Supporter of gun control measures Scott Pappalardo has kicked off a new challenge when he filmed himself sawing his AR-15 rifle in half in response to the deadly shooting in Florida.
“Is the right to own this weapon more important than someone's life?” he asks in his clip, having chosen to destroy it rather than sell so that it “will never be pointed at someone else.”
Pappalardo’s video has been viewed over 22 million times and shared more than 393,000 times, with his hashtag #oneless going viral.
Other gun owners supported Pappaardo’s gesture, having posted similar videos.
And approved of his move, saying they wanted to make a difference…
#oneless I agree with Mr. Pappalardo. I, too, enjoy owning guns, and am a legal gun owner, but I also could not live with myself if my weapon was used to injure or kill an innocent. This is my ex-boomstick after I had at it with a grinder saw. pic.twitter.com/5PY8YjPiqu
— Deb Lentz (@Momin8tr) 20 февраля 2018 г.
On February 14, Nikolas Cruz walked into Parkland high school he used to attend, holding an AR-15 assault rifle and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 17 and injuring 14 people. The officials investigating the shooting revealed that Cruz was a member of the white supremacist group “Republic of Florida,” which encourages militia training for its members.