Attempt on Trump's Life Brings Focus on Prevalence of AR-15 in America

The “AR-style” semi-automatic rifle, recovered at the scene of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday, is one of America’s most recognized and contentious weapons. Closely related to the fully automatic M-16 military rifle, the AR-15 has been involved in several high-profile mass shootings in the US, including the 2017 Las Vegas attack that killed 60 people and the 2022 anti-LGBTQ+ shooting in Colorado Springs that left five dead.

Following the attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the focus has turned to the prevalence of the AR-15 in American society....