Romania-made assault weapon used in El Paso shooting

The assault weapon used in the El Paso shooting earlier this month was bought from Romania, Stirileprotv.ro reported quoting The Texas Tribune. The shooting left 22 dead and 26 wounded.

The attacker said in a manifesto published before the event that the weapon he used was a WASR-10, a semi-automatic version of a Romanian military AK-47 weapon. After his arrest, he told the Police that he purchased ammunition for it from Russia.

The WASR assault rifles are produced in a partnership between the Cugir Ammunition Factory and the US Century International Arms, Stiriprotv.ro reported.

Last year, Romania exported 9,267 assault rifles to the United States, out of which 9,222 for civilian use, the Arms Trade Treaty report quoted by Stirileprotv.ro shows.

Romanian guns are popular with US buyers because of their accessible price, an expert told The Texas Tribune. They sell for less than USD 500 and need to be purchases “for sporting purposes.”

The El Paso Police said the weapon used in the shooting was purchased legally. It was likely purchased online and picked up from a firearm store in Texas.

Only six US states and Washington, D.C. have bans on ownership of assault weapons.

(Photo: Nomadsoul1 | Dreamstime.com)