To say there were systemic failures in Uvalde is an understatement. 19 students and two teachers were killed before 376 officers, many there for over an hour, confronted the gunman. Blame is shared broadly in the Texas House committee’s report. Leadership and communications were lacking, and there were suggestions that officers’ lives were prioritized.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that there are 20 million “modern sporting rifles” in the United States, up from 8 million in 2004. We’re also hearing that those are “assault weapons,” but the AR-15 is clearly the mass shooters’ weapon of choice.

The defining feature of a “rifle” in federal code is that it fires “only a single projectile with each pull of the trigger,’ and that is the action of the semi-automatic AR-15. The NSSF is also suggesting that an “assault rifle is fully automatic, a machine gun.”

A “machine gun” is defined as shooting “continuous fire automatically by a single function of the trigger.” There is no definition of an “assault weapon” in federal code, but our Department of Justice describes “assault weapons” as “semi-automatic firearms designed with military features to allow rapid and accurate spray firing.”

The capacity for rapid firing is clearly shared. A definition of “assault weapon” in federal code could be helpful; but former police officer and law enforcement analyst Michael Fanone knows one thing for sure, “This military-style weapon doesn’t belong in the hands of the average citizen.”

Fanone owns an AR-15 and received hours of training to use it. The caliber fired may be similar to those fired by other rifles, but he elaborates, “The AR-15 semi-automatic will not only penetrate the target, or whatever person you are using deadly force against, it will go through that room and into the next wall. That power and accuracy is useful for military purposes, but it’s far more power than should ever be in the hands of the average civilian.”

The National Rifle Association suggests, “Soft-point load is probably the best choice to minimize bullet penetration through walls and into other rooms where family members might be located.”

Fanone also owns semi-automatic hunting rifles. One is good for turkey, one is better suited for waterfowl, and another for large game like deer and elk. Hunting rifles fire at a lower velocity, providing a concentrated strike radius. And the magazines hold fewer than 10 rounds.

The military-style AR-15 is described as relatively easy to take apart, modify and reassemble. As delivered, it fires 30 rounds of ammunition at 45 rounds per minute, but it can fire magazines of 100 cartridges without overheating and be modified to 400-600 rpm with a bump-stock – machine gun range.

Bump-stocks are no longer available legally; but the Uvalde shooter’s trigger device was discovered on the floor of a classroom. The Hellfire Stealth claims to “pull your gun’s trigger up to 900 rpm legally.” Just be sure the trigger keeps moving, or you’ll have a machine gun.

The ArrmaLite select-fire AR-15 was sold to Colt in 1959, modified to become the automatic M-16, sent to Vietnam and military services around the world, and then converted to a select-fire AR-15 and sold to the American public until 1986. The semi-automatic AR-15 has been available since.

The Uvalde shooter purchased two military-style AR-15 rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition just days after his 18th birthday and took one of the rifles to Robb Elementary.

According to the committee’s report, “Officers communicated, ‘It’s an AR.’” A few rushed toward the classroom, but “grazed by fragments of building materials when shots were fired, retreated to the hallway.”

Body armor, even level 4, leaves officers vulnerable to the exploded tissue, splintered bones and high-velocity impact organ damage experienced by victims of AR-15 fire. A shield capable of withstanding that fire didn’t arrive for a while — and at least a few officers believed there was “no point in being mowed down one by one” in the meantime.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 identified and banned the sale of several “semi-automatic or full automatic military-style assault weapons.” Shootings were down, but the law expired in 2004.

President Biden recently signed the Safe Communities Act, a gun safety bill that closes the boyfriend loophole, requires enhanced background checks for those 18-21 years of age, and includes programs for school safety, mental health, and crisis intervention.

This should move us in a positive direction. When our United States has become an outlier among nations for gun violence, our Second Amendment rights must be exercised in a responsible manner.

Michael Fanone has also reminded us, “Our public officials have it within their power to help make it harder for people who shouldn’t have these weapons to get them.”

Faced with ever more guns on our streets, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson concurs, “The lethality of weapons available for purchase has never been greater, and our laws must accurately reflect this danger.”

Recognizing that form follows function, and hoping to avoid confusion in the future, we might also consider defining an “assault weapon.”

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Subscribe to this newsletter to have the latest headlines delivered to your inbox in a Morning Edition at 7 a.m.

Subscribe to this newsletter to have the latest obituaries delivered to your inbox twice weekly.

Notifications that Special Sections have been uploaded to StarDem.com

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

A receipt was sent to your email.