Olympic Biathlete Offers Support For Assault Weapons Ban

By Tom Knighton

When I think about the politics of those who compete in shooting sports, I invariably think of how most are avid supporters of the Second Amendment. I don’t remember the last time a big name in the shooting sports world stepped up and advocated for gun control.

Then again, the Olympic biathlon isn’t what most people think of as a shooting sport.

On Tuesday night, after he finished competing, American biathlete Lowell Bailey spoke out about the gun he uses to compete — and the type of gun that was used to kill 17 people in Parkland.

“We’re a sport that uses a .22-caliber rifle,” Bailey said, according to Yahoo Sports. “A .22-caliber rifle that shoots a single round is a much different thing than an AR-15. In my opinion, there’s just no reason for assault rifles to be in the hands of ordinary citizens.”

The Florida shooter used a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AR-15.

“I support an assault weapons ban,” Bailey said, according to The Washington Post. “I really do. Our country needs to wake up. Our country needs to change. There’s just no excuse. I compete against all of these other World Cup nations — Germany, Norway. …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms