However, just hours before the harrowing incident struck Trump at his Pennsylvania rally, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks apparently opened fire with an “AR-style” semiautomatic rifle at the former president, Biden shared a tweet that now occupies a haunted space on social media.
“I want to ban assault weapons and require universal background checks. Trump promised the NRA that he’d do nothing about guns. And he means it,” the commander-in-chief wrote on the micro-blogging platform.
I want to ban assault weapons and require universal background checks.
Trump promised the NRA that he’d do nothing about guns.
And he means it.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 13, 2024
Taking a similar stand on X, author Stephen King wrote on Sunday, “An AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle was used in the Butler shooting. These are the guns the Republican party—and Trump—want to protect.”
What kind of weapon was used in the Donald Trump assassination attempt? Law enforcement officials reportedly recovered an “AR-style” semiautomatic rifle from the scene in Pennsylvania. As one of the most notoriously recognized weapons, the AR-15 has been at the center of many US mass shootings in the past. Related to the automatic military combat M-16 rifle, this weapon infamously killed 59 people during the October 2017 Las Vegas attack. It was also responsible for gunning down five people at the anti-LGBTQ+ November 2022 attack in Colorado Springs.
An AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle was used in the Butler shooting. These are the guns the Republican party—and Trump—want to protect.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 14, 2024
Sources claim that the AR-15 recovered near the 20-year-old shooter’s body has been reportedly bought legally by his father. Developed by the ArmaLite small arms company, this rifle has also been the focus of several heated debates regarding its ubiquity and easy civilian access.
Handling gun regulations, Lindsay Nichols, the policy director at Giffords Law Centre, described it as a “weapon of war.” It “is really only suitable for soldiers in a combat zone,” Nichols told NBC in 2023. “Its ability to kill a lot of people quickly is the reason why we want it banned.”
Journalist Cameron McWhirter, who’s also the co-author of “American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15,” told the Guardian in November how this gun has “become a symbol that people are focusing on.”
“Everyone knows the silhouette of that image; we’ve seen it a million times all over the place.”
READ MORE: What Are The Gun Laws In Pennsylvania Where Donald Trump Got Injured During Rally?
According to Pennsylvania gun laws, background check checks for gun buyers are facilitated at the time of sale. The state reportedly has more than 2,500 federally licensed firearms dealers.
Earlier this year, President Biden sought to close the “gun-show loophole,” which allows people to buy guns from unlicensed dealers without the need for a background check.
As a symbol of their commitment to gun extremism, last year some Republican members of Congress proudly wore these lapel pins shaped like an AR-15, the same weapon a 20 year old just used in Pennsylvania to try and assassinate their presidential candidate. pic.twitter.com/Sk8npBFG60
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 14, 2024
In February 2023, Republican congressman Andrew Clyde, who owns Clyde Armory in Athens, handed out AR-15-shaped pins to House colleagues. “I hear that this little pin that I’ve been giving out on the House floor has been triggering some of my Democratic colleagues,” he said in February. “Well, I give it out to remind people of the second amendment of the constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”
Since the attack on Trump, a string of divisive conspiracy theories have emerged on social media, some suggesting it was possibly an “inside job”. In contrast, others called out the apparent security lapse. Lawmakers even condemned corporate media and left-wing representatives for “demonizing” the presumptive Republican presidential hopeful over the years, thereby holding them responsible for the political violence that potentially paved the way for this heart-rending incident in Butler, which left another rally attendee dead and others critically injured.
Biden eventually addressed the nation.
“I’ve been thoroughly briefed by all the agencies in the federal government as to the situation based on what we know now,” the commander-in-chief told reporters on live TV. “I have tried to get a hold of Donald, he’s with his doctors. Apparently, he’s doing well. I plan on talking to him shortly.”
The president also added, “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country.”
Biden also posted a similarly-worded tweet on X/Twitter.
I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.
Jill and I are grateful to the Secret…
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 13, 2024
ALSO READ: Donald Trump Seen For The First Time At Newark Airport After Assassination Attempt- Watch Here!
