Grace Baptist Church in Troy, New York, is facing backlash after holding an assault rifle giveaway in its weekly service.
Protestors showed up at the church on Sunday morning after seeing the church’s “WIN A FREE AR-15,” flyers.
“It’s extreme poor taste, the time that they decided to raffle off a rifle when we have all of the shootings going on in all of our communities,” protester Steven Negron told WRGB. “An AR-15 is completely unnecessary in this community. Even as a hunting rifle I mean that’s not really the type of rifle used to hunt.”
Pastor John Koletas stated that the giveaway was held in honor of hunters and gun owners who have “been so viciously attacked by anti-Christian socialist policies.”
The church has done this before, raffling assault rifles in 2014 and again in 2017. The church plans to hold another AR-15 raffle on Monday.
Yes this type of weapon is used for hunting as it is a fast round for small game. It is a verson of the 223 that we used especially when hunting rabbits, fox and deer.