When it comes to mass shootings, USA Today reports the AR-15 has been used in almost every major mass shooting in the last 5 years including Las Vegas and Orlando.
In most states, anyone over 18 can buy one. In Parkland, Florida investigators say the 19-year-old shooter legally bought the AR-15 he used Wednesday.
To get a rifle, North Carolina and Florida laws are practically identical. Here in North Carolina to get a hand gun, you have to be 21, and have a handgun permit.In Florida and North Carolina to get a rifle you only have to be 18, and must pass a background check.
Ricky Barbour, the owner of Maverick Gunworks in Mebane showed us the ins and outs of the AR-15.
To be absolutely clear, an AR-15 is not a fully automatic rifle - it is a semi-automatic rifle. When you pull the trigger once, one bullet comes out. No more, no less.
So why is this gun is so popular? Barbour says it's because the gun is so customizable.
You can change almost everything about it, including the magazine, and firing speed, if you add something like a bump stock.
WFMY News 2's Janson Silvers asked him what he says when people confront him about this type of weapon being used in mass shootings, and he says, bad people are going to do bad things.
"If the evil person is going to cause harm, he could very well do the same thing by pulling the alarm and driving a van into a crowd of people. If that happens, does that make the van manufacturer a bad person? A bad company? I don't think so," said Barbour.
On the other side of the gun debate: "North Carolinians Against Gun Violence." The group wants more common sense gun laws. The Executive Director says the permit process for getting a pistol makes sense, and want the same process for all guns.
She says the AR-15 is a military style weapon, made to be efficient at killing people.
"That is what they're designed to do, and there is no reason that we should have those on the streets in civilian hands. They're really weapons of war," said Becky Ceartas, The Executive Director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence.
Now, another popular question: is an AR-15 an Assault Rifle or not? Well, the definition of an Assault Rifle is vague -- so there isn't an easy answer. We will say, in 1994 when the government banned "assault weapons" -- AR-15 Models were banned.
But contrary to rumors, A-R in AR-15 does not stand for Assault Rifle. It is short for ArmaLite rifle, the company who originally made the gun.