I watched the news this AM. I gotta ask

[bluestarone]

Why are they NOT calling this an ASSAULT rifle? Is this the NEW thing? They continue saying a long rifle. I sick of their attempts to cover up things. Did someone communicate with law enforcement to NOT use the word ASSAULT rifle? Pisses me off!

[hlthe2b]

1. Because the NRA and its supporters have "semanticed" the issue to death--even here

If there is a loophole in the label/description of the various types of semi-automatic or high-volume-clip long guns, they will go nuts over it.

[exboyfil]

2. A high capacity magazine fed semiautomatic rifle

Yes an assault rifle.

The only important difference between that and the weapon used by militaries around the world is no feature for automatic fire.

[mucifer]

3. They are describing the wounds. I think that is more important It's so gruesome

[867-5309.]

4. That doesn't preclude them from calling it an assault weapon

Walk and chew gum, media.

[brush]

5. Long gun v assault rifle? It doesn't matter, both kill people.

At a quick glance from a distance it's actually a term which differentiates a rifle or shotgun from a hand gun/short gun. And the term also warns of the potential for there to be a high-capacity magazine attached.

[crickets]

6. It's because technically the AR-15 is not classified as an assault rifle,

and that is because it is 'only' semi-automatic. This is solely due to the trigger mechanism. The AR-15 is not automatic; that means it requires that you pull the trigger each time you want to fire. Well, that is unless you get a bump stock.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ar15s-are-basically-assau_b_10469112

WaPo, 2018:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2018/02/15/4-basic-questions-about-the-ar-15/
no paywall: https://archive.ph/fU3fq

It's all semantics. The gun is just as deadly or easily modified to be so, but gun folks are very touchy about making the distinction. The 'AR' stands for ArmaLite, the name of the company that manufactures it, and one of the reasons it's so popular is because it's the closest civilian version of the M-16 used by the US Army. Lovely.

[iemanja]

7. Do they know for sure what kind of gun it was?

Last night, the media didn't seem sure. Though authorities have had time to look at it since.

[Midnight Writer]

8. Using the term "assault rifle" allows the discussion to be derailed by arguing the definition.

I would prefer they use the term "AR", which is what the gun manufacturers themselves use. Everyone has a concept of what an AR is.