News 12's Tara Rosenblum is taking a closer look at the weapon used in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The motive behind the shooting currently remains unclear, but what is now known is the accused shooter's weapon of choice was an AR-15-style rifle.

"When you have a high-powered rifle with a large magazine capacity in the hands of a bad guy, it's a terrible day," says John DeVito, New York's former top ATF agent and one of the nation's leading authorities on guns and violence prevention.

MORE: Local officer encountered gunman just before he shot toward Trump at rally, sources tell AP

AR-15-style rifles are one of the most popular weapons in the United States.

The weapon is owned by an estimated 1 in 20 Americans - and was used in several of the nation's deadliest mass shootings, including the 2017 Las Vegas music festival attack that left five dozen dead.

"AR-15-style weapons carry a .223 caliber round that has a high velocity - it's a very destructive round," says DeVito.

This is why lawmakers have moved to ban them in the nation's capital and 10 states, including in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

"I'm well aware of these prohibitions of this type of weapon system in New York state - it doesn't mean we still don't find them in the hands of the wrong people. They are easily trafficked into a state that has high restrictions," he says.

As the ATF's special agent in charge of New York, DeVito worked daily for nearly three decades to disrupt the steady stream of guns to the tri-state - yet the region remains one of the nation's top targets for gun trafficking.