Thread by @KrisB_Brown

2 years ago today, a white nationalist opened fire at the Chabad of Poway synagogue.

We remember Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was killed, & survivors Noya Dahan, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein & Almog Peretz.

We also NEED to talk about the specific AR-15-style rifle that was used.

🧵Thread

It was a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 15 Sport II semiautomatic rifle.

This weapon has been the weapon of choice for mass shooters in America.

In fact, it is the same type of AR-15-style rifle used by the gunmen in:

— Parkland, FL
— Aurora, CO
— San Bernardino, CA

and more

It is also, apparently, "2020’s top-selling semi-automatic rifle among all retailers." americanrifleman.org/articles/2021/…

Why do mass shooters use this murder weapon?

2 reasons:

1) AR-15-style firearms inflict mass carnage. They can be easily modified — w/ little cost or experience — to fire in a fully automatic fashion.

(TL;DR: they can kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.)

And;

2) As we at @bradybuzz allege, Smith & Wesson promoted the M&P 15 to civilians through a reckless marketing campaign that targeted — yes, TARGETED — young men predisposed to violence and miltiary fantasies.
bradyunited.org/press-releases…

(Btw, M&P stands for Military and Police — and yes, this is the name of a line of AR-15-style firearms being marketed and sold to *civilians.*)

We recently took legal action alongside @Everytown for & @fred_guttenberg by filing a complaint to FTC to investigate Smith & Wesson’s reckless marketing of this weapon.

Fred's daugher, Jaime, was killed by the 19yo Parkland gunman, who used this firearm. nytimes.com/2020/05/31/bus…

We allege that Smith & Wesson dangerously marketed the M&P-15 by:

— irresponsibly use imagery implying military and law enforcement endorsement
— targeting minors thru the use of visuals from first-person-shooter video games and images of children shooting guns.

Our FTC complaint accuses Smith & Wesson of falsely associating the rifle with the U.S. military and law enforcement.

Their ads appeared to feature active members of the military and used slogans like “To Uphold. To Protect. To Defend” and “The Line of Duty.”

It is unfathomable that a gun manufacturer would devise a marketing campaign specifically targeting would-be mass shooters.

But our FTC complaint alleges that's exactly what happened. #Poway #EndGunViolence #EnoughIsEnough

Marketing weapons for military and police use to minors is reckless.

We at @bradybuzz believe that gun manufacturers have a responsibility to prevent tragedies — let alone not facilitate them.

That's why we're pushing to ensure that Smith & Wesson ends its dangerous marketing strategies of weapons of war to untrained citizens.

You can help hold Smith & Wesson accountable by adding your name to our FTC petition now. @bradybuzz #EndGunViolence petitions.signforgood.com/brady-ftc-sw

We at @bradybuzz are proud to also represent victims of the Chabad of Poway shooting in court.

Our lawsuit demands that both Smith & Wesson and the gun store that sold the murder weapon reform their dangerous business practices. #EndGunViolence
timesofisrael.com/poway-shooting…

Please also take time today to read about the victims and survivors of the Chabad of Poway shooting. #HonorWithAction nbcsandiego.com/news/local/cha…

Two years after the Poway shooting, anti-semitism in American continues to grow.

Last year marked the third-highest year for incidents against American Jews since the @ADL began tracking data in 1979.
sandhillsexpress.com/cbs_politics/a…

We know that weak gun laws make hate lethal.

We must do more to #DisarmHate and create a safer America, one where we do not fear getting shot in our places of worship — or anywhere.

https://twitter.com/bradybuzz/status/1387042712801611787

For Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was killed two years ago today, may her memory be a blessing. #DisarmHate #HonorWithAction #EndGunViolence

https://twitter.com/bradybuzz/status/1387167268140879875