Gun manufacturer Wee 1 Tactical accused of marketing 'JR-15' rifle to children as Democratic senators call for investigation
A US company accused of marketing a rifle to children, which it describes as a "training tool", is facing investigation after calls by a group of prominent Democrat senators.
Key points:Wee 1 Tactical says the "JR-15" rifle is meant to teach responsible gun ownership There have been multiple shootings, including one involving a 6-year-old shooter, in the US in recent weeksIt's unclear whether the Federal Trade Commission will follow through on the investigation requestSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to scrutinise gun manufacturer Wee 1 Tactical, which produces the child-size "JR-15" rifle.
In a press conference, senators questioned Wee 1 Tactical's marketing methods. The similarly named AR-15-style rifle has been used in a number of high-profile deadly shootings in the US in recent years.
The investigation request comes just days after a trio of mass killings in California that left 19 people dead.
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," Mr Schumer said of the company.
In a statement, Wee 1 Tactical said its product was meant as a tool to safely teach responsible gun ownership.
"The JR-15 .22 youth training rifle is for adults who wish to supervise the safe introduction of hunting and shooting sports to the next generation of responsible gun owners," the company wrote in a statement.
"The JR-15 incorporates a patented safety mechanism that provides an added level of safety available on no other rifle in production."
Democrats have been attempting to tighten gun control measures in the United States for decades in a bid to tamp down frequent mass shootings.
Republicans have largely opposed such measures, saying they infringe on the right to keep and bear arms enshrined in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.
Congress last year passed its first significant gun-safety legislation in a decade.
It included provisions that would help states keep guns out of the hands of those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
It would also close the so-called boyfriend loophole by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners.
However, it did not ban sales of assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines.
The investigation request appeared to fall outside the FTC's normal purview.
The regulator, which declined to comment, enforces antitrust law and rules against deceptive and unfair business practices.
Reuters
