Actually, the first reporting I heard, did say that an assault rifle was found in the car, but then there were other reports that came later that said an assault rifle was used in the attack and that was how the shooter was able to inflict the carnage. It sure seems that the reporting was more interested in exploiting than explaining.
None of that matters, because the grabbers got what they wanted and they're going to push it just like in every other country where commies, socialists and dictators get into power. It's SOP.