TRENTON – Senator John H. Adler, the prime sponsor of S-1498, a bill which would ban the sale of .50 caliber weapons in New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding a NJ CeaseFire press conference calling for approval of the ban:
“Fifty caliber guns are used as sniper rifles in our nation’s military. They’re long-range weapons with ammo which can pierce a fuel tank over a thousand yards away, and even take down a small air craft.
“In Washington, D.C., we saw the damage a well-armed sniper can do. The Beltway Snipers, John Allen Mohammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, killed 10 people over the course of 23 days with a smaller caliber weapon.
“I see no reason why New Jersey’s sportsmen need such powerful weapons for hunting in the Garden State.
“In New Jersey, we have many prime targets for terrorist activity, and the highest population density in the country. We cannot allow anyone to purchase a weapon which can fire deadly rounds from long distances. Turning a blind eye on the dangers posed by .50 caliber rifles seems like a recipe for disaster.”