AR-15s under scrutiny before Trump assassination attempt: A look at the legal landscape

Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the firearm at the center of the public debate over gun control is being reexamined through a new lens.

AR-15s and similar rifles have been used frequently in mass shootings and other acts of violence. Their legal ownership has been fought for and protected by Republicans, including Donald Trump, who survived Saturday's attempt with only a minor injury with two others wounded and one person killed.

The rifles have become popular among legal gun owners but also a trademark in mass shootings, with similar rifles being used in nearly half of the deadliest mass shootings in American history, including at Sandy Hook Elementary, the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas and at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.

The AR-15 has grown as the subject of media scrutiny and political concern over the past decade, with Democrats working to legislate restrictions around the gun and Republicans working to protect its legal ownership.

What has Joe Biden said about the AR-15?

Joe Biden last year wrote in an opinion piece for USA Today calling for further support of restrictions on assault weapons and specifically mentioned the use of AR-15s in mass shootings.

Biden's administration passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities act last year. The law adds juvenile criminal records and mental health issues into the the background check system while also providing new funding for mental health in schools. Despite those measures, no action was taken on assault weapons specifically.

Republicans at the time did not back further restrictions on the purchase of assault weapons and instead focused their efforts on other measures.

What does Donald Trump say about gun legislation?

Trump has repeatedly touted campaign promises to never restrict firearm ownership, including around AR-15-style weapons, since he first entered the 2016 presidential race, in which he was endorsed by the NRA and other pro-gun groups. Just this year, Trump has made comments to that effect, according to a Reuters report on his campaign.

"During my four years nothing happened, and there was great pressure on me having to do with guns. We did nothing, we didn't yield," Trump told supporters.

Are there laws against the AR-15?

Currently 10 states have laws banning some form of assault weapons.

Nine of those states have bans on rifles while Hawaii bans such pistols but not rifles. Virginia and Minnesota regulate the firearms but do not ban them.

California, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware all have laws on the books banning assault weapons, including semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.

What does the "AR" in AR-15 stand for?

AR-15, which stands for "ArmaLite Rifle" after the company that first developed the weapon in the 1950s; it does not stand for “Assault Rifle ".

Semi-automatic firearms like AR-15-style rifles are weapons that require the shooter to pull the trigger to fire each round, but the next round is automatically loaded into the chamber, according to Northeastern University.

An automatic weapon allows a shooter to fire multiple rounds with a trigger pull.

How did Thomas Matthew Crooks obtain AR-15-style rifle?

FBI officials have said the rifle, using 5.56 ammunition , was purchased legally by Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks.

According to data from a website breach reviewed by USA TODAY, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, made a purchase in 2020 from Botach, a website that describes itself as one of the leading retailers of tactical supplies used in law enforcement, the military and home defense.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: AR-15s under scrutiny before Trump assassination attempt: A look at the legal landscape