Friday, Oct. 27, 2023
Was the Maine mass shooting the first in the US in 2023 done with an AR-15-style rifle?
Five mass shootings with AR-15-style rifles preceded the Maine mass shooting in 2023.
According to Mother Jones’ database, AR-15-style rifles were used in these mass shootings:
Dollar Store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 26 (three fatalities).
Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood on July 3 (five fatalities).
Farmington, New Mexico, neighborhood on May 15 (three fatalities).
Shopping mall in Allen, Texas, on May 6 (eight fatalities).
Louisville, Kentucky, bank on April 10 (five fatalities).
The shooting in Lewiston, Maine, occurred Oct. 25. A gunman using a semiautomatic assault rifle-style weapon killed 18 people and wounded 13.
A semiautomatic rifle requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge. The AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifle intended for military use.
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, reversed his position and said after the Maine shootings he supports a ban on assault-style rifles. President Joe Biden repeated his call for legislation banning such weapons.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Mother Jones US Mass Shootings, 1982–2023: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation
- NBC News At least 18 killed in shootings in Lewiston: What we know so far
- U.S. Dept. of Justice 27 CFR § 478.11
- The Trace What Is an AR-15 Rifle, Exactly?
- NBC News Maine Democrat calls his earlier opposition to an assault weapons ban a mistake after Lewiston shootings
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel try to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025