From the time its creator sketched it on a napkin, the Ideal Conceal handgun has had a complicated birth. It's small enough to tuck into a pocket and folds up to look like a cellphone.
Critics slammed the idea because police have shot people holding cellphones and toy guns[1] they mistook for real guns.
With the gun almost ready to be shipped to retailers, the derringer-style pistol will be a "featured product" this week at the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas.
"The Cellphone Pistol offers a great option for self-defense along with max concealment. The shape will not print as a pistol, yet can be drawn and fired quickly," says a description on the NRA's website[2].
The gun has drawn fresh criticism from Jaclyn Corin, one of the teenage survivors of the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School[3] in Parkland, Florida. Corin has been one of the student leaders calling for new gun control laws.
"Even more people will be targeted by law enforcement b/c they “look” like they’re carrying a weapon, especially POC," Corin tweeted on Tuesday.
1. Even more people will be targeted by law enforcement b/c they “look” like they’re carrying a weapon, especially POC
2. The NRA continuously advertises with human figures as targets, enforcing the normality of shooting other people... https://t.co/44EHxJLEAW[4]— Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin)
Corin appeared to reference the death of Stephon Clark, a black man shot and killed in March[6] by Sacramento police who say they thought he had a gun. Clark was later found to be holding a cellphone.
