Former FBI agent demolishes Fox News claim Boulder shooter’s gun wasn't 'a weapon of war'

With the King Soopers mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, rocking the nation, commentators at Fox News have taken to circling the wagons around America's gun culture, and in particular defending the high-powered AR-style weapons of the type used in the shooting.

"These are not weapons of war," said reporter John Roberts during a segment on Wednesday. "These are not assault rifles. These are just semiautomatic weapons, they just look different."

Former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa, however, was quick to point out that this is false — and that the weapons in question are in fact very similar in classification to weapons used on the battlefield.

AR ("ArmaLite") style semi-automatic rifles are among the most popular sporting weapon in the United States. However, they have many features that make them similar in firepower to true machine guns.