Iowa Indoor Football Team Postpones AR-15 Gun Giveaway
An indoor football team located in Iowa has made the decision to postpone a giveaway night during one of their upcoming home games. The prize? An AR-15 rifle.
The Des Moines Register reports that the Sioux City Bandits were planning to raffle off an AR-15 rifle during Saturday night's regular-season finale. The giveaway was to be part of the team's annual Military Appreciation Night, with proceeds from the rifle raffle going to veterans and veteran's services. While a giveaway such as this wouldn't normally raise too much of a fuss, the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas which left 19 children and 2 teachers dead has once again put the national spotlight on the AR-15. It was the gun used by the shooter at Robb Elementary School.
The Bandits officially put the promotion on hold following a meeting between team owner J.R. Bond and the team. The Register reports that Bond had previously been adamant that the promotion go on, saying that he wouldn't back down because "some guys in New York City and some guys in Boston, Massachusetts think it's bad taste". There were reports that sponsors weren't happy either, with at least one team sponsor pulling their money.
Bond ended up pulling the promotion saying he feared it would become a distraction for the team, according to the Register. The Bandits had partnered with a veteran-owned gun store, American Brothers in Arms, for the raffle. The Register reports that anyone 18 years of age and older could buy a raffle ticket for the gun at the game. Participants would have been subjected to a background check and the gun would not have been at the game. Bond says that the promotion will eventually return.
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