https://nypost.com/2018/02/18/proud-gun-owner-gives-up-ar-57-after-school-shooting/A proud Broward County gun owner is deciding to “be the change [he] wants to see in the world” — by giving up his AR-57.
Ben Dickmann, 40, posted photos of himself surrendering his assault weapon to Broward Sheriff’s officers on Facebook Friday, in the wake of the tragic Parkland, Fla. attack at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were shot dead by gunman using an AR-15 rifle.
“I do not need this rifle,” Dickmann wrote. “No one without a law enforcement badge needs this rifle.”
The AR-57 is a semi-automatic rifle and a caliber variant of the AR-15.
“I could have easily sold this, but no person needs this,” Dickmann wrote.
“I will be the change I want to see in this world. If our lawmakers will continue to close their eyes and open their wallets, I will lead by example.”
The Milwaukee native said he was a highly-trained gun owner who’d been hunting since he was a child, but that he would just use other types of guns from now on.
Dickmann’s post has been shared over 100,000 times and he told NPR he never expected it to touch so many people.
“My whole goal was to inspire one friend on my Facebook to do the same thing. And maybe that friend would inspire one other person,” he said.