Last month, we caught ABC dubiously reporting the use of an “automatic rifle” in a Philadelphia crime. In that case, the police may have made that original claim. (I have a Pennsylvania Right To Know Law request pending on that.)
This time, I think they really stepped in it.
Indiana teen driver fatally shot by backseat passenger holding AR-15 style assault rifle: Police
A 19-year-old Indiana woman — described by her pastor as a “bubbly young lady who had a bright future” — was fatally shot when a 22-year-old friend riding in the backseat of her car accidentally discharged an AR-15 style assault rifle, according to police.
Mainstream news reporting of “assault rifles” and the like irks me. You might think it a minor point, but it has definitely caused more people to support gun control proposals, because they were — as intended — confused about the firearms being targeted.
My own mother got tricked by the assault weapon/assault rifle line. She was shocked when I didn’t support a ban on “machine guns,” and even more shocked when I explained the proposals had nothing to to do with those.
“Then why would they say that?” she wondered.
“So you’d be fooled, just like you were,” I told her.
And they’re still at it. I found it doubtful that the firearm in this shooting was an assault rifle as ABC’s Bill Hutchinson claimed, attributing it to the Marion Police Department. I asked Hutchinson where he got that information. He replied:
Hi @BearBussjaeger the story I wrote reads ‘an AR-15 style assault rifle,’ which is what the first paragraph of the Marion PD statement says. Later in the release, police specified it was a .223 caliber rifle, which was noted in the story. https://t.co/7KG6ZQgo4X
— Bill Hutchinson (@bill_hutchinson) December 2, 2019
Really? Let’s take a look.
Not there; even the word “assault” doesn’t appear. How about this one?
Not there either. There is “assault style rifle,” which a far cry from “assault rifle.” I asked Hutchinson for a copy of the statement he read, which allegedly says “assault rifle.” Surely he saw a statement I didn’t find.
-crickets-
ABC: making stuff up for years and years. When they aren’t covering it up, that is.
I’m curious to see if they care to spread information about how to possibly AVOID these terrible accidents or if they are just trying to exploit them for the anti-gun narrative
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