Gun makers have taken in more than US$1 billion from selling AR-15-style guns over the past decade, at times marketing them as a way for young men to prove their masculinity, even as the number of mass shootings increases, according to a House investigation unveiled Wednesday.
The weapons have been used in massacres that have horrified the nation, including one that left 10 people dead at a grocery store in Buffalo and another where 19 children and two teachers were shot to death in Uvalde, Texas.
The Committee on Oversight and Reform said some ads mimic popular first-person shooter video games or tout the weapons' military pedigree while others claim the guns will put buyers "at the top of the testosterone food chain."
Those sales tactics are "deeply disturbing, exploitative and reckless," said Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. "In short, the gun industry is profiting off the blood of innocent Americans."
Gun makers, on the other hand, said AR-15-style rifles are responsible for a small portion of gun homicides and the blame must go to the shooters rather than their weapons.
"What we saw in Uvalde, Buffalo and Highland Park was pure evil," said Marty Daniels, the CEO of Daniel Defense, the company that made the weapon used in Texas. "The cruelty of the murderers who committed these acts is unfathomable and deeply disturbs me, my family, my employees and millions of Americans across this country."
However, he added later in testimony before the committee, "I believe that these murders are local problems that have to be solved locally."
Gun violence overall spiked in 2020, but recent statistics indicate it is coming down this year in many cities.
The House panel's investigation focused on five major gunmakers, and found they took in a combined total of more than $1 billion in revenue over the past 10 years from the sale of AR-15-style firearms. The revenue numbers were released for the committee hearing focused on the marketing and sales of the firearms that have gained notoriety because of their use in the mass killings.
Two of the companies approximately tripled their revenue from the weapons over the past three years, the committee found. Daniel Defense, based near Savannah, Georgia, raised that revenue from $40 million in 2019 to more than $120 million last year. The company sells weapons like the one used in Uvalde on credit and advertises that financing can be approved "in seconds."
Salvador Ramos, accused in the Uvalde shootings, began purchasing firearms and ammunition when he turned 18, eventually spending more than $5,000 on two AR-style rifles, ammunition and other gear in the days before the massacre, authorities have said.
Sturm, Ruger & Co.'s gross revenue, meanwhile, has nearly tripled from $39 million to $103 million since 2019, and Smith and Wesson reported that its revenues from all long guns doubled from 2019 to 2021. Gun manufacturers, the committee said, don't gather or analyze safety data related to firearms.
The increases are against a backdrop of a record-setting overall increase in gun sales that began around the start of the coronavirus pandemic. About 8.5 million people bought guns for the first time in 2020, said Republican Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia. He added that, "American people have a right to own guns."
The hearing comes amid a push by House Democrats to get legislation passed that would ban certain semi-automatic weapons. It's the lawmakers' most far-reaching response yet to this summer's mass shootings.
While AR-15-style firearms aren't necessarily the main drivers of U.S. gun violence overall, their design allows shooters to harm more people from a greater distance, said Kelly Sampson, senior counsel and director of racial justice with Brady, a group pressing to end gun violence that generally supports restrictions.
"If we renew the assault weapons ban, that would take away a key piece of what allows mass shooters to kill more people in less time without having to stop to reload," she said.
There have been 15 mass killings this year, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. According to that research, those incidents have left 86 dead and 63 injured. Guns were used in all of them, and in at least seven instances they were AR-15-style weapons. Mass killings are defined as incidents where at least four people are killed.
But the AR-15 and similar weapons are also popular with people who buy guns for self defense, said Antonia Okafor, the national director of outreach for the group Gun Owners of America. Such rifles allow people, including women, to shoot a larger gun without having to absorb as much recoil.
"The AR-15 makes it easier for those who have a physical disadvantage to the attacker to have an upper hand," she said.
Wednesday's hearing marked the first time in 20 years that CEOs of leading gun manufacturers testified about their businesses, Maloney said.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 鈥渋nnocent鈥 couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell 麻豆影视 at least one other 鈥 Marie-Claude Bibeau 鈥 doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
One Direction pop star Liam Payne died of multiple traumas and internal bleeding after plunging from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, prosecutors said on Thursday, adding an initial search suggested the fall came after substance abuse.
Israel鈥檚 foreign minister has confirmed that Israeli troops in Gaza have killed Hamas鈥 top leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
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Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
A Montreal business owner will have to pay a hefty fine after he imported a luxury watch without declaring it to customs.
Some doctors in Ottawa say the pile of paperwork they're doing every day has been steadily growing as more public service workers seek doctor's notes in order to receive accommodations to work from home.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 鈥渋nnocent鈥 couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Police are investigating a fire at a home in Dorval owned by Emile Benamor, the owner of the two Old Montreal buildings that were allegedly set on fire in the past year, killing nine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Israel's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip 'ends a reign of terror.'
An intoxicated person living on Highway 17 in Spragge, Ont., has been arrested for making repeated false 911 calls in a span of several hours Oct. 11.
A Montreal business owner will have to pay a hefty fine after he imported a luxury watch without declaring it to customs.
Yahya Sinwar masterminded an attack on Israel that shocked the world, unleashing a still-widening catastrophe with no end in sight.
A Georgia grand jury has indicted both a father and son in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.
A new fire station in central Germany, which was destroyed in a fire, causing millions of euros in damage and destroyed equipment did not have a fire alarm system, local media reported Thursday.
Mitch McConnell said after the 2020 election that then-U.S. president Donald Trump was 'stupid as well as being ill-tempered,' a 'despicable human being' and a 'narcissist,' according to excerpts from a new biography of the Senate Republican leader that will be released this month.
India鈥檚 External Affairs Ministry has denied that India was in cahoots with India-based mobsters in Canada and even suggested that Canadian authorities had been resisting India's extradition attempts.
The U.S. military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by Yemen鈥檚 Houthi rebels early Thursday, a major escalation in the American response to the rebels' attacks on Mideast shipping lanes that appeared to be a warning to Iran as well.
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell 麻豆影视 at least one other 鈥 Marie-Claude Bibeau 鈥 doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says it's very disturbing that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won't get the top-level security clearance needed to view classified documents on foreign interference.
The representative plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against Canada are urging First Nations chiefs to accept a landmark $47.8-billion child welfare reform deal.
Patients who are older, don鈥檛 speak English, and don鈥檛 have a high school education are more likely to experience harm during a hospital stay in Canada, according to new research.
Health Canada released an advisory Wednesday warning that baby walkers available online may pose a risk of injury and reminding consumers the items are already banned in Canada.
Coca-Cola has recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade because the mislabelled cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Just weeks before the U.S. presidential election, TikTok approved advertisements that contained election disinformation even though it has a ban on political ads, according to a report published Thursday by the nonprofit Global Witness.
At the heart of the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, carved into pink sandstone cliffs, lies an elaborate monument known as the Khaznah, or the Treasury. And buried beneath that edifice, archeologists recently discovered, is a tomb with at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts that are estimated to be at least 2,000 years old.
Expect to see more northern lights in unusual places as the sun continues to sizzle, space weather forecasters said Tuesday.
The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine authorities continued their investigation at the scene.
Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of 'South Pacific' and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Meta says it has laid off some employees, including staff at WhatsApp And Instagram, to realign its resources with its 鈥渟trategic goals.鈥
Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg Co. Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the U.S.
Coca-Cola has recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade because the mislabelled cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
Experts weigh in on 'moon face', a condition social media users say is swelling in parts of the face caused by the stress hormone cortisol.
Luxury fashion house Prada and commercial space company Axiom Space have unveiled the designs for a spacesuit that will be worn for NASA鈥檚 Artemis III moon mission.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
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Canada鈥檚 border guards have seized more than 1,900 stolen cars so far this year at railyards and ports, which is over a hundred more than in 2023.
The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company鈥檚 self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population 鈥 that he once again promised would be available within a few years.
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.
An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.
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The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it鈥檚 written in the aurora borealis.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia say they have seized a dog and will be recommending criminal charges against its owner after it was dragged behind a vehicle in the province's Interior.
Three teenage girls from B.C.'s Lower Mainland have been criminally charged in connection with a pair of violent attacks that took place on transit over the summer.
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 鈥渋nnocent鈥 couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell 麻豆影视 at least one other 鈥 Marie-Claude Bibeau 鈥 doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Police are investigating after the body of a student was found in a residence at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary.
After more than seven years of construction, a new cancer centre in Calgary will be opened to patients and researchers.
After spending months caring for seven deer fawns, The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) celebrated their release into the wild this week.
Some doctors in Ottawa say the pile of paperwork they're doing every day has been steadily growing as more public service workers seek doctor's notes in order to receive accommodations to work from home.
Ottawa police say they have determined a man's death in downtown Ottawa was not a homicide.
The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying three suspects involved in an alleged theft and multiple fraud incidents that happened last month in the city's west end.
Police are investigating a fire at a home in Dorval owned by Emile Benamor, the owner of the two Old Montreal buildings that were allegedly set on fire in the past year, killing nine.
A young man sustained serious head injuries when he was hit riding an electric unicycle by a vehicle reported to be street racing in Montreal's Mercier neighbourhood on Thursday.
Police are investigating after two bodies were discovered in a vehicle in the Saint-Leonard borough.
Edmonton education support staff could be heading to the picket lines.
Edmonton police are asking the public for CCTV footage as they investigate two fires that appear to have been deliberately set as part of an extortion scheme.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her plan to "Uber-ize" and replace the province's online continuing care directory is aimed at making it easier for patients to navigate, and the analogy shouldn't be taken too far.
A profane anti-Israel message on a digital billboard in Moncton, N.B., has been turned off, but the question of how it got there in the first place remains.
The Nova Scotia government is adding new specialized staff to schools to help prevent and address violence.
All three of New Brunswick鈥檚 main party leaders returned to the campaign trail Thursday following CTV Atlantic's roundtable discussion Wednesday night.
A 52-year-old man has been charged after six bison were killed in an illegal hunt on a Manitoba farm.
Manitoba skygazers are in store for quite the celestial show this week.
The game against the San Jose Sharks is Hellebuyck Night 鈥 a night to recognize Connor Hellebuyck and his success last season winning both the Vezina and William M. Jennings trophies.
The sole debate for the 2024 provincial election has wrapped 鈥 with both sides satisfied that they've successfully made their respective cases on the debate stage.
Following the debate between Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and NDP Leader Carla Beck, two local experts gave their insights on the event.
A former Saskatchewan rapper turned political candidate apologized Tuesday for lyrics that the incumbent Saskatchewan Party has criticized as misogynistic.
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
One person has been taken to hospital with life-altering injuries after a serious crash near Cambridge.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 鈥渋nnocent鈥 couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
The U17 Saskatoon Alliance won their provincial soccer league title, earning them a spot at nationals. But just to survive nationals is a grueling experience.
The Prince Albert Police Service is investigating after unidentified human remains were found in the city.
A former Saskatchewan rapper turned political candidate apologized Tuesday for lyrics that the incumbent Saskatchewan Party has criticized as misogynistic.
An intoxicated person living on Highway 17 in Spragge, Ont., has been arrested for making repeated false 911 calls in a span of several hours Oct. 11.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 鈥渋nnocent鈥 couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
One Direction pop star Liam Payne died of multiple traumas and internal bleeding after plunging from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, prosecutors said on Thursday, adding an initial search suggested the fall came after substance abuse.
OPP have closed a section of road in Middlesex County following a crash.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥
On October 21, 2024, a nationwide rally will take place to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence toward women and children.
An Orillia man has been arrested four months after a collision on Highway 12 in Ramara Township that police say claimed the life of a senior.
Provincial police are investigating the alleged theft of a classic car from an address in the Town of Mono.
Two roads in Bradford West Gwillimbury will close for nearly two months as part of a $17.4 million project to reconstruct and rehabilitate local roads.
Windsor police are investigating shots fired in a quiet east Riverside neighbourhood.
Closing arguments are complete in a careless driving trial in Chatham.
LaSalle police say they have identified the youth responsible for writing a threatening message in a bathroom at Sandwich Secondary School.
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia say they have seized a dog and will be recommending criminal charges against its owner after it was dragged behind a vehicle in the province's Interior.
Elections BC says a record number of British Columbians have already cast their ballots in advance voting before Saturday's provincial election.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
With the growing season wrapping up for many, southern Alberta's sweetest crop is in full swing.
Health-care advocates say the province's plan for a new primary care agency, operating separately from Alberta Health Services, won't help with doctor shortages in Lethbridge.
The Vancouver Giants scored late to force overtime before winning 4-3 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night.
A 21-year-old who was already on probation has been charged after an armed intruder entered a victim's home early in the morning Oct. 11 in the Town of Spanish.
The Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province's 43,000 physicians, medical students and retired physicians, launched their Stop the Crisis initiative Wednesday.
An effort to bring a deep-sea port to Sault Ste. Marie just got a major push forward, with support from the federal government Wednesday.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
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