DALLAS, TX: There’s a new gun in town and it’s getting a big reaction from a small crowd. Visitors to this year's massive NRA Gun Show will have a chance to purchase a toddler sized assault rifle, in a variety of bright colors and decorated with familiar cartoon characters, such as Bluey and Peppa Pig.
Weapons For Children - a non-profit charity devoted to supplying the nation’s most unarmed youngsters with firepower - is the organization behind the design and manufacturing of the gun. Known as the TotShot 2.0, it’s a scaled down version of the mass shooting gun-of-choice, the AR-15.
Recently, Schmid Tool and WEE1 Tactical introduced the JR-15, a .22 caliber assault rifle designed for children. It’s a smaller version of the AR-15 that “looks, feels and operates just like Mom and Dad’s gun,” according to pamphlets strewn everywhere.
“After the JR-15 came out, we realized there was a whole other demographic without access to firearms that fit them,” noted Jason Jefferson, Marketing and Communications Director for WFC.
“The TotShot 2.0 is specifically designed to meet the needs of 2-4 year olds. Our patented drool and booger resistant coating means your toddlers bodily excretions will never interfere with their ability to fire this weapon. A lot of science went into the development of this product.” When asked if the science behind brain development in children, which research has proven shows the part of the human brain governing impulse control and decision making is not fully developed until about 25 years of age was used, Jefferson looked blankly at his prepared notes and coughed.
Gary Lee Bufford, manager of the WFC booth in the Wayne LaPierre Exhibition Hall explained how the mini assault rifle works. “Due to the lack of fully developed hand/eye coordination in the young ones, this gun is voice activated and fires whenever the toddler says ‘bang bang.’ “To be clear,” added Bufford, “for safety reasons, the gun is designed to activate with only the toddler owner’s voice. Like your phone or Alexa. Only deadlier.”
And while the bullets are scaled down, they still have the capacity to take out an eye or worse, according to Bufford. “Yeah, this little baby…well, your little baby, can do some real damage with this piece. Of course we offer gun safety classes, conveniently scheduled for after nap time and before the 5pm meltdown.”
When asked to comment on WFC’s TotShot 2.0, Troy Billings of The Giffords Institute mumbled something that sounded like “WFC? Who. Fucking. Cares. We’re all so screwed.”
The TotShot 2.0 retails for $350 and is currently available at Walmart and in vending machines throughout Texas. For more on that, see Texas Governor Abbott Approves Use of Vending Machines for Firearm Sales