Car dealer offers buyers rifles similar to Orlando weapon
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE -- In this Aug. 15, 2012 file photo, three variations of the AR-15 assault rifle are displayed at the California Department of Justice in Sacramento, Calif. While the guns look similar, the bottom version is illegal in California because of its quick reload capabilities. Omar Mateen used an AR-15 that he purchased legally when he killed 49 people in an Orlando nightclub over the weekend President Barack Obama and other gun control advocates have repeatedly called for reinstating a federal ban on semi-automatic assault weapons that expired in 2004, but have been thwarted by Republicans in Congress. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli,file)
A New Hampshire car dealer is offering each buyer a free AR-15 assault rifle, a type of weapon similar to the one used in the Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub massacre.
Mike Hagan owns Hagan's Motor Pool Auto Repair and Sales in Rochester. He says he's given away four AR-15s and one 9mm handgun, an option for buyers who don't want the rifle.
Hagan tells NH1-TV he has partnered with a nearby gun store, which runs the required background checks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hagan is a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan. He says the possibility the weapons he's giving away could be used to kill civilians doesn't weigh on him.
He hasn't returned calls seeking information on whether the promotion began before or after Orlando gunman Omar Mateen attacked the Pulse nightclub on June 12th, leaving 49 people dead.