Billionaire Elon Musk today put up a cryptic gun emoji post on his social media platform X, shortly after President Joe Biden spoke on the rising gun violence in the US.

“More children are killed in America by a gunshot than anywhere else,” Biden said in a rousing farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

“That’s why Kamala (Harris) and I are proud to have passed major gun legislation… Now it’s time to ban assault weapons,” Biden told the gathering, less than a month after dropping out of the White House race against Donald Trump and passing the torch to his vice president.

As Biden spoke, Musk, who officially endorsed Trump last month, dropped an emoji-filled post on X, without elaborating. The emojis were of guns and a man dancing.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024

“The gun emoji being nerfed in 2016 marked the ascendance of woke mind virus,” he said in another post.

In the past, he has described the “woke mind virus” as a threat to “modern civilisation”.

ALSO READ | “Two People Have Tried To Kill Me”: Elon Musk After Trump Shooting Incident

In 2016, Apple first changed its gun emoji from a realistic-looking revolver into a water pistol following a succession of US shootings. Samsung, WhatsApp, and Google also switched to a water pistol emoji later.

Twitter, now X, had switched to a water pistol in 2018. It, however, recently replaced the “water pistol” emoji – which was depicted as a colorful child’s toy – with an emoji depicting an actual gun.

Gun Violence In US

According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a website that tracks shootings across the US, more than 10,000 people have so far died this year from “wilful malicious or accidental shootings”.

At least 19 people have so far been killed this year in 352 mass shootings in the US. In 2023, 40 people were killed in 656 mass shootings, according to the GVA.

More than 900 children 17 years old and younger, including 154 under the age of 11, have been killed in shootings this year, according to the GVA.

Amid increasing gun violence in the United States, some grocery stores around the country now have vending machines that are stocked with ammunition. A company has installed automated kiosks in grocery stores, allowing gun owners in three US states to purchase rounds from these devices, as per a report in The Telegraph.

In certain stores in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama, people can now obtain ammunition for their firearms by just scanning their ID on a machine that resembles a drinks vending machine. The machines’ manufacturer, American Rounds, claims that operating them is just like using an ATM. “Our automated ammo dispensers are accessible 24/7, ensuring that you can buy ammunition on your own schedule, free from the constraints of store hours and long lines,” the company said on its website.

These vending machines, according to the firm, contain “built-in AI technology, card scanning capability, and facial recognition software.” According to American Rounds, the software can confirm the buyer’s identity and ascertain if the machine matches the identity scanned. Customers use a touchscreen to pick the ammunition they want to purchase, then the machine scans their ID to retrieve it through a hole in the bottom.

According to Newsweek, “there are eight machines installed or in the process of being installed across four states.” The first machine was installed at a Pell City, Alabama, Fresh Value grocery shop. Since then, four have been placed at Super C Marts in Oklahoma and one in Canyon Lake, Texas, at Lowe’s Market. Another is being placed at LaGrees Food Stores in Buena Vista, Colorado, and another is scheduled to be installed shortly in a Lowes Market in Canyon Lake, said CEO of American Rounds, Grants Magers.

He told the outlet, “We have over 200 store requests for AARM (Automated Ammo Retail Machine) units covering approximately nine states currently and that number is growing daily,” he told Newsweek. Mr Magers stated that the company supported “law-abiding, responsible gun ownership.”

“Currently ammunition is sold off the shelf or online. These environments lead to inadvertent sales to underaged purchasers and or, in the case of retail stores, a high theft rate. What we loved about this concept is the AARM units use state-of-the-art ID scanners combined with facial recognition before a transaction can be made,” he added.

Further, as per Oklahoma TV station KOCO-TV, there is no limitation on the quantity of ammunition customers can purchase and the vending machines would be restocked every two to four weeks.

However, a machine in Alabama was recently removed after its legality was debated.

Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner said that he initially thought the machines were a joke after he received calls about them. President of the Tuscaloosa City Council Kip Tyner stated that when he first started receiving calls regarding the machines, he assumed they were a prank. “I got some calls about ammunition being sold in grocery stores, vending machines. “I thought it was a lie. I thought it was a joke-but it’s not,” he said.

Notably, the machines are authorised by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and are lawful, according to Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley.

Discussing the same, Mr Magers told Newsweek: “American Rounds made the business decision to relocate the Fresh Value Automated Ammo Retail Machine located in Tuscaloosa to another store location. This was strictly a business decision based on sales at that specific store.”