Terrifying History Of AR-15, America's Most Popular Weapon

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The rifle used by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at former US president Donald Trump, is the notorious AR-15

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The AR-15 rifle is one of the most popular guns in the US. It has also been the weapon of choice for many mass killers

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The rifle, per The Washington Post, was used in some of the deadliest shootings in the US between 2012 and 2022

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In May 2022, a former student used an AR-15 to shoot dead 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas

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In 2012, 12 people were killed during the midnight show of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. The shooter, James Holmes, had bought four guns

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A 21-year-old killed three Black men at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, last year

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According to Reuters, the shooter was carrying a handgun and an AR-15-style rifle, with swastikas on it

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The weapon was also used in October 2017 in Las Vegas, where a gunman massacred 60 people at a music festival

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