During an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, gun-control activist David Hogg claimed those who own AR-15s and similar rifles are not interested in self-defense but in hunting human beings.
After telling viewers that Americans need to find unity in addressing gun violence, Hogg was asked about his recent efforts to ban certain kinds of semiautomatic firearms at the state level. He said he and other March for Our Lives activists had introduced a ballot initiative to ban so-called assault weapons in Florida. He said those who own an AR-15, the most popular rifle in the United States, want to hunt other people.
"The truth of the matter is weapons like the AR-15 have an effective range of over 1,500 meters," Hogg said. "If you're using a weapon with an effective range of over 1,500 meters, you are not defending yourself. You are hunting a human being."
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group for the firearms industry, estimated last year that more than 16 million AR-15 and similar rifles had been produced or imported to the United States over the past 25 years. Still, Hogg said no civilians should be allowed to possess those kinds of firearms.
"I don't think any civilian needs to have their hands on a military weapon like that," Hogg said.
Andrea Mitchell did not challenge Hogg on his claim that AR-15 owners hunt human beings.