U.S. Senate Democrats call for probe into 'JR-15' child-size rifle

27/1/2023 6:39

        A group of prominent Democratic U.S. senators including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday to open an investigation into a company they said is marketing a rifle to children.
        
        In a press conference, the lawmakers questioned the marketing techniques of gun manufacturer Wee 1 Tactical, which produces the JR-15 .22 Long Rifle. The similarly named AR-15-style rifle has been used in a number of high-profile deadly shootings in the United States in recent years.
        
        The senators' request comes just days after a trio of mass shootings in California that killed 19 people. Earlier in the month, a 6-year-old boy with a handgun shot and seriously wounded a teacher in Virginia.
        
        "The law says you shouldn't be marketing guns to kids. But there's a company in Chicago that's doing just that," Schumer said of Wee 1 Tactical.
        
        In a statement, Wee 1 Tactical said that its product was meant as a tool to safely teach responsible gun ownership.