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Mark Kelly's AR-15 purchase rescinded

dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
edited March 2013 in General Discussion
Gun store rescinds Mark Kelly's rifle purchase, questions his 'intent'

Published March 25, 2013

| FoxNews.com

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A Tucson gun store owner has decided to rescind the sale of a military-style rifle to Mark Kelly, the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, after Kelly said he had intended the purchase to make a political point about how easy it is to obtain the kind of firearms he's lobbying Congress to ban.

Kelly's March 5 purchase of an AR-15-style rifle and a 45.-caliber handgun at Diamondback Police Supply sparked a frenzy of reaction from both sides of the debate after he posted to Facebook a photo of himself shopping.

A background check took only a matter of minutes to complete, Kelly said in the Facebook post, adding that it's scary to think people can buy similar guns without background checks at gun shows or on the Internet.

But Kelly couldn't immediately take possession of the rifle because the shop had bought it from a customer. As a result, the store is required by a Tucson ordinance to hold the gun for 20 days to give the city enough time to make sure the weapon wasn't used in a crime.

Store owner Doug MacKinlay said Monday in a Facebook post of his own that he "determined that was in my company's best interest to terminate this transaction prior to his returning to my store."

"While I support and respect Mark Kelly's 2nd Amendment rights to purchase, possess, and use firearms in a safe and responsible manner, his recent statements to the media made it clear that his intent in purchasing the Sig Sauer M400 5.56mm rifle from us was for reasons other then for his personal use," MacKinlay said in the statement.

He added that the store will return Kelly's money, donate the rifle to the Arizona Tactical Officers Association to be raffled as a fundraiser and make an additional contribution of $1,295 -- the value of the rifle -- to the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program.

Kelly's purchase of the guns sparked accusations of hypocrisy from gun-rights supporters, with many on Facebook focusing on his motivations and the rules for purchasing such guns. Kelly, a former astronaut, said he intended to eventually hand in the rifle to Tucson police but planned to keep the handgun.

Kelly and Giffords started a gun control advocacy group, Americans for Responsible Solutions, amid the wave of recent mass shootings. They have been touring the country in recent months in support of expanded background checks for gun purchases.

Kelly bought the guns at a Tucson shop the day before he appeared with his wife at the supermarket where she was wounded during a shooting rampage that left six dead and 12 others injured two years ago. Giffords resigned from Congress last year as she continues to recover from her injuries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/25/gun-store-rescinds-mark-kelly-rifle-purchase-questions-his-intent/print#ixzz2OeYx3qkE

Comments

  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good PR move on the store owner's part. IMO it makes Kelly's attempted purchase look shady.

    Kelly wanted to keep the handgun....but, he doesn't want us to have them? Wow!
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
  • retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Gun Store owner was exercising his good judgement...
    Keeping the firearm out of the wrong hands.
  • GuvamintCheeseGuvamintCheese Member Posts: 38,932
    edited November -1
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    Store owner nailed this one down quite well. The donation to Eddie Eagle is an especially nice touch.
  • JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,297 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think he was on the wrong shuttle flights if you know what I mean [;)], I say piss on him and his way of thinking.

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good move store owner.

    It just goes to show that Mark Kelly is a typical lib, and his no compunction about showing what an idiot he is.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
  • trapguy2007trapguy2007 Member Posts: 8,959
    edited November -1
    Does anyone really think his intention was to turn the weapon over to the police.
    My money says he is a liar. [:(!]
  • legearlegear Member Posts: 6,716
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by trapguy2007
    Does anyone really think his intention was to turn the weapon over to the police.
    My money says he is a liar. [:(!]

    He should go to jail.
    He bought a weapon with intention to give it to someone else.
    He bought a weapon that was not for him
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by legear
    quote:Originally posted by trapguy2007
    Does anyone really think his intention was to turn the weapon over to the police.
    My money says he is a liar. [:(!]

    He should go to jail.
    He bought a weapon with intention to give it to someone else.
    He bought a weapon that was not for him


    That's not illegal. A gift is not a straw purchase.

    http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/SHOT Show 2012/011912-detecting-avoiding-illegal-straw-purchases.pdf

    Buying for a prohibited person is a straw purchase.

    Standing in for the actual buyer, even if not a prohibited person, filling in the paperwork as if you are the buyer, that is a straw purchase.

    I think Kelly meant to buy it for himself and turned it into a gift for the Tucson PD to save face. Nothing illegal about any of that, just bad PR.

    These people are badly emotionally compromised, messed up. I feel for them. Wish they'd get out of the public eye and just get on with what is left of Gabby Gifford's life.

    Maybe at the beach.

    But without the damned baby seal eating pit bull.
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,404 ******
    edited November -1
    And Kelly claims that guns fall into the wrong hands too easily. Heh! I think NOT!
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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