Calling a military-style, semiautomatic assault rifle, similar to the rifle used in the Washington, DC-area sniper shootings last year, a dubious choice for a raffle prize, the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence offered to provide raffle organizers with a true “hunting rifle or shotgun of equal or greater value” to use for the raffle instead. The formal offer was made in a letter addressed to the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial Committee during a Nov. 18 press conference at the [Rock Island Public Library].

“It’s difficult to understand why raffle organizers would choose an assault rifle to raise money for a memorial to slain police officers, given that assault-type weapons are involved in a disproportionate number of law enforcement officer killings,” said Thom Mannard, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. A recent report by the Violence Policy Center revealed that between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2001, one out of five law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty was killed with an assault weapon (Officer Down – Assault Weapons and the War on Law Enforcement, May 2003). Of the 41 law enforcement officers killed by an assault weapon documented in the report, 12 were killed by a .223-caliber assault rifle similar to the rifle being raffled off for the police memorial.

The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence decided to offer raffle organizers a hunting rifle or shotgun “because we don’t want to see any more names go up on the memorial,” said Mannard.

Bryan Miller said he was astonished when he first heard about the raffle prize. Miller’s brother, an FBI special agent was gunned down in 1994 when a man armed with an assault weapon opened fire in a room occupied by three FBI agents and a Washington, DC police officer. Two of the FBI agents, including Miller’s brother, and the DC police officer were killed, and the third FBI agent was wounded in the attack.

“It is inappropriate to use a weapon designed to kill people, quickly and in volume, a weapon that is involved in a disproportionate number of law enforcement deaths, to raise funds for a memorial to fallen officers, “ said Miller.

“The issue here is much larger than the raffle of a single assault rifle,” said John Johnson, executive director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence. “The CAR UTE Elite .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle has been designed specifically to evade the federal assault weapons ban enacted by Congress in 1994. Unfortunately, the 1994 law contained loopholes in design, and unscrupulous gun manufacturers like Rock River Arms found them immediately. Although it goes by a different name, the CAR UTE Elite is functionally identical to the Colt AR15, which is one of 19 assault weapons banned by name in the assault weapons ban.” Johnson noted that the raffle tickets even describe the rifle as an AR15. The AR15 is the civilian version of the M-16 used by U.S. armed forces.

The current assault weapons ban will expire on Sept. 14, 2004 unless renewed by Congress. According to Johnson and Mannard, the CAR UTE Elite is a perfect example of why the assault weapons ban needs to be not only renewed, but also strengthened to meet the original intent of Congress. “Congress never meant for there to be two classes of assault weapons; one class that is banned, and another class that is functionally identical, but not banned,” said Johnson. “But that is the case under current law.”

The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence support legislation pending in Congress, the “Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003” introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy in the House of Representatives (H.R.2038) and Senator Frank Lautenberg in the Senate (S.1431). The McCarthy and Lautenberg bills are supported by more than 275 gun violence prevention groups and other organizations across the country.