Just before leaving office, former President Joseph Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a native american activist convicted of the 1975 killing of two FBI agents. Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. As discussed in American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15, the murders of Williams and Coler were the first time an AR-15 rifle was used to kill federal agents. In correspondence with the authors, Peltier denied ever firing an AR-15. Native American groups long sought his release. Federal juries and judges found him guilty of the crimes.
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AMERICAN GUN
The True Story of the AR-15
“[A] magisterial work of narrative history and original reportage."
—The New York Times Book Review
“A riveting exploration of the cost of the nation’s fascination with an iconic weapon.”
— Kirkus starred review
“[R]iveting history....This book is not to be missed." —Esquire
“An indispensable read.”—THe Guardian
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