Giving away semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in US history might sound ill-advised, but that’s exactly what a Tennessee state rep plans to do. Andy Holt announced last week that he’d give away an AR-15—a weapon used in mass shootings such as Aurora and San Bernardino—as a “door prize” at a campaign fundraiser and turkey shoot at his farm on June 25th, where attendees are urged to bring their own rifle and ammo. After the Orlando shooting, however, he’s decided to give away two. “It was a bullet that stopped the terrorist,” says Holt. “I want you to arm yourselves and learn to shoot with deadly accuracy should the need arise.” Holt says he and a staffer received death threats, but they won’t sway his decision. He adds the giveaway isn’t insensitive to the families of the Orlando victims since the issue is “the heart of the person who’s pulling the trigger,” and shooter Omar Mateen was a “crazed Islamist” and “ISIS devotee.”
Source: The Tennessean
