The firearm depicted is a Beretta CS4 Storm (9mm). It's semi-automatic.
But calling it "automatic" sells more papers, and makes it more emotionally intense. Doesn't matter to the Star that it's incorrect.
The Toronto Star -- or the Red Star as we call it -- is politically somewhere to the left of Pravda. They are hard-core liberal and vehemently anti-gun. What the euphemisically call "journalism" is well known to be mostly left-wing spin and propaganda. They have been known to fabricate/falsify 'news' outright to support their agenda.
Somehow, they are still considered to be one of Canada's "national" papers.
The mind boggles.
Correction: not a CS4 Storm; it's a CX4 Storm. oops :)
Heh...I'm one of the "we".
Welcome to FR. I take it you're Canadian, which province if you don't mind me asking?