© 2026 ABC News

\"This is an open and shut case. This particular company is obviously marketing to kids. That's the entire intention of the gun,\" Sen. Chis Murphy, D-Conn., whose district includes Sandy Hook, said at the press conference. \"But let's just be clear, makers of AR-15s that are being sold today that we think of as being marketed primarily to adults are also being marketed to kids.\"

The senators claim the JR-15 is marketing \"weapons of war\" to children and might yield another mass shooting. According to the Gun Violence Archive, America has had more mass shootings than days in 2023.

The senators' renewed calls come days after multiple shootings involving semi-automatic pistols including two deadly mass shootings in California and weeks after a 6-year-old student in Virginia brought a gun to school and allegedly shot a first-grade teacher.

\"Because every minute that we let parasitic companies like this try to trick our babies into buying lethal weapons, we risk witnessing another classroom turning into a massacre,\" Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said on Thursday at the press conference.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill added that the marketing bears similarity to the tobacco industry's marketing to the youth. He said the Senate Judiciary Committee would look into the matter.

WEE 1 Tactical claims on its website that the JR-15 adds \"a level of safety found on no other firearm of any size.\" The company is currently taking orders for the JR-15 from gun dealers.

It also advertises a connection to Project Child Safe, a National Shooting Sports Foundation program aimed at \"promoting genuine firearms safety through the distribution of safety education messages and free firearm safety kits to communities across the U.S.\"

Federal law requires that any handgun legally purchased in the United States from a licensed dealer would be sold with a lock. As a trade association, NSSF provides gun locks through law enforcement on behalf of the entire gun industry, according to Olivia.

\"Any firearm, period, misused negligently or criminally can certainly be capable of lethal damage,\" Olivia said. \"And that's why it is so important for any youth that is going to be learning the shooting sports to be under the close and direct supervision of an adult.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/senators-renew-call-investigation-smaller-ar-15-rifle/story?id=96712785","legacySlug":"/news/story/senators-renew-call-investigation-smaller-ar-15-rifle-96712785","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"09:05","publishDate":"01-30-2023","updatedTime":"09:23","updatedDate":"01-30-2023","socialImage":{"alt":"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joins with other Democratic members of the Senate at a U.S. Capitol press conference condemning WEE1 Tactical's \"JR-15\" rifle marketed to children Jan. 26, 2023 in Washington, DC.","credit":"Win Mcnamee/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/jr-15-assault-rifle-2-gty-thg-230127_1674845426191_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"1/30/2023 09:05:12 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":96712785,"headline":"Senators call out smaller AR-15 for children","mediaAssetTitle":"FTC ACTING ON JR-15 GUNS","description":"Previous marketing for the gun featured a skull and crossbones with a pacifier.","duration":"0:00","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://abcnews-streams.akamaized.net/hls/live/2023570/abcnewslive_applenews/master.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Senators call out smaller AR-15 for children","description":"Previous marketing for the gun featured a skull and crossbones with a pacifier.","duration":"0:00","uploadDate":"01-30-2023","publication":"01-30-2023","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://abcnews-streams.akamaized.net/hls/live/2023570/abcnewslive_applenews/master.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://abcnews-streams.akamaized.net/hls/live/2023570/abcnewslive_applenews/master.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/senators-renew-call-investigation-smaller-ar-15-rifle-96712785"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Senators call out smaller AR-15 for children","pubTime":"04:05","pubDate":"01-30-2023","modTime":"04:23","modDate":"01-30-2023","taxonomyTags":"none","id":96712785,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Senators call out smaller AR-15 for children","mediaAssetTitle":"FTC ACTING ON JR-15 GUNS","videoId":96712785,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/senators-renew-call-investigation-smaller-ar-15-rifle-96712785"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/96712785","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/96712785","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};