The AR-15: One of America's most popular and deadliest guns
The AR-15-style rifle is one of the most popular guns in the US. It has also been a common denominator in some of the country's worst mass shootings.
Here are some key facts about the weapon:
Why are AR-15s so lethal?
The AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon, meaning a user can fire multiple shots in quick succession.
Its cousin, the M-16, has been used by the US military since Vietnam. While some military assault rifles are fully automatic, civilians are prohibited from owning such weapons in most circumstances.
AR-15s fire high-velocity bullets that travel at triple the speed of a handgun round, are accurate over long distances, and cause expansive, devastating wounds to soft tissue and internal organs.
While handguns account for more deaths per year in the United States, AR-15s have frequently been used in high-profile mass shootings.
In May 2022, a former student used an AR-15 to shoot dead nineteen 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.
Cheap and easy
Buying an AR-15 is easy. Depending on the state of residence, a prospective owner can walk into a gun shop and, after presenting a valid ID, buy a rifle or shotgun provided they can pass a federal background check.
This process looks at a buyer's criminal history or whether they have ever been committed to a mental institution. But even this cursory check can be flouted in the case of private sales.
The National
