The AR-15 gun is one of the most widely recognised firearms in the US and was the one used in the shooting of presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
The former president was rushed off the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania after gunshots rang through the crowd in the assassination attempt at a campaign rally. One person in the crowd was killed and two people were critically injured after an attacker fired multiple shots.
The Secret Service said the shooter fired from “an elevated position outside of the rally venue”. The FBI has taken over the investigation and is treating the attack as an attempted assassination.
Mr Trump has said he will remain “resilient” and “defiant” following the incident. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the former US president said: “Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
But will the attempt on his life restart the debate about whether or not to tighten gun ownership laws in the US?
Here is what we know about the rifle.
What is an AR-15?
The AR-15 is a lightweight weapon of war, designed to be easy to fire and easy to carry in the field. It is one of the most popular firearms in the US and 25 million people are registered as owning one. Republican congressman even sport lapel pins shaped like the rifle during pro-gun debates.
Cameron McWhirter, a journalist and co-author of the book American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15, told the Guardian: “A gun that his party has touted, someone just used it to try to kill him. Will that change things? I think we’re all sort of wondering.
“It puts everything sort of in flux. The gun debate was not dominating the presidential race. This latest crisis brings it back to the fore.”
When has the gun been used?
It’s been used in a number of high-profile mass shootings, including the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting in 2022, the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting in 2018, the Las Vegas music festival shooting in 2017, the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016 and the Newton, Connecticut elementary school shooting in 2012.
How did AR-15s become so popular?
The gun is widely used and popular mainly because AR-15s are legal in all 50 states in America. “It’s very easy to buy an AR-15 in this country,” Mr McWhirter said.
The rifle also has gained popularity because of what it represents.
Mr McWhirter continued: “The AR-15 is a gun that’s become this iconic emblem that everyone in America wants to fight over. This gun has become the emblem of the gun rights movement. At the same time, it’s become the emblem of people calling for stricter gun laws and things that have gone wrong in America regarding guns.”
