Assassination attempt on former President brings awareness to gun violence

CAPE GIRARDEAU Mo. (KBSI) – The AR-15 rifle was used in the assassination attempt of former Donald Trump and other highly publicized mass shooting.

Lanell Lang, the owner of Shooters Gun Shop in Cape Girardeau, talks about the common misconception about the AR-15 weapon.

“AR-15 stands for Armalite Rifle it does not mean assault rifle,” said Lang.

Lang talks about how it is easy to purchase any type of gun, even an AR-15. An AR-15 is one of the most purchased guns for hunting and target shooting. The AR-15 can also be known for some of the tragedies as well the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Sargent Dale Oslund is with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department. He explains his take on the AR-15.

“The reason why the AR-15 gets a lot of news coverage is because it is readily accessible,” said Lang. “It is very cheap, you can build your own, you can go to the store and buy your own. It’s basically a Lego set for gun fanatics.”

Sgt. Dale Oslund says in his opinion the attempt over the weekend on Donald Trump was an easy shot with a bullet that can travel faster than usual.

Sgt. Oslund talked about the popularity of gun raffles like the recent one to benefit the Semo Peer Support Team.

“The downfall I see of any kind of rifle raffling ever anywhere…It doesn’t matter if it’s just Cape Girardeau County or Los Angeles. If you’re going to raffle off some sort of a weaponry at least offer some kind of training with that. Offer up some form of training whether it be online there is plenty of online resources. Your local law enforcement some of us are willing to teach people. I love teaching people, that’s why I am wearing a red shirt,” he said.

To learn more about gun safety and take online courses you can visit the gun safety rules of the NRA on their website NRA Gun Safety Rules | NRA Explore.