23 November 2004

Hunter Murder: Assault Rifle?

Vang is accused of opening fire on several hunters Sunday with a semiautomatic assault rifle, leaving six people dead and two wounded, authorities said.
The last time I checked, the SKS was a curio and relic piece that goes for about $129, and is popular as a cheap, somewhat reliable hunting rifle. As defined, your basic so-called "assault rifle" has scary features like pistol grips, collapsible stocks, flash hiders and the like. I think it might have a detachable magazine, and some models come with a folding bayonet, but that's about it. In other words, it's the same as a Ruger Mini-30 (same caliber and all), which nobody would characterize as an assault weapon. Bet your butt that the VPC has latched onto it, though.

In any event, I'm pretty sure the trigger didn't pull itself. Of course, his relatives are shocked and stunned, but they are quick to point out that racism may have played a role in these murders. Apparently, there's a large Hmong population in St. Paul, MN (figure that one out - from Laos to Minnesota???). Crazy situation. Guess we'll stand by and wait for the rest of the story...

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