Following any criminal incident involving a gun, we all expect the so-called “mainstream” media to call for more restrictions on lawful gun owners. After all, that’s all they know how to do, even if the violent criminal in the report had to jump through many hoops to acquire his or her guns.
What you might not expect, however, is a rant as ridiculous and illogical as the one published by the New York Post following the April 25 shooting attack on the Trump Administration at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner attended by President Donald Trump, the first lady, and many others within the administration.
For starters, the report—headlined “Inside WHCD shooter Cole Allen’s deadly arsenal of weapons—and the two California stores he bought them from”—leans heavily on loaded language.
The author describes the attacker’s firearms as a “deadly arsenal.”
That’s a tall order for what amounts to a Maverick pump shotgun and an entry-level Armscor pistol.
“Arsenal” suggests scale and capability. This wasn’t that. These are common, budget-priced firearms—widely owned and legally sold across the country.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with either gun—both are perfectly functional and popular with hunters and shooters on a budget. But together, they hardly portray a “deadly arsenal” as the Post called it in the headline. In fact, to most TTAG readers, that’s not even the beginning of a decent collection.
The report then went on to be critical of the two small California gun retailers who sold the alleged attacker the weapons. Of course, both had to perform a background check on the purchaser, and the pistol had to be on the California government’s approved list, so those retailers share absolutely no blame for the crime, nor do the manufacturers who made the guns.
That didn’t stop the author from digging into the past of one of the gun shop’s owners, quoting him from a 2017 interview with a Los Angeles website.
“The most important factor behind the business is the product (firearms) coupled with our strong belief and understanding of our Second Amendment rights,” Bill Mullen of CAP Tactical Firearms said at the time. “We have the right to bear and keep arms—may it be for sport or self-defense.”
Oh, the horror! He’s obviously one of those evil pro-gun guys.
Incidentally, the attempted assassin sent a sprawling manifesto to friends and family just before the attack, apologizing for just about everything except the heinous crime he was about to commit. Pre-incident manifestos are a recurring red flag in violent cases. They’re a signal that intervention—by family, friends, or authorities—may have been warranted.
If we’ve learned anything from this whole fiasco, it is this: A pump shotgun and semi-auto pistol don’t constitute a “deadly arsenal.” Additionally, if you know someone who is working on their “manifesto,” you might want to get them some help before they end up dead or in prison for the rest of their lives.
Oh yeah, and don’t believe the New York Post on anything relating to firearms and criminal violence.