How do you know what his parents knew about his trip to Kenosha? And, why should he have not had the weapon?
You try and make the point that the kid should have not been there at all. Thats right! I couldn't agree more! But he was, and legally he could be so that was his choice alone.
He LEGALLY had the weapon, he broke no laws in that matter. I don't think it was a good idea at all for him to be there, but it was his right and also his choice to carry the AR.
So exactly why is it you seem so wrapped by it being an AR-15? What if had been a brick, a knife, a ball-bat, what about fireworks, how about a bag with shampoo bottles, a skateboard? What about it being a Glock .40cal pistol?
Are you going to condemn those sorts of weapons as well? Or will you excuse those......
I'm going to ignore the last part. If you don't know the difference between a kid carrying an AR and a kid carrying a baseball bat, there is nothing I can do to clarify that.
As for the parenting part. Are you a parent? Did you raise teenagers and not know what they were doing and whether or not they were wandering around with firearms? I sure as heck knew when my 17 year old and his best friend would go up north with the ARs as did his best friend's dad who is a big gun guy. Any of the guns were purchased by me and he knew well that it was a privilege he got because he was very responsible with them. Not being responsible would have cost him that. When he was old enough to buy his own and I was not his legal guardian he would be on his own, but until then no way does he wander with an AR into a dangerous setting.
I'm not arguing the court case at this point. The trial did what it did.
As for why the AR15 is such a big issue for me is because it's idiots wandering around pretending to be Rambo that have made it a lightning rod in the gun debate. Without those folks thinking they are going to go 'tactical' all the time, it would not be the lightning rod it is. They make it harder for those who enjoy shooting, whether it be for fun, for target competitions or 'varmint' hunting etc. Personally I think if you need a 30 round mag to go hunting, it speaks loudly about your aim, but that's beside the point. None of that makes it unsafe for people and if that's where ARs had stayed, the conversation would not be taking place. I've always enjoy them and as I said I got my first in 1979 when I was old enough to buy one. $400 bucks for a Colt SP1. Those were the days. I still have a couple. I'm into the simple versions, A1 uppers, no scopes, rails, laser sites, fake M203 launchers, tactical slings etc. Light and fun to shoot. But then again I don't see myself ever going tactical in to a dangerous situation either. As a kid growing up when we had plastic Tommy guns that we could go shoot each other it was one thing. The rule was you had to count to twenty and you could get up again. But by the time I had my first AR I'd grown out of that.