Re: the "tool" rhetoric. What is the specific purpose of the ar-15 tool. Is it 'sporting'? They're called 'sporting rifles', right? What is the ar-15 and guns like it really good at?
Killing things. It's a killing machine. It's superior to other killing machines (e.g. long guns) in that it's good at killing many things at once.
So it's a mass killing machine, specifically. It's a tool for mass killing. And that's what it's being used for in events like this.
Sorry. This "tool" rhetoric just pisses me off. Sure, it's a tool, but one with a specific purpose. Cars are a tool for moving quickly, this is a tool for killing things efficiently.