Senator calls for probe into ‘JR-15’ rifle ‘marketed towards children’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the marketing of the ‘JR-15’ rifle, a firearm critics say is marketed towards children.
The senator from New York announced the investigation after speaking to the press about news of a mass shooting at Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, California.
‘Amid so much pain, weapons like this need to reigned in – not advertised to children,’ Schumer said.
The JR-15 is a smaller and lighter .22 caliber version of the AR-15, the ubiquitous firearm that has gained notoriety over the last decade for its use by mass shooters.
The rifle is produced by Illinois-based manufacturer WEE1 Tactical, which unveiled the product with a series of controversial flyers last year.
The current branding does not specifically mention children, instead it says the rifle is ‘geared towards smaller enthusiasts.’ Featured on the flyer is a photo of a father helping a young girl hold the firearm to her shoulder.
An older advertisement is more explicit about the target audience, stating the gun ‘looks, feels, and operates like Mom and Dad’s gun.’
The neon-green flyer also featured a stylized logo with what appears to be a child-sized skull-and-crossbones using a pacifier.
The new model was unveiled at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, a trade convention for the firearms industry that ended on January 20.
Days later, Schumer wrote a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, asking the organization to review the company’s marketing material.
‘It is abundantly clear that the firm is making an explicit effort to appeal to children in order to boost sales of this deadly weapon,’ Schumer wrote.
‘I am urging the FTC to examine and investigate WEE1 Tactical to determine whether their marketing and advertising is not merely offensive, but also both deceptive and dangerously misleading to consumers.’
He also said said he would ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to investigate the company. Under federal law, it is illegal for a child under the age of 18 to purchase a long gun from licensed seller.
‘We also asked the ATF to look into this, because obviously it’s marketing these guns to kids under 18. That is something that violates all kinds of rules,’ Schumer said.
Metro.co.uk has reached out WEE1 Tactical for further comment.
In the past, the company has touted the rifle’s safety features including a ‘tamper-resistant safety switch’ that can only be controlled by adults.
A representative told Motherboard the weapon is being marketed as ‘a training rifle designed with the safety and functionality to assist adults wishing to supervise the introduction of hunting and shooting sports to the next generation of responsible gun owners.’
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