Why The AR-15 Is The Weapon Of Choice For Mass Shooters
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Police say the suspect in Wednesday's deadly school shooting in Florida used an AR-15 style rifle. That's the same weapon used in last year's shooting at a church in Sutherland Spring that left 26 people dead, as well as other mass shootings.
The National Rifle Association says it's the most popular rifle in America. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to customize. AR-15s are semi-automatic representations of a military M-16.
Founder of Targetmaster Indoor Shooting Center in Garland,Tom Mannewitz, sells about three of them a month.
"You only get one shot each time you pull the trigger and let go of it," says Mannewitz.
It was that style rifle, which was used in mass shootings in Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, San Bernadino, and Newtown, in addition to Florida this week.
"I wasn't surprised," says Amanda Johnson with advocacy group Moms Demand Action. "It's like shooting fish in a barrel. It takes very little skill to operate, and you can shoot so many people in such a short period of time that it's become the weapon of choice for all mass shootings."
Johnson also believes notoriety of the AR-15s is fueling that choice.
"They're certainly easy to come by in any state in the nation, and I definitely think that one killing inspires the next," she says.
While she advocates for background checks on all gun sales, Mannewitz has a different take on the connection between the AR-15 and mass shootings.
"There's been three recently, and that makes it come to the forefront of the mind that it must be happening all the time," he says.
He thinks price and publicity have played a role, but not alone.
"It's a tool, used good or bad. It depends on the person using it that makes the difference," Mannewitz says.
CBS 11 News received the following statement from Texas Gun Sense's Vice Chair, Ed Scruggs:
"I have been saying for some time now that it is getting more difficult for proponents of the AR15 to deny its role in so many mass shootings and it's ability to inflict mass casualties. Considering there are already millions of them in circulation, an outright ban may be problematic - but lawmakers should consider all options, including a specific class of license, additional training, increasing the age of purchase to 21 and barring the open carry of the AR 15 in certain situations."
