The weapon was also used in October 2017 in Las Vegas, where A gunman massacred 60 people at a music festival.
In 2012, the semi-automatic rifle was also used in the Denver massacre, which took place on Friday, July 20, during the premiere of the film “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora County, Colorado.
That same year, but on December 14, an AR-15 was used in an attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where twenty-eight people died, including the perpetrator, Adam Lanza.
Keep reading:
– The AR-15 rifle like the one used in the Texas massacre is the most popular weapon in the United States.
– Washington bans the sale of AR-15 weapons; nine states have now stopped selling them.